Project Atlas A ICBM: America's First

[Star Voyager]

I tested the beta, but it still has the middle engine built into it, while the two outer ones create no thrust and are silent. Any idea's?

 

[MJR]

Let me see.

 

[Star Voyager]

Do you mean post a picture? I don't know how that can show you. You might have to test it.

 

[MJR]

Do you mean the only engines are the ones on the booster? I thought the main one after jettison was supposed to be there. Anyway, I'll check the thrust problem.

 

[Star Voyager]

The only working engine is the one in the middle. It seems the other two just burn without thrust. And I don't think the booster is supposed to separate, either.

 

[MJR]

The other ones do burn. The contrail is just in the way. The booster did not have enough burntime so I went ahead and added about 32 more seconds. I hope that helps. I will be uploading the update in a bit.

 

[Star Voyager]

I still have the same problem. The two outer engines burn with no thrust, but the middle one provides thrust.

 

[MJR]

Get the ship in space using the scenario editor and then try it. I can't figure out why it is not working for you because it is for me.

 

[Star Voyager]

Mr. MJR, here are the pictures:

This is main thrust on full:
View attachment 2856

And this is no thrust at all:
View attachment 2857

Is this clear enough?

 

[MJR]

I see. I can't figure out the problem with that. Give me some time and I'll see what I can do.

 

[Star Voyager]

Okee-dokee. By the way, do we need a new guidance file, or shall we use Mr. Astrosammy'?

 

[MJR]

I'll include it on the first stable version. Not the beta.

 

[Star Voyager]

Mr. MJR, I've been reviewing some pictures and wanted to know if you are planning to add the black and white texture and the needle on top. And what are the things on the sides where the verniers are?

 

[MJR]

4th Rock will make adjustments to his original Atlas textures so that is that. The needle at the top is probably the guidance so I should add that. I do not know what the things no the sides are, but I know that they are there on the Atlas A picture. What else do you want me to add?

 

[Star Voyager]

I believe that's it for now, except for that engine problem. Any word on that yet?

 

[MJR]

Nope. I cannot fix the problem. Maybe somebody else can help us. Usually I never have this problem with multistage rockets and on the Atlas F the config is almost the same.

 

[Star Voyager]

Sounds like this is a real problem. Any chance modifying the .ini file?

 

[Urwumpe]

The "needle" is a pitot tube. The Atlas A was just a test vehicle for many later Atlas technologies, but also had a lot of testing stuff installed, which was not used in the final product. The Atlas A was no ICBM yet, the Atlas D was the first.

The Atlas F has no pitot tube or air data sensor at all. It's guidance only uses IMU and rate gyro measurements. The Atlas D (which was used in Mercury and other missions), had only rate gyros but no IMU - it was radio guided, a feature which made it very unpopular as ICBM: The launch control center had to be very close to the launch site and needed large vulnerable radar systems.

Atlas E and Atlas F replaced radio guidance by a IMU, which also improved accuracy. This way, the LCC could be build underground and required only a minimal set of antennas. Atlas E and Atlas F only differed by small features inside the rocket, for adapting to the different prelaunch activities and storage: The Atlas E was stored horizontally and completely unfueled, the Atlas F was stored vertically and partially fueled.

For fixing the trouble with Multistage2: Turn it into a spacecraft3 vessel - you have no multiple stages in the Atlas A, the Atlas A was a single stage vessel with two LR89-1 engines. On the Atlas B, the sustainer engine was added and the three engines became the MA-2 engine complex.

Otherwise, remember that the booster engines are handled independently by the multistage2 module: Once started, you can't control them until jettison.

 

[MJR]

Thanks for the info. Isn't the pitot tube made so that it dose not freeze up or am I mixing it up with a plane?

 

[Urwumpe]

Thanks for the info. Isn't the pitot tube made so that it dose not freeze up or am I mixing it up with a plane?

You mix it up with a subsonic plane. Anything which flies faster than Mach 2 can rely on the air to provide more heat than you want.