General small questions topic

[Funeh]

Hi, I just wanted to make this thread to ask you some smaller questions which I think doesnt need the whole new thread to be made...

If it is a problem then by all means...

I will add further questions in this topic when I stumble upon problems in my KSP game, which I will

1. I want to build a plane and stack it onto my rocket. How do I do this when I build the plane in Spaceplane hangar and I build the rocket in the Vehicle assembly building... and I want them both to be on the launch pad stacked together?

2. How do I make vertical launch on the runway?

[Secuas]

Hello Funeh,

1. Strapping a plane on a rocket doesn't seem like a good idea to me for large shuttles. However it can be very usefull for little shuttles, sorta like a Dreamchaser/Kliper. As you can see here:

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Z411.jpg

In stock KSP there isn't a very nice looking way to make a Spaceshuttle there are plenty of mods for that. But if you want to get cargoplanes into orbit it's generally not wise to slap those on a rocket.

However you can try building an SSTO to fly to a LKO.

2. If you really would like to launch something vertically on the runway. I suggest you select the who craft by holding shift and click on the craft, and re-oriënt it they way you want using the wasd keys.

[Zylark]

1: Design your Spaceplane with some kind of radial attachment point (docking port, radial decoupler, octagonal strut or similar) as the root of your vessel and placed at the bottom of your vessel where you want it to line up with the rocket stack. Then save your Spaceplane as a sub-assembly, go over to the VAB, design your rocket stack, load up your spaceplane from the sub-assembly and attach it to your rocket stack. Also how you get a Rover onto a launch vehicle, though Rovers tend to be stacked on top of the launch vehicle, not ride on the side of it.

1b: Look into the Select Root mod to help modify existing designs so that you can get a radial attachment point as your root part the easy way rather than design from scratch.

2: Select root part, and then re-orient your vessel so that it points up. Then attach launch clamps (or landing legs, remember to deploy them in the SPH) so that your vessel don't tip over when you try to launch it.

Edited November 5, 2014 by Zylark

[Funeh]

Thanks guys...

Reason for the plane to be stacked onto rocket is because I need to get some small plane on the other side of Kerbin in order to make some aerial surveillance there... But because it is a long way to get there I want to use the LKO to get there faster.. I am planing it to be a very little plane so it shouldnt be that hard..

[Wanderfound]

Thanks guys...

Reason for the plane to be stacked onto rocket is because I need to get some small plane on the other side of Kerbin in order to make some aerial surveillance there... But because it is a long way to get there I want to use the LKO to get there faster.. I am planing it to be a very little plane so it shouldnt be that hard..

In that case, a few RT-10s on decouplers mounted on the back of the engines should do the job. Launch as a tailsitter and start to pull the nose down as soon as you're out of the thickest bit of atmosphere. Use the thrust limiter tweakable to keep the TWR to something sane.

Put some fins on them to ensure that your CoM is in front of CoL both before and after dumping the spent boosters. You'll have an increasingly stable plane as the SRBs burn off; possibly too stable. Stick some Vernors or RCS around the nose to ensure you can keep it pointed where you want.

Edited November 5, 2014 by Wanderfound

[Jovus]

You should be aware that, because of the way KSP loads and unloads craft in flight, it's very likely you will lose the rocket attached to the plane. As soon as you detach the plane, the game recognizes two separate vessels, and when two vessels are flying in atmosphere and more than 2.5km apart, the game unloads the one you're not focused on. I

[Funeh]

Wanderland: Thanks for the tip!

Jovus: yea Ive heard there are some good mods for that so it is possible to actually fly two vessels

[Funeh]

I have those contracts telling me to save some kerbins from somewhere. I guess this is a bug? Because I dont think that I have kerbins trapped anywhere..

[ratchet freak]

I have those contracts telling me to save some kerbins from somewhere. I guess this is a bug? Because I dont think that I have kerbins trapped anywhere..

they get spawned when you accept the contract,

They are essentially rendez-vouz contracts, once you get close enough you will need to press the [ or ] keys to swap to the stranded kerbal (swapping from map doesn't work) and put him in the ship for a safe landing

[Funeh]

so he will be orbiting kerbin just like that? Only in his suit?

[Padishar]

so he will be orbiting kerbin just like that? Only in his suit?

Yes, the contract description usually mentions it is a result of some sort of ground-based industrial accident, presumably some sort of suit test gone horribly wrong...

[Alshain]

so he will be orbiting kerbin just like that? Only in his suit?

Precisely. Floating in space, nothing else around, and uncontrollable by the player until you get a craft within 200m of them.

If you are wondering how they get there... Squad answered that question too.

[Funeh]

Thank you guys, helpful as always...

The video is hilarious, I love their language :-D

Also, I actualy think that somewhere in deep universe there is some space faring race alot like kerbals

[zekes]

it seems the questions have already been answered, so I'll just say welcome!

[Funeh]

I have this contract to put a probe on a polar orbit... but the Ap and Pp are about 7,500,000m ... That seems way too high for me? So is it 7500km (its almost near Mun) or am I reading it wrong? Also in the details of contract is "node: 216°", which I dont understand what it is...

[Zylark]

I have this contract to put a probe on a polar orbit... but the Ap and Pp are about 7,500,000m ... That seems way too high for me? So is it 7500km (its almost near Mun) or am I reading it wrong? Also in the details of contract is "node: 216°", which I dont understand what it is...

Some of those Fine Print missions do want you to put probes at some odd orbits. I've had ones outside of Mun orbit even, at a very eccentric orbit. To get an idea of where you need put your probe, jump to any asset you already got in Kerbin orbit, enter map-mode (m) and zoom out until you see a colored orbit guide with arrows going around it. This is where you need to place your probe, and traveling in the direction of the arrows.

[DrD]

so he will be orbiting kerbin just like that? Only in his suit?

Just remember to save a seat for him in capsule. I learned that one the hard way, like so many other things.

Either the 3-person capsule with one empty seat or the Mk1 with a probe core will work. Just remember to remove crewman (crewkerbal?) prior to launch.

[DrD]

I have this contract to put a probe on a polar orbit... but the Ap and Pp are about 7,500,000m ... That seems way too high for me? So is it 7500km (its almost near Mun) or am I reading it wrong? Also in the details of contract is "node: 216°", which I dont understand what it is...

I think the node is where the orbit crosses the equator, at least I've seen it defined that way. It's a geographic reference in this case 216 degrees longitude. Now I have no idea how to tell longitude on Kerbin. Hopefully someone will tell us.

So you inclined orbit can't be inclined any old way but must cross equator at 216 deg longitude.

As always I could be very wrong.

[Yakky]

Just remember to save a seat for him in capsule. I learned that one the hard way, like so many other things.

Either the 3-person capsule with one empty seat or the Mk1 with a probe core will work. Just remember to remove crewman (crewkerbal?) prior to launch.

If you forget to leave an empty seat, you can still fulfill the contract by abandoning one of the crew in space to make room for the new guy you have to rescue. Just don't let the Kerbonaut union get wind of your plan. And if it's a single-seat capsule, don't abandon it until the guy you want to rescue is nearby.

[cantab]

To clarify, if you're building a payload that's going to be a subassembly, to start the build with a "throwaway" part like an octagonal strut, then place the first real part and build on. Save the subassembly from the first real part.

[Kryxal]

It sounds like the longitude of the Ascending Node is 216 degrees, just launch into orbit, drop a node on a point where the plane of your orbit intersects the plane of the target orbit (a good guess will do initially), set up a burn to get your AP to the right height, fine-tune the placement of the initial node, execute it, then at AP do a plane-change and raise your PE in the same burn ... I'm guessing maybe 1300 delta-v over orbital?

[DrD]

If you forget to leave an empty seat, you can still fulfill the contract by abandoning one of the crew in space to make room for the new guy you have to rescue. Just don't let the Kerbonaut union get wind of your plan. And if it's a single-seat capsule, don't abandon it until the guy you want to rescue is nearby.

Where were you last week?!?

Good idea, never even occured to me. Not ruthless enough I guess.

[Brainlord Mesomorph]

so he will be orbiting kerbin just like that? Only in his suit?

yes LOL (how's he get there?)

[Funeh]

Is there some kind of unit which will tell me how the engine is efficient in the engine description?

[Wanderfound]

Is there some kind of unit which will tell me how the engine is efficient in the engine description?

ISP. Every rocket has two ISP figures, one for sea level and one for space. Higher is better.

You can see the ISP figures by right-clicking on the parts menu in the VAB.