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[Aseaheru]

and more control systems. and then more boosters.

[Scelly9]

I might be overdoing it:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Holy mother of badass. That thing is awesome.

[ank]

By popular demand:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BxTfm5mm5_SwV3pENFhKZmhwdlk

This version have a very hard time lifting off.
I'm working on a better version and will upload later.

EDIT: much better version now, I fitted takeoff assist rockets, since taking off was a matter of luck.
Added more engines, rockets, fuel tanks, and struts as requested

Just after launch:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

In orbit:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Plenty of fuel left for reaching any planet, maybe enough to reach Duna and actually come back.
We'll see.
Here is the craft file:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BxTfm5mm5_SwOW40TklqMjJkNlU

[Rose]

Today I discovered that directly attaching tanks to each other side-to-side leads to explosions, and decouplers should be used even if you don't plan on decoupling.

[sluissa]

Today I discovered that directly attaching tanks to each other side-to-side leads to explosions, and decouplers should be used even if you don't plan on decoupling.

Some tanks can get away with it on some smaller designs, but yeah, it's generally better to use decouplers or something if you can. I know the large tanks are particularly bad about it. But it's not consistent, from what I can tell. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't.

[Rose]

Either way, got this now:



Theoretically can make it to any other planet, but my piloting sucks, so I always end up drifting in space.

[buckets]

Either way, got this now:

*snip*

Theoretically can make it to any other planet, but my piloting sucks, so I always end up drifting in space.

That's pretty impressive. I love how some ships in this game can look absolutley amazing.

*steals design*

[Rose]

Note that this thing is absolutely terrible, lag-wise, and the altimiter generally just gives up and goes home. (Seriously, it just goes blank)

[Rose]

So how do I get from here to Jool?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[sluissa]

Hard to tell for sure, but waiting an orbit or 3 might be the first step. After you see how fast your orbit goes compared to Jool's you can try to estimate whether you'll come close to intercepting it on a future orbit, if not then try to adjust. If you can do it right that would be the most fuel efficient option, using Jool's gravity to pull you in to it's orbit. Alternatively, you could try to make your orbit similar to jool's just slightly bigger or smaller and wait till you get as l close as possible before burning towards it in an attempt to intercept. This is probably the least fuel efficient option and guaranteed to take more time than a successful intercept from your current orbit would... but a failed intercept from your current orbit would take a hell of a lot more time than even that.

[alway]

You may remember the flap-based rotating ships from earlier versions. As it turns out, you can create them such that they can get up to around 3500m/s in med-high atmos (10km+). Enough to put you on an intercept with either of the 2 nearest planets. Without a single engine.

Though actually intercepting the planets is another matter, as you then don't have any way of altering your orbit in space.

So yeah; a purely control-surface powered craft can send you to another planet.

Though they use about 200-250 struts and you need to be very careful in low-altitudes, as it will accelerate so fast it flies apart.

[ank]

So how do I get from here to Jool?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sadly, I think you gotta give up, and launch again.
Planetary interception is so tricky, you either get it on the first try or you don't(Jool especially).
There is an interactive planetary transfer guide on the KSP forums:
http://ksp.olex.biz/
fell free to ask if you don't understand the numbers.

[LoSboccacc]

You can get a plugin that does angle for you. There is one that get angles wrong, so beware

Duna is easier, however

[Rose]

Yeah, I did give up, and failed to crash into the sun.

[peskyninja]

Japa have you tried MechJeb or/protractor?