How can I connect a fuel line from the Clamp-O-Tron Sr?

[XOIIO]

Alright, so, I did a couple retrieval missions to kerbal's moons, and researched what I needed to get started on my orbital refueling station. The frame/ main body of the station goes up first, and the tanks will be brought up one or two at a time, I need to figure that out, and also docking lol. I figure a main ship brings them close enough then I detach them and they are set up like in the image, to remote control in with RCS.

I have a full set up of bi directional fuel lines for the station, however, I can't put one on the clamp-o-tron senior to connect backwards. I can connect to it from the station but not vice verca. How can I do this? Is it possible to edit the save file to switch those ones around? Even if somehow the girders magically transfer fuel, same with the nodes, I want the fuel lines, it looks cool I still need to add the engines it will use to adjust orbit if needed, and maybe a capsule for a guy to sit in, but it is made to be unmanned.

I figure this thing will be handy getting larger ships to other parts of the solar system, by letting them use fuel from their engines to get into orbit, same with some probes, I end up eating into my LN-N reserves and being low some. You could use what you need, dock, grab some fuel and head out It will be easy to replace tanks too, just un dock, send them into the atmosphere and send a new one up when it's empty.

Edited January 15, 2014 by XOIIO

[The_Rocketeer]

You can't attach fuel hoses from docking ports, period. Same goes for certain other parts (like engines).

If you're angling for aesthetics, it doesn't matter which way the hose actually runs does it?

As for attaching your tanks, I did something similar for a space-station. I built a frame around the tank with girder sections attached to a smaller fuel tank and rocket motor, then braced it with support struts. The girders had RCS thruster blocks so I could handle the docking. Once the tank was attached, I separated the tug and reversed the frame away, leaving the tank behind.

Edit: A thought occurs - you could add a rockomax brand adapter 02 to the core behind the station-side docking port and run your hoses to/from that. Any good?

Edited January 15, 2014 by The_Rocketeer

[XOIIO]

Well, I figure the docking ports and the four way thingies don't allow fuel through, but I like the cone idea, didn't even cross my mind. sure it will be a tad bigger and a bit more unsightly but it's a good solution. I'll try it tomorrow when I am not dead tired. The tug frame is a neat idea too, I'll have to try out a couple different ways.

one thing that will be tricky is getting good at docking I think lol, getting into the same orbit and that close seems fairly tough. if only there was an autopilot to get into the same orbit,

[sjwt]

You don't need fuel lines on clampOtrons. Once docked you can transfer fuel around as you wish with Alt right clicking on tanks.

[The_Rocketeer]

Docking is easy as pie once you have the basics - I learned in a few hours using the wiki for guidance, and there's a ton more tutorials on youtube since then. Make sure your ship has enough gyros for its mass and try to keep the RCS blocks balanced around the centre of mass, otherwise when u try to dock you'll start rotating when u just want to move in a linear direction - with big ships that can be a real @%^&!

If you really can't get the hang of it, MechJeb is a well-known mod that adds a whole diversity of autopilot features including for docking. I strongly recommend you try it for yourself first though, MechJeb is a little too close to cheating for me

Edit: yeesh, I think I just realised something I really should have twigged earlier. If a part doesn't let fuel through, it doesn't mean you can't transfer fuel past it manually from tank to tank (even without hoses). The hoses are there to allow fuel to transfer automatically as though two tanks were actually one big one when you're actually burning your fuel. I'm guessing your 'station' won't need to burn fuel very much, so u really don't need to worry about the functionality of those fuel lines at all

Edited January 15, 2014 by The_Rocketeer

[Kasuha]

For fuel transfer between fuel tanks in single ship you don't need any fuel pipes at all. You don't even need the parts in between to support fuel crossfeed.

And once you dock two ships, they become one ship.

[XOIIO]

Hmm, any ideas on how to get this thing into space? I've tried horizontal, that's a definite no, and vertical with a crapload of struts flipped over later in the flight.

Guess I didn't think about this part

[likke_A_boss]

Hmm, any ideas on how to get this thing into space? I've tried horizontal, that's a definite no, and vertical with a crapload of struts flipped over later in the flight.

Guess I didn't think about this part

I'm thinking, (assuming you approve of mods) the 5 meter NovaPunch 2 parts. They tend to be large enough to launch large stuff into space. If not, you could always send it in pieces via smaller rockets or a SSTO.

[Kasuha]

Hmm, any ideas on how to get this thing into space? I've tried horizontal, that's a definite no, and vertical with a crapload of struts flipped over later in the flight.

Guess I didn't think about this part

Personally I'd detach all fuel tanks (and the monopropellant stacks) and get them up separately. You may need to put struts in between each two monopropellant tanks, they are extremely wobbly.

The central column should be liftable quite easily as long as you point it right up and strut against wobbling.

If the ship flips over, it may mean you have some high drag part in the front. You can help it by using winglets at the bottom of your ship, moving the high drag part more towards center of mass, adding a detachable low drag part (e.g. nosecone) to the top, and performing correct gravity turn, i.e. making sure your ship points inside the surface prograde marker circle all the time you spend in thick atmosphere (up to ~36 km).

[The_Rocketeer]

Remove all the tanks, including the RCS and send them all separately. Add any rocket big enough to push the core into space to one end. Label the other end 'this way up'.

[XOIIO]

I am sending up just the center first, sending all that fuel would be crazy. I am just having trouble getting it to work upright, it always wants to wobble even with struts. I'll try again tomorrow.

[Kasuha]

I am sending up just the center first, sending all that fuel would be crazy. I am just having trouble getting it to work upright, it always wants to wobble even with struts. I'll try again tomorrow.

You might try to attach some girders to its docking ports and make it wider this way - then use those girders when strutting. You can undock those girders above atmosphere when you're almost in orbit and let them disappear in the atmosphere. You should be able to add the last few m/s to reach orbit even if it wobbles a bit.

Always start your struts on parts you're gonna detach and remove to get rid of strut nubs from the craft you're going to leave in orbit. It decreases number of parts on it and increases resulting FPS.

[XOIIO]

You might try to attach some girders to its docking ports and make it wider this way - then use those girders when strutting. You can undock those girders above atmosphere when you're almost in orbit and let them disappear in the atmosphere. You should be able to add the last few m/s to reach orbit even if it wobbles a bit.

Always start your struts on parts you're gonna detach and remove to get rid of strut nubs from the craft you're going to leave in orbit. It decreases number of parts on it and increases resulting FPS.

Oh, awesome, I didn't know you could attach girders to the docking ports and detach them, thanks! It worked great, I just need to adjust the rocket so it gets into orbit properly. It did wibble and wobble but it didn't fall down.

I got mechjeb and man is it epic, it makes the game almost too easy, I probably won't use it for landing, but I definitely will for getting into orbit, I always sucked at that, and for inter planetary maneuvers until I learn from how it places the nodes.