Trouble getting LKO with less than 6k dV.

[WanderingKid]

My goodness. 10 tries it took me. Got a BARE orbit with ~100 dV to spare. I have no idea how you held onto 276 Streetwind.

Cool training vessel though.

[WuphonsReach]

Early game, when you have no good control surfaces or RCS thrusters...

- Launch TWR should be about 1.4-1.6, give or take

- Stay below 300 m/s under 10-12km

- Tilt no more then 2-5 degrees to the east when you get 100 m/s of upward velocity

- Fins on the bottom will keep you pointed that way until you get out of the soup at 10-12km

- Don't bother fighting it until 10-12km of altitude

Once you get above 10-15km, you can start turning for real using reaction wheels and/or RCS thrusters. My guideline is that for every 1km of altitude, you can tip 1 degree away from vertical. So at 30km, I'm 30 degrees off vertical, 45 degrees at 45km, 60-75 degrees off vertical at 60km.

As your Apoapsis height hits 75km, turn sharper and reduce thrust. Try to keep it at 75km and about 40-60 seconds ahead of you. But that will vary depending on the TWR of your current stage. With 2.0 TWR at 60km, you have a lot more power then with only a 1.5 TWR at 60km.

[qoonpooka]

Cool training vessel though.

Yay I helped!

[tsotha]

If you're using the stock aerodynamics, then you need to limit your speed to terminal velocity on ascent. There should be a readout on KER for terminal velocity.

I think they removed it. Couldn't find it on the latest version.

[Streetwind]

It's called "atmospheric efficiency" or thereabouts and can be found in the Surface category. This readout shows 100% when you are at exactly terminal velocity. If it shows less, you are slower; if it shows more, you are faster.

[monophonic]

I wonder if turning off SAS would let the thing tip on it's own better?

Certainly, given how SAS is specifically intended to keep things from tipping on their own.

[qoonpooka]

it's called "atmospheric efficiency" or thereabouts and can be found in the surface category. This readout shows 100% when you are at exactly terminal velocity. If it shows less, you are slower; if it shows more, you are faster.

omg /that's/ what that is!!