Is with mods easier to get in orbit?

[Dacsi]

Hi everybody, a few weeks ago I installed FAR (and deleted after 3 days) and i noticed that I had to use much less fuel (1/3) in order to get in orbit, but it was harder with big ships and i actually hate docking in orbit. I also see most of you using KW that lets you get in orbit with 1-2 stages.

My question is: do and wich mods make easier to get in orbit and save fuel? 'cause all the time I run out of fuel when comnig back from the Mun or Minmus, and I'm planning to go on Laythe.

Edited December 26, 2013 by Dacsi
Answered :D

[Soda Popinski]

Depends on the mod. Yes, FAR makes it easier to make it to orbit. This is why Ferram also released Kerbal ISP Difficulty Scaler. It scakes back the ISP to make it just as hard as before, while keeping the improved aerodynamics.

[Armchair Rocket Scientist]

Hi everybody, a few weeks ago I installed FAR (and deleted after 3 days) and i noticed that I had to use much less fuel (1/3) in order to get in orbit, but it was harder with big ships and i actually hate docking in orbit.

This is correct. FAR reduces the dV requirement to reach orbit from about 4.5 km/s to 3.5 km/s, which is pretty significant. On the other hand, the improved drag model can cause rockets to tumble out of control if you turn them too abruptly; this is worst with large or otherwise awkward ships.

I also see most of you using KW that lets you get in orbit with 1-2 stages.

Stock rockets can easily reach orbit with 2 stages, and rocket-only SSTOS are possible at the expense of a very small payload fraction. KW rocketry doesn't change this. However, it includes 3.75m parts, which should make it possible to launch heavy payloads into orbit with a slightly smaller part count.

My question is: do and wich mods make easier to get in orbit and save fuel? 'cause all the time I run out of fuel when comnig back from the Mun or Minmus, and I'm planning to go on Laythe.

In general, there are two types of mods for KSP: "new stuff" mods like KW rocketry or B9, which don't significantly affect the difficulty of the games, and "realism" mods like Deadly Reentry, FAR, or Realistic Solar System, which almost always make the game harder.

In your case, I'd recommend you download a mod which tells you how much dV your vehicle has. Mechjeb and Kerbal Engineering Redux are the most popular. These don't save you any fuel, but they make it more likely that you'll pack enough for your mission.

The only way to really "save" fuel in KSP is to fly as efficiently as possible. There are many tutorials on this out there. Mechjeb may also be helpful. The autopilot features aren't always the most efficient, but it's incredibly useful for tasks such as fine-tuning an aerobrake (landing guidance) and automatically throttling engines to keep you at terminal velocity or prevent asymmetric flameouts.

[Skorpychan]

The best way to save fuel is to know what you're doing. So, practice, build skill, work at it.

I run with few mods, personally, and find that MechJeb wastes fuel, especially if left unsupervised. It'll happily **** away your fuel reserves chasing half a m/s when you've got a rendezvous and haven't noticed. And being a computer program, has no idea of 'don't do this'. It nearly caused my Duna lander to smack into the planet while catching up to the cruise stage again.

And the docking is slightly imprecise, so it won't rotate the ship for you prior to attachment.

Kerbal Engineer is a godsend. It saves so much time in trial and error.

[Col_Jessep]

Kerbal Engineer is a godsend. It saves so much time in trial and error.

This would be my recommendation as well. Just keep in mind to add some extra fuel for plane changes and unforeseen correction burns.

[Sirrobert]

Mechjeb or Kerbal Engineer makes it MUCH easier to get to orbit, because you know the deltaV of each stage

[Dacsi]

Thank you for the replies, I checked out flight engineer and mechjeb and I downlaoded the first. Regarding the KW rockets stuff, I wanted to say that you could get in orbit with a "straight" rocket, while in vanilla I have to use huge asparagus lifters, but I didnt consider the radius of the tanks.

The last question: what should be the maximum velocity during the launch? I try to keep it under 200 m/s, but I feel like I'm going too slow.

[Snarfster]

Personally I use Kerbal Engineer. I like to fly manually but do want some indication of whether what I want is possible with the ship I designed. Also, a must have for me is the Kerbal Alarm Clock. That's my minimum setup, really.

Some recent additions. Navyfish docking port alignment, crew manifest, kerbal attachement system, SCANsat and infernal robotics.

To me, those additional mods add some stuff that I would love to see in the stock game.

MechJeb is also a nice mod but, personally, I don't want to automate too much. (Plus, it's not very efficient with your fuel)

-Frank

[Taki117]

I use Mechjeb over KER (I have used both) and for me it's the interface. The KER interface just seems a bit too clunky to me, yes it has the ability to show you your dV and TWR on various bodies (Which has it's uses) but MechJeb just does more.

[capi3101]

I use KER as a rule, though I do have tricks up my sleeve for handling launches stock only (mainly involves right-clicking on fuel tanks to keep track of when they empty out for staging purposes and throttling back to the top of the green if the gees get too high, turning at 10k and trying to stay between 30-45 seconds to apoapsis thrusting to prograde and going horizontal if I get to more than a minute to apoapsis).

Have never used Mechjeb - have stated repeatedly I'll install it if I ever successfully return a Kerbal from the surface of Eve.

KAC and NavyFish's Docking Alignment Indicator are great mods. I also like Enhanced Nav Ball. Protractor's useful for determining interplanetary ejection angles, though I've had some serious issues relying solely on it for transfers (alexmoon's web site is still better for that purpose).

[TMS]

The last question: what should be the maximum velocity during the launch? I try to keep it under 200 m/s, but I feel like I'm going too slow.

It's dependant on a number of factors, but based on your description of what you're building, 200m/s is roughly what you should be at when you reach 10-13km and begin your gravity turn. Roughly. Anything above that is basically fighting air resistance in the pea soup of the first 'layer' of atmosphere.

[Dacsi]

Thank you all, I had the right answers. Actually I decided use Mechjeb instead of Flight Engineer, and sucessfully docked two ships ready to be sent on Laythe.

[Clockwork_werewolf]

In terms of speed in Kerban atmosphere the wiki has some speed number for each height http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Kerbin

100 at 75 meter (nearly imposible)

121 at 2k

163 at 5K

267 at 10k (they have a lot more but this is helpful for explaning)

I Usually have liquid engines and SRBs firing at the start to get me to 110m/s at 1k. Then I turn down the liquids so that I hit 121 at 2k. When the SRBs run out I turn up the liquids to compensate and gain the next speed for the next marker.

I have even build a SSTO (it uses so many parachutes) using only Mainsail engines (with one nuke for de-orbit burn) with 3 orange tanks of fuel each. This can lift 30 tons into orbit, deburn and land safely. I'm not running any mods (not even MachJeb) so you don't need any mods to make your ships better. Also for outside orbit, Nuclear engines are your friend.

[zinfinion]

I'm using a custom KIDS setting with FAR that makes the Dv to orbit pretty much the same as stock KSP without altering fuel requirements in space.

0.55 Atm Isp Multiplier

1.00 Vac Isp Multiplier

And Thrust Varies with Isp toggled on.

The biggest difficulty with this is finding enough spots to place engines, as the TWR gets basically halved on the pad.

[Skorpychan]

I use Mechjeb over KER (I have used both) and for me it's the interface. The KER interface just seems a bit too clunky to me, yes it has the ability to show you your dV and TWR on various bodies (Which has it's uses) but MechJeb just does more.

I use mechjeb as an autopilot. KER is far more powerful for designing things, and gives the readouts on the fly. Notably, 'time to impact', and 'height above ground'.