Xivios Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Found a quick way to get around the sticky launch pad bug.On whatever your rocket sits on, strap on some decouplers. This will create a dummy stage plus the decoupler stage. Move the couplers to the 'true' lower stage and save/reload (as Skunkmonkey suggests) and bam, no more sticky pad - the rocket sits on the decouplers, and while THEY might be stuck to the pad, they get left behind upon ignition of the first stage.This can actually make a big difference, without a sticky pad, a rocket as simple as a chute > module > decoupler > liquid tank x4 inline > engine > decoupler makes for an SSTO, or at least pretty close to it.It's not a perfect fix, bigger rockets may cause the decouplers to explode, but the only issue that really seems to cause is some browned underpants from our intrepid trio. Or total structural failure. Reccomend liquid fueled engines over the decouplers, throttled down and then brought up for launch. They don't take well to the sudden shock of full-throttle engines.Edit: Too late I find that foamyesque actually beat me to the punch (with an identical ship design no less) in the simplest orbiter challenge. Kudo's to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supraluminal Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 This has been a pretty widely used workaround for a while, but personally I've never had much luck with it. It usually makes my lower stage (followed very rapidly by everything above it) explode as soon as I fire the engines. Possibly lowering the throttle would help, but depending on the design that tends to leave me stuck on the pad simply due to a lack of thrust....My preferred workaround is to simply mount a sizable number of engines (usually SRBs) above ground level, out of contact with the pad. That seems to work well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rotten194 Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 This has been a pretty widely used workaround for a while, but personally I've never had much luck with it. It usually makes my lower stage (followed very rapidly by everything above it) explode as soon as I fire the engines. Possibly lowering the throttle would help, but depending on the design that tends to leave me stuck on the pad simply due to a lack of thrust....My preferred workaround is to simply mount a sizable number of engines (usually SRBs) above ground level, out of contact with the pad. That seems to work well.I had the explodey problem on a rocket as well, try sticking a dummy LFT under the decoupler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowfax Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 An escape tower (wobbly pack) also works most of the time. Set it to fire with the lowest stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim_Barrett Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I never really encounter this problem, its mostly for really weak rockets as a first stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts