parts [1.12.x] Sounding Rockets! Start small. Dream big!

[futrtrubl]

Use a slightly offset CoM to tip the balloon a bit. or, use the blimp. I don't know about the balloon but I've done three blimp flights so far (they are in the twitter stream but I have yet to get a dispatch out on them) and I got several m/s horizontal speed going both up and down due to it tipping forward a bit - my first flight that went to 25km and back down traveled over 60km west of KSC. After I balanced it out better, my third flight I was able to go straight up, but coming down had enough of a lifting effect to give me horizontal motion as well. The blimp also has nodes on either end you can stick a small engine on

Sounds like you are using FAR. You won't be able to do that with the balloon (it's a sphere so you can't get aerodynamic lift.... unless you spin it really fast like a golf ball) or with stock aerodynamics.

[255]

Hrm... using FAR, with just 3 stages I involuntarily escaped Kerbin...

So is this not compatible with FAR? Or is it proably caused by another mod? I'll try with a vanilla installation.

EDIT: confirmed that it's caused by FAR.

Edited April 17, 2015 by 255

[futrtrubl]

Hrm... using FAR, with just 3 stages I involuntarily escaped Kerbin...

So is this not compatible with FAR? Or is it proably caused by another mod? I'll try with a vanilla installation.

Sounds about right. It's very light and extremely streamlined. And with FAR you only need 3.2-3.8km/s dV to orbit.

[255]

OK, but... it's not right.

It should be nerfed; unless the dev doesn't want to support FAR of course.

These are awesome starting rockets so you are not supposed to escape the planet lol.

[RoverDude]

These will all be rebalanced for stock aero with 1.0

[djnattyd]

Is anybody aware of a Real Fuels config for this? As far as I can tell, the Stockalike config doesn't yet support the LF/O engines

[futrtrubl]

Is anybody aware of a Real Fuels config for this? As far as I can tell, the Stockalike config doesn't yet support the LF/O engines

Not that I know of. Whip one up and RoverDude might include it.

[RoverDude]

0.2.0 IS UP!

KSP 1.0 Compatibility

Some experiment labels got mixed in shipping - this has been fixed.

Fixed a parachute issue with the 0.35m nosecone

Renamed the decoupler to a stack separator

Disabled crossfeed in the stack separator

The gyro is now an inline part

Added a handy stack node inside of the two trusses

Ballon and blimp parts have been deprecated for now (no worries they will be back later)

[Sparics]

The textures seem to be glitched for my version

[futrtrubl]

I am sad the gyro is now inline only. It was one of the very few radially attachable reaction wheels available and was perfect for using on larger launchers that just needed a little torque without having to add some skinny length that would then have to be shielded under fairings and strutted around due to their node weakness.

I'll be modifying them back with my own MM config for myself but you might consider letting them also be radially attachable.

[RoverDude]

Sure, toss me a pull request

[Mokmo]

So uhm, how do i install a control element ... the avionics package is weird and people keep mentioning a gyro. Which seems to be in the 45 points area in "Flight Control", should it be that way ? So i run a few flights with the avionics package ?

[futrtrubl]

So uhm, how do i install a control element ... the avionics package is weird and people keep mentioning a gyro. Which seems to be in the 45 points area in "Flight Control", should it be that way ? So i run a few flights with the avionics package ?

Initially your flights are meant to be pretty much uncontrolled. You set your sounding rocket at an initial angle using the sticks and just let it fly. That way you can set where it lands by that initial angle and your thrust as it was in the early days of rocketry.

[Svm420]

Does anyone else have the issue of the smallest srb motor not auto decoupling at times? Had the issue in 0.90 and still do. Seems like sometime timewarp helps it decouple IDK.

[biohazard15]

Please buff impact tolerances, at least to standard 7.0 m\s. The mod is simply impossible to use - the experiments are destroyed on landing in 95% of all launches, no matter what. KSP does not handle such small tolerances well.

[Svm420]

Please buff impact tolerances, at least to standard 7.0 m\s. The mod is simply impossible to use - the experiments are destroyed on landing in 95% of all launches, no matter what. KSP does not handle such small tolerances well.

That or make the parachute more useful.

[SyberSmoke]

Please buff impact tolerances, at least to standard 7.0 m\s. The mod is simply impossible to use - the experiments are destroyed on landing in 95% of all launches, no matter what. KSP does not handle such small tolerances well.

I was thinking that also. But I also had the thought of implementing a small inflatable. Terrain and water landings with a single chute have this tendency to cause catastrophic failure. The thought behind the inflatable would be to add in a cushion to add in extra space for the collision meshes. Especially for water landings where the object can bob when it lands wiping out all of the objects in the payload leaving only the cone and payload rack.

[Squiggsy]

so I am using this for career mode, and I have done two sounding rocket launches and have yet to have fufilled the "Launch our first vessel!" contract, is this supposed to happen or not?

also for the people saying the parachute is too weak I happily survived with 4 experiments and two batteries in my sounding rocket, well the first time only two experiments survived because i had no decoupler but I really can't say that it is too weak!

[RoverDude]

Launch first vessel has always required a manned capsule

- - - Updated - - -

So uhm, how do i install a control element ... the avionics package is weird and people keep mentioning a gyro. Which seems to be in the 45 points area in "Flight Control", should it be that way ? So i run a few flights with the avionics package ?

You have launch sticks Point and go!

Please buff impact tolerances, at least to standard 7.0 m\s. The mod is simply impossible to use - the experiments are destroyed on landing in 95% of all launches, no matter what. KSP does not handle such small tolerances well.

Have had the opposite experience in my saves, and have not lost an experiment yet. Try adding in a pack chute.

[goldenpsp]

I have. The standard nosecone chute seems largely ineffective and I only just unlocked Pack chutes as they are 2 levels deep.

[biohazard15]

I have. The standard nosecone chute seems largely ineffective and I only just unlocked Pack chutes as they are 2 levels deep.

Yeah, I'm talking about the start node tech - 0.35m parts. In my experience, the start nosecone cannot slow it down to 3-5m\s - it's going at 6-7 m\s ASL, which leads to a hard landing.

[RoverDude]

tbh even last night I did a few rockets with just the basic nosecone... no issues?

Show me screenshots of what precisely you are trying to land with that chute

[pargentum]

In 1.0 none of Sounding Rocket parts cand be a first part of the vessel.

Before you ask, yes I've downloaded 0.2.0 archive and did a clean install. Actually I wiped all my old extensions.

[RoverDude]

Pargentum - incorrect. The trusses are always your first part. Been that way for a while now

[goldenpsp]

tbh even last night I did a few rockets with just the basic nosecone... no issues?

Show me screenshots of what precisely you are trying to land with that chute

I had:

1-SRM-S motor

1-Nosecone Parachute

1-Meteorological Survey Package

1-Mini battery pack (otherwise I had no EC, would not launch)

1-Avionics package (Otherwise I had no control, would not launch)