"Fuel Crossfeed Capable" Parts

[JakeGrey]

I've been trying to design a spaceplane, and the design I've settled on looks like this. Once I'd sorted out the design flaw that the astute forum-goer will doubtless have seen already and a couple of less obvious ones, I got a semi-successful design off the runway... and immediately ran into a problem. The rocket motors are only accessing the wingtip tanks.

What do I need to do to remedy this? Can I connect a fuel transfer pipe to the wing, or do I need to grab the Fuel Balancer mod?

Edited December 16, 2013 by JakeGrey

[Smidge204]

Fuel piping will do the trick. As a bonus, they act as struts and will improve the structure of your craft.

Although honestly, the tanks at the ends of the wings seem like the only source of usable fuel anyway... the liquidfuel resource in the center fuselage is useless for rockets without the oxidizer resource to go with it. Unless those things under the wings are fuel tanks too, in which case a fuel line is exactly what you need.

=Smidge=

[Taki117]

It really depends. How much does your CoM shift during flight? If it's quite a bit I'd go with the fuel balancer mod (Which would keep your CoM in the same place, roughly), but if it doesn't shift too terribly much just run a fuel line.

[JakeGrey]

@Smidge: The current model uses some B9 parts with oxidiser as well as fuel in the centre section. And yes, those are droptanks; they're from Firespitter, and an interim solution until I get around to hacking together an update to BFT Conformal Tanks.

@Taki: I haven't managed to test it thoroughly enough to know whether it's going to be a problem. Do I need to run a fuel line directly from the wing tanks to the centre fuselage or can I use two shorter connections from one tank to the wing and then from the wing to the other tank?

[Taki117]

@Taki: I haven't managed to test it thoroughly enough to know whether it's going to be a problem. Do I need to run a fuel line directly from the wing tanks to the centre fuselage or can I use two shorter connections from one tank to the wing and then from the wing to the other tank?

If you have to run a line you are going to have to run it from the center to the wing-tanks. Cross-feed capable means that fuel will flow through it to an engine, but not to another fuel tank (Unless you have either a mod, or you manually transfer fuel)

[JakeGrey]

Fuel Balancer it is, then. Much obliged.

[Taki117]

Fuel Balancer it is, then. Much obliged.

You are most welcome, and don't forget to give rep where it's due!