[1.0.2]FASA Launch Towers

[kiwiak]

I wonder if its possible to disable fairings on engines attached to mercury style clamps.

[Captain Sierra]

I wonder if these are usable with KJR . . .

Too many launch clamps can and will break stuff so I'm hoping that not-too-overzealous use of these won't wreck things. Always wanted to build a proper Saturn V launch tower.

[mushroomman]

I've been having some issues with procedural fairings and the large launch tower. It seems to work fine with everything else (I think...) but the large one causes the fairings to balloon out and surround the towers. This was with the interstage fairings.

[wasmic]

I've been having some issues with procedural fairings and the large launch tower. It seems to work fine with everything else (I think...) but the large one causes the fairings to balloon out and surround the towers. This was with the interstage fairings.

There's a function to lock fairing shape. Just lock the fairing shape, then attach the tower.

[frizzank]

I updated the towers so they will be less destructive to your rockets.

If you have the latest from FASA you do not need to download this its the same one as the FASA Saturn 1b pack.

http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/fasa_launch_towers/

[Sethnizzle]

My Kerbals are unable to walk on the launch tower bridge. They just fall over and bounce around.

[tygoo7]

My Kerbals are unable to walk on the launch tower bridge. They just fall over and bounce around.

You might want to get this to fix that.

[frizzank]

Its not that, the sea sickness cure made it so kerbals in the water would be counted as landed so they can walk on objects in the water. That was also fixed in the latest KSP update so it is now completely unnecessary.

They are landed but the tower is not 100% ridged so it vibrates some on really tall towers with little support. Add more clamps or put some struts between the walkway and your rocket.

[Sethnizzle]

You might want to get this to fix that.

I thought this was added stock in .22 or .23? Either way after doing some tests it looks like the problem is having the launch tower too close to the center of the launch pad. In the VAB if you move the craft so that the launch tower is near or outside the large circle painted on the floor then it works fine, but placing it too close to the center will give the bug. As for other markings, if the launch tower base is touching the grate of the launch pad I get this bug, but outside the white painted square encompassing the grate seems to work just fine.

[frizzank]

physics joints are getting a much needed fix in the next update so it should be much better then and less unpredictable...

[Horman]

How about letting the Kerbalnauts spawn at the astronaut complex, so they might be driven to the launch tower by astro van?

[HeadHunter67]

I love how much more immersive this makes my launches.

Any plans for a 3.75m stack clamp that would work with the new ARM parts? I know it's not historical, but I'd love to have something like that.

Edited April 4, 2014 by HeadHunter67

[frizzank]

One is being made for Saturn V

I also posted a tutorial on launch towers

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/76136-FASA-Launch-tower-tutorial?p=1083756#post1083756

[HeadHunter67]

I thought about the Saturn clamps, but those would be 5m. I would love something I could use with the SLS parts, but I'm not a modder in the least. I'm sure the tutorial is pretty straightforward for someone who already knows what they are doing.

[Justin Kerbice]

I tried some launch clamps today, they're great.

@frizzank: do you think it would be possible to add an option, as a LaunchClamp plug-in child class maybe, to automatically clean them upon launch (perhaps when distance become greater than 2.5 kms or a given value) ?

I don't see why the clamps remains even if distance > 2.5 kms and they're annoying things we have to clean-up manually when using kerbtown launch site.

[blackheart612]

Because they're planted to the ground and not in the air

[Westi29]

My FASA launch pads spawn into the ground when I use the extra planetary launch pads mod. Any reason why the elevator door spawns underground but the stock clamps don't? I want to use the tower to get kerbals up to the ship but the door is buried lol.

[Drew Kerman]

Because they're planted to the ground and not in the air

Yea but the FASA launch tower gets cleaned up automagically. It's just the clamps that remain which you have to go into the Tracking Center to recover manually

[blackheart612]

Ooooh didn't know that

[somnambulist]

@frizzank: do you think it would be possible to add an option, as a LaunchClamp plug-in child class maybe, to automatically clean them upon launch (perhaps when distance become greater than 2.5 kms or a given value) ?

It's really fun if you have Romfarer's plugin and DRE installed. The increased load distance means the clamps are still part of the active simulation when your main craft is at orbital speeds.

[larkvi]

This is a lot of fun--thanks for putting it together and cleaning it up.

[mellojoe]

I just found these. WOW. They are so nice! I'm going to use them for everything. In fact ... I might just delete the stock ones since I'll never have to use those again. Just absolutely brilliant.

[M3Man03]

Yes, very well done! I've been looking for a way to stabilize very tall rockets and the umbilical seems to work perfectly. I love how they swing out of the way on launch.

[HeadHunter67]

I have a little trouble placing the crew tower (specifically so that it aligns with the Mk1-2 hatch), but I know what you mean about the umbilicals. I remember watching Apollo launches as a kid and seeing all those gantries and umbilicals fall away as the rocket launched.

[frizzank]

I have a little trouble placing the crew tower (specifically so that it aligns with the Mk1-2 hatch), but I know what you mean about the umbilicals. I remember watching Apollo launches as a kid and seeing all those gantries and umbilicals fall away as the rocket launched.

You can rotate them down using the Shift+ one of the WASDQE keys.