Shuttle Style External Boosters

[Collin Dow]

You guys know how the space shuttle has the massive boosters that lift the shuttle itself on up? I've tried (and failed) to replicate that repeatedly. I have tried to manually adjust the direction the engines are facing, but mainsails apparently refuse to be shifted like that. Do I need to run the engines on the shuttle unit? Because I need that fuel for orbit. Thanks!

[Godot]

Well, I guess it´s not easy to replicate the shuttle, considering the problems you will surely get with the (shifting) center of mass.

[DrMonte]

1. You can transfer fuel later in the orbit manually.

2. You can attach "FTX-2 External Fuel Duct" to flow fuel to your shuttle during launch. (I would prefer this way)

3. Engines can be rotated by mounting them on the girder segment which is fuel transfer capable. Try "Cubic Octagonal Strut"

[Collin Dow]

Well, I'm finding even with my shuttle's engines, I can't counteract my mainsails. Further, I can't tilt them around even on struts. I know I've seen shuttle-like designs on the forum before! But I just can't seem to find one now. Oh well, I'll have to keep trying sometime when it isn't 2:30 am.

[celem]

The shuttle (various incarnations of it) is one of the most often 'imitated' real-world ships. You might find a design that could give you ideas on the spacecraft exchange forum, or even in the mod release forum (im pretty sure i saw a part-pack somewhere that facilitates shuttle design)

Im not suggesting you just use someone else's design, thats a bit boring, but you might get ideas to help your own design.

Plus if going for realism your shuttle engines ought to be lit alongside the solidstage. NASA has the equivilent of a fuel duct running from that jumbo orange tank into the shuttle itself, thats why they can pound thrust (and use the shuttles thrust-vectoring) during the launch, yet still seperate with full fuel on the payload (shuttle itself).

(I watched a launch the other day and was pretty thrilled to see that the thrust-vectoring is highly visible, All the way through the ascent the shuttle's own engines are clearly canted over to compensate for the off-centre nature of the solids)

Edited November 19, 2013 by celem

[phuzz]

If you watch video of a shuttle launch carefully you can see the moment they lit the shuttles engines (SSME) the entire stack leans and settles back.

Quite unnerving!

[radonek]

Plus if going for realism your shuttle engines ought to be lit alongside the solidstage. NASA has the equivilent of a fuel duct running from that jumbo orange tank into the shuttle itself, thats why they can pound thrust (and use the shuttles thrust-vectoring) during the launch, yet still seperate with full fuel on the payload (shuttle itself).

Not quite so, once external tank separates, SSMEs are essentially a deadweight, there is no fuel for them on board. Plus, if you keep orbiter engines unlit during ascent, its still "realistic" – using Buran/Energia flight profile instead of Shuttle's.

[LORDPrometheus]

Check the space shuttle engines mod currently on the forums