Source
r/KerbalAcademy•
Embossing_Mat

Can fairings decouple their payload?

Rocket Design [D]

I've been playing with this for a while now but can't figure it out. Basically I'm trying to use a (stock) fairing as a shroud for a smaller engine, and KSP seems to support it - it gives me the option to "close" the fairing by clicking on the bottom of the fuel tank above it.

The only problem is that the fairing doesn't decouple when I stage it, and the bottom plate just stays on the engine. I also tried putting a decoupler between the engine and the fairing, but then KSP complains about the part intersection.

Thanks in advance!

Posted Dec 5, 2020, 4:51 AM UTC

46
teelaurila•

Add decoupler under the engine. Not sure where the intersection issue comes from, though. Try to work around it, because that's the way it works at least for me.

3
Sag3_•

Same. I think it should be a QoL upgrade that engine shrouds should be based on decoupler diameter rather than engine diameter.

3
SnowDragon87•

You can maybe add an engine plate on top of the payload/ fairing plate then a decoupler on top o that to engine? But AFAIK the payload/fairing deal won't decouple, only blow the fairings out.

1
Over-Mind-6447•

It looks like you are using a decoupling of the same size as your fairing preventing you from building the fairing straight up. Try using a smaller one.

Alternatively you could use an engine plate.

1
Embossing_MatOP•

Appreciate all the comments! Turns out that this does indeed work, you just need to match the decoupler size to the engine instead of the fairing like Over-Mind said and it won't complain about the intersection. Thanks again!

1
FraktalAMT•

If you're attaching whatever is below the engine to one of the fairing's interstage nodes (ie. the attachment nodes free-floating above the fairing), keep in mind that there's a bug where parts attached to interstage nodes don't decouple when you pop the fairing if the fairing is between that part and the root part in the craft's part hierarchy, but keep being invisibly strutted to the fairing base with no way to detach them unless you have a decoupler between the part and the interstage node.

1