This is why Jeb is no longer permitted in the VAB

[Red Iron Crown]

Seriously, Jeb, igniting an LV-N inside the VAB? And how did you make it exhaust sideways?

[dryer_lint]

That does not look good.

[Tex]

Huh. Interesting. Take some readings of the ground control, maybe the radioactivity has made them act even sillier!

On a side note, that's a pretty interesting design. Is that for a station or other orbital-assembled craft?

[WinkAllKerb'']

seem like a final fantasy exhaust

[Kodiak42]

Hmm... I wouldn't save that if I were you, Jeb might have managed to do that with the power of the Kracken

[Dodgey]

Sigh. I'll go get the decontamination foam you get the fire hose. *grumbles* third time this week.

[Red Iron Crown]

On a side note, that's a pretty interesting design. Is that for a station or other orbital-assembled craft?

Interplanetary mothership. One thing I like about the 3.75m parts is that 1.25m parts cluster neatly under them. There are seven engines in that cluster, but any number from 1-7 can be clustered without clipping.

[Tex]

Huh. File and save, probably gonna use that later

[r4pt0r]

ive had trouble in the past where the ejectable shields knock off other engines. any such issue?

[Red Iron Crown]

I either don't put a stage below LV-N clusters or use the Tweakable Everything mod to turn off the fairings, otherwise, yes, the fairings splitting destroy the cluster.

[cantab]

Next task: Melt down an NFP reactor in the VAB.

As for LV-N fairings, my solution is to have a central structural element in the cluster. So in a group similar to the one above, I'd put a fuel tank or something down the middle and six engines around it.

[Red Iron Crown]

Nuts, the center LV-N overheats enough to explode in testing. I may have to go with cantab's suggestion and put something else in the center.

[KvickFlygarn87]

My oh my, that is weird. I had that bug m'self a while ago, but that was because I failed epically (is that a word?) when trying to edit some config.

[Corw]

Nuts, the center LV-N overheats enough to explode in testing. I may have to go with cantab's suggestion and put something else in the center.

Can you lower the thrust on it, maybe? You might still get most of thrust without exploding.

[Felsmak]

Smells like sabotage. Probably the Krussians.

[Streetwind]

Nuts, the center LV-N overheats enough to explode in testing. I may have to go with cantab's suggestion and put something else in the center.

Remember to test in space - temperatures stay lower there than on the launchpad.

[Red Iron Crown]

Can you lower the thrust on it, maybe? You might still get most of thrust without exploding.

That's a good idea, I'll try it and see how far down it has to go to not explode. Though LV-Ns don't really have a lot of thrust to spare, it might not be worthwhile to lug one up that'll only be partially utilized.

Remember to test in space - temperatures stay lower there than on the launchpad.

I did my testing in LKO, but thanks for the reminder.

[Dat_Spacewaffle]

needs more boosters....

[Red Iron Crown]

I'm curious if the exhaust in the VAB glitch is something in my install or a genuine bug. It's reproducible, it happens whenever I load the subassembly. If I save and reload it disappears, and if I alt-click the assembly the copy doesn't show the effect. Would someone mind trying it on their install to see if it happens for them?

Here's the subassembly: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/61004449/KSP/Nuke%20Array%207x2.5x3.75.craft

[Pecan]

I get no ignition in the VAB (sticking it under a probe core and X200-32 tank). Centre engine runs OK up to 90%

[michaelhester07]

Hmm and Jeb told me that was normal.

[Red Iron Crown]

Pecan, thanks for testing, are you using a vanilla or modded install? I wonder if it's one of my mods causing it. I guess it's not a big deal as it doesn't have any permanent effect, it's just a bit disconcerting.

[Pecan]

The install I tested on has: MM, Toolbar, Chatterer, CLS, AGX, KER, PF, NRAP, MJ, NavballDockingAlignmentIndicator (that SO needs an abbreviation!), SCANSat, SM and KAC. So, er, nearly stock ^^.

Of those only Toolbar, AGX, CLS and MJ (via MM) are active in the VAB. The only one I'd think might have an effect is AGX but, since there are no action groups defined, I doubt if it has. Hard to see how any mod could get flight-mode activity like that into the VAB/SPH, have fun tracking it down.

[Special Agent Sigvan]

Fun times ahead.

[Bilfr3d]

maybe this should be forwarded to bug tracking...