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[GreatWyrmGold]

So, GWG, did you buy the full version already?

No. Partly, I'm waiting to invest until I can reliably get things into orbit; partly, I'm not eager to leave the save with my first successes on it.
Might not hurt to buy, though, to get more options...

If you get to the point where you can't properly launch your rockets becaues they're exploding, it's time to stop trying. Massively overengineered things are a MASSIVE PITA to get into orbit, you're better off launching them in seperate parts and then docking them in orbit.

Most of the "seperate parts" are stages intended to help get it into orbit. But yeah, I think you might have a point.

[Facekillz058]

There are two very important things to getting stuff into orbit reliable:
1. Thrust to Weight Ratio. (If you don't have engines burning at full power or near full power the entire way up to orbit, you have too many engines)
2. Gravity turns, gravity turns, gravity turns.

Also, in the demo, I don't believe you have access to Mainsails, which make it a million times easier to get stuff to orbit. So the full game would probably turn you into a rocketeering god if you can get stuff to orbit in the demo.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Cool.

Although sadly, downloading the full KSP overwrote the demo, so the two kerbals I got into orbit were deleted.

[da_nang]

What's a good setup for getting a large orange fuel tank up in orbit with enough fuel left for rendezvous with the core of a station?

Somehow got /this/ up there: http://filesmelt.com/dl/spessstation.png

But when I tried it with an OFT I ran out of gas.

Asparagus!
Last time I did a refuelling mission I was disappointed that I only got 7 orange tanks into space...

The answer to everything, it seems. Except more boosters and spacetape.

It's also a good idea to attach separate, steerable rockets to the side to steer the payload. That way, you won't use a drop of the fuel in the orange tank. The end result is also prettier.

[MaximumZero]

Cool.

Although sadly, downloading the full KSP overwrote the demo, so the two kerbals I got into orbit were deleted.

That just means you get to do it again. ^_^

[miauw62]

As I said, SAS works differently in the full version.
SAS is built into most probes and stuff,  but that's just the control. ASAS doesn't exist anymore and you generally want to put as many reaction wheels everywhere as possible, because they give you more control.

[GreatWyrmGold]

I decided to make a jet.

The engines didn't turn on. They said something about flaming out.

I might want to look for a tutorial.

[BigD145]

They need..... oh right. Demo. No f*ing clue!

[miauw62]

He just installed the new version.
Jet engines need intakes to provide air.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Jet engines need intakes to provide air.

Guessed when I saw that intakes existed.

Anyways, I got a craft into orbit on the first try. A bit elliptical (A 448 km, P 71 km), but hey. First design, first launch, orbit. I'm guessing the Mainsail helped a lot.

The GoldJet had two air intakes added and...huh. Maybe if I added a third for the third engine?
There we go. Things were going fine until one of the wings smashed into the ground before it could get an inch off the ground. Then the rest of the plane hit the ground and exploded, probably because I filled the whole inside with jet fuel.
I think this counts as a failure of the highest degree. RIP, Jebediah Kerman. Oh look, a Revert button!
While trying to redesign the GoldJet, I discovered a way to zoom! Celebrations!
The redesign was slightly better, in that I remembered to eject the pilot before everything exploded.

I fiddle with the Orbital Rocket Mk I to add another stage and some solid-fuel boosters. What is not added, however, is a common-sense staging thing. I straighten it out and prepare to launch. Will I reach the Mun today? Bob Kerman, first-time pilot, is interested to know. And terrified.
The answer is no. I think one of the solid fuel boosters came off, but I'm not sure; I lost track of what was going on in my frenzy to eject and whatnot. So...not a terrible failure, but a failure.

[TheDarkStar]

Also, if you want to go high-altitude, puts LOTS of intakes. You can fit a lot of them even without clipping them into each other, and with clipping you can fit dozens on.

[10ebbor10]

I don't bother with the runway for launching jets anymore.

I just use the pylons to lift them from the surface, tilt them at an angle and depart that way.

[miauw62]

Also, GWG, nosecones just slow your rocket down unless you install aerodynamic mods (FAR is the only one i know of)

[Krevsin]

I've been mucking around with ion drives and I've found out there's really no point in using them for anything. They're too weak to make interplanetary transfers and there's no real need to do stationkeeping (and the RCS is far more suited to the task). Am I just doing something wrong or is this just how ion engines are?

[10ebbor10]

Just how they are.