Tips and tricks you found out yourself

[Kasuha]

On a tangent, how does this work for aircraft when the same idea doesn't work for rockets: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendulum_rocket_fallacy .

Pendulum fallacy is about relation between propulsion and center of mass. The point is that CoM and thrust is coupled so by turning the craft, the relation between thrust and CoM doesn't change. That holds both for rockets and planes - even for planes it took a while to realize they run as well with propeller at the back as with propeller in the front.

The stability in case of lifting surfaces placement is about relation between gravity and drag. These are not coupled so by turning the craft their relation changes.

[John FX]

In space, if you rotate your rocket (with thrust on) `the place your pendulum weight is pulled towards` rotates with it which makes it unstable. In gravity that stays the same, which stabilises it.

The air helps too. It makes your lift proportional to your speed whereas in space nobody can help you lift, bro.

[LethalDose]

Oh, here's a new fun one I just stumbled on:

Left-clicking the icon for probes, stations, etc at the top of the screen in the tracking station and map views toggles all of that icon on your display. That's not news, at least not to me.

However, RIGHT-clicking that icon deselects everything else.

Just want to see probes? Right-click probes. Boom. Nothing but probes, baby.

Mind. Blown.

[Claw]

Cantab just pointed out that you can rename vessels and change their type via the tracking center. Handy for those parts that don't have a controlling probe core or capsule.

In the tracking station, select the vessel to change and click on the "i" icon to the right.

[Bean]

Err Guys, I think I've just found something amazing; You can make fine adjustments to maneuver nodes using the mouse-wheel!!

Place your cursor over one of the tabs on an open node and then scroll up or down to make fine adjustments. It seems to adjust the maneuver by 0.1ms for each notch on the mousewheel, but you have to have the cursor right on the middle of the tab or it doesn't work.

I found it completely by accident, had a node open and was zooming in when my cursor moved over the node and I stopped zooming and node twitched slightly.

Scrolling up moves the marker faster than scrolling down, so for fine adjustments, scroll down on the opposite direction you want to go. (for prograde scroll down on the retrograde marker etc)

[Apollo13]

Err Guys, I think I've just found something amazing; You can make fine adjustments to maneuver nodes using the mouse-wheel!!

Place your cursor over one of the tabs on an open node and then scroll up or down to make fine adjustments. It seems to adjust the maneuver by 0.1ms for each notch on the mousewheel, but you have to have the cursor right on the middle of the tab or it doesn't work.

Cool. Unfortunately, you're still using an imprecise and clunky UI to do precision work. Kinda like using an ax to carve a diamond.

If you want to adjust your nodes precisely, use either PreciseNode or MJ's Maneuver Node Editor. I can adjust nodes to 0.0001 when needed

Edited July 1, 2014 by Apollo13

[iStickyDuck]

Big un-symmetrical space stations wobble more than symmetrical and are harder to control when spinning

[THX1138]

Awesome thread! I found I can increase the force of decoupling by spinning first. I discovered this by accident when decoupling time arrived whilst I struggled to maintain control of the craft Sometimes you don't want to apply thrust but you do want to get rid of the boosters at your sides - this does it brilliantly at the cost of a smidgeon RCS or electricity (which you're about to replace anyway).

[Foxster]

One way to use tanks in the order you want is like this...

Isolate the tanks from the engine(s) with a non-crossfeed part (the I-beams here). Then stack parts that do crossfeed and connect each to a tank in the order you want the tanks emptied - bottom to top here.

Engines will use tanks in the shortest numbers of links first. Here the bottom tank is one octagonal strut and one fuel duct away (two links). The next up tank is two octagonal struts and one fuel duct away (three links) and so on.

And, yes, you can put a man into an 80K orbit and return him safely to Kerbin with this ship - albeit sitting on a command seat bolted to a parachute!

Edited July 1, 2014 by Foxster

[Red Iron Crown]

One way to use tanks in the order you want is like this...

http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/pp38/FoxMouldy/plumbing2_zpsd9682e4c.jpg

Isolate the tanks from the engine(s) with a non-crossfeed part (the I-beams here). Then stack parts that do crossfeed and connect each to a tank in the order you want the tanks emptied - bottom to top here.

Engines will use tanks in the shortest numbers of links first. Here the bottom tank is one octagonal strut and one fuel duct away (two links). The next up tank is two octagonal struts and one fuel duct away (three links) and so on.

And, yes, you can put a man into an 80K orbit and return him safely to Kerbin with this ship - albeit sitting on a command seat bolted to a parachute!

You could simplify that a fair bit by removing all but the top pair of fuel lines, then adding a single line between each pair of tanks feeding upward. Then you could eliminate all the octagonal struts, too.

[Kryxal]

I can see the point here as proof-of-concept, though...

[xcorps]

I figured out that if you forget to set symmetry when placing a strut, you don't have to dig for the strut. You can grab the parent part (the one where you started the strut) and give it symmetry. The strut will follow.

[Foxster]

You could simplify that a fair bit by removing all but the top pair of fuel lines, then adding a single line between each pair of tanks feeding upward. Then you could eliminate all the octagonal struts, too.

Well, yes, in this simple case. This ship was just to illustrate the point. The point being that you can set the order the fuel tanks get used in by the number of links to them - least first.

[Foxster]

You could simplify that a fair bit by removing all but the top pair of fuel lines, then adding a single line between each pair of tanks feeding upward. Then you could eliminate all the octagonal struts, too.

Actually, thinking about it, I don't think what you suggest would work. That would result in the fuel being taken from the tanks from the top down i.e. just what this plumbing was getting around.

[Claw]

Actually, thinking about it, I don't think what you suggest would work. That would result in the fuel being taken from the tanks from the top down i.e. just what this plumbing was getting around.

At the risk of getting pulled on another tangent, both suggestions are valid.

Your original posting was illustative of a technique.

And what Red Iron Crown said is also true, provided you feed the fuel upward 1 tank at a time, then connect the top fuel tank to the engines. It's simply asparagus staging in a train stack. (I think someone gave this a name, but I forget.)

There are a few tweaks you could do to your design, but I don't think that was really the value of your post. I actually somewhat like your idea as it could simplify the understanding of a complex fuel system at maybe the cost of some extra parts.

Edited July 2, 2014 by Claw

[Foxster]

Ah, yes, thinking about it yet again I see that is correct. It would work the same that way. Bamboo staging. Wasn't a great example of my idea. I'll try to think of something more illustrative.

[Bean]

I just combined 2 suggestions, if you click on the Apoapsis or Periapsis or a manuever node, then scroll to change the node, it will move a hell of a lot slower than if you scroll without clicking on the Ap/Pe first.

[cantab]

When you have picked up a part in the VAB/SPH, hitting Delete will get rid of it. No need to drop it on the parts menu.

(This might not be in stock, I have Editor Extensions.)

[Claw]

When you have picked up a part in the VAB/SPH, hitting Delete will get rid of it. No need to drop it on the parts menu.

(This might not be in stock, I have Editor Extensions.)

Works in stock also.

[Umlüx]

just found out that you can finetune your maneuvernodes with the mousewheel. just place the cursor over the needed marker and scroll.

wow

[Mr Shifty]

just found out that you can finetune your maneuvernodes with the mousewheel. just place the cursor over the needed marker and scroll.

wow

I actually hate this feature and wish there was a way to turn it off. . . is there? I'm always trying to zoom in and out in map view and end up screwing up my carefully tweaked maneuver node in the process.

[SMILIE]

I don't know if it was posted already but you can not only trim your plane's control surfaces but you can also "trim" or set a speed which rover wheels will maintain with Alt + W/S or a steering with Alt + A/D.

[John FX]

I actually hate this feature and wish there was a way to turn it off. . . is there? I'm always trying to zoom in and out in map view and end up screwing up my carefully tweaked maneuver node in the process.

I`d like to turn this feature off too, like I know I will want to do with the 50% throttle `feature`...

[xtremespino]

1. The Rockomax 48-7S engine is one of the best engines in the game, with a pretty good efficiency (350 in a vac) and has a really good thrust to weight ratio, its amazing a landers for moons, or small 1.25 metre upper stages as it gives 30 kN of thrust.

2. Mechjeb is like fat, once you have lost it, you feel great

3. The stock game is just as interesting if not more than a save with mods, though they are great (definitely use them) play the stock game as well.

[sku77s]

I was looking for a thread to post this as I just figured it out and had seen others mention and ask if there was a way.

You can rotate a kerbal on an axis eva. Just click and drag.

Sorry if this was well known. But its discovery solved alot of ladder grabbing issues for me.