Engine clusters

[TechnicalK3rbal]

I've seen several people make clusters and I've been wondering, how do you do I?

Edited October 29, 2013 by TechnicalK3rbal

[Taki117]

Enjoy

[TechnicalK3rbal]

I tried that Taki117, it just randomly starts exploding....

[Kulebron]

Go to structure and see triple/quad adapters. http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Parts#Adapters.2C_Couplers_.26_Struts

like this http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/TVR-400L_Stack_Quad-Adapter

attach it with 1-node end to the wide tank, and attach 4 engines in symmetry or non-symmetry mode to the bottom. That's it.

See a bigger picture:

http://flyonbudget.onegiantleap.info/_downloads/bg_assembly2.jpg

[Taki117]

Are you using launch stabalizers on the fuel tank? if you have it just sitting on the pad the collision detection is just going to knock things loose (And cause explosions)

[Kulebron]

^^ good point, this way the rocket can't stand stably on the engines.

[TechnicalK3rbal]

No, it gets up like 29 meters and then starts exploding..... It's works fine with Skipper engines, so it has nothing to do with the rest of the rocket

EDIT: it doesn't explode, all the structural linkages fail nigh simultaneously.

Edited October 28, 2013 by TechnicalK3rbal

[phunk]

Too much thrust for the rest of the rocket to handle? What engines are you clustering to replace a skipper?

[TechnicalK3rbal]

Lvt30's, 4 of them.

[TechnicalK3rbal]

I figured it out. The launch clamps were hitting the pieces I used to cluster the engines.

[phunk]

That's 860kN of thrust instead of 650kN that the skipper has. Were you doing full throttle with the skipper? Try 3/4 with the cluster and see if it still falls apart.

ETA: Posted before I saw your last reply, yeah, that would be a problem.

[Johnno]

Thought I'd throw a quick tutorial together as this question keeps being asked. Here's how I do it:

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[Superfish57]

I've always found that way of clustering to be quite pretty.

[Taki117]

Thought I'd throw a quick tutorial together as this question keeps being asked. Here's how I do it:

GALLERY

So that's how you do it! I always wondered how to get those nosecone pieces to work like that.

[blizzy78]

You can also do it using the Cubic Octagonal Struts, as can be see in the short tutorial on my engine cluster calculator page.