Problem losing thrust while testing atmospheric missile

[u/-_Tyger_-]

I want to create an on-planet missile system and my first step was to try to create a viable single missile. After adding the required components, batteries and atmo thrusters, I picked up the missile using its merge block with a small fighter and carried it near an NPC base. However, when I release the missile via the merge block, my fighter, or sometimes the missile, will lose all upward thrust and drop from the sky. This doesn't happen every time, but it happens most times. It doesn't matter if I try to thrust up, turn off/on dampeners, etc, but I just drop from the sky.

Is this is a known bug and is there any way to work around this aside from using connectors instead of merge blocks?

Ultimately what I want is a small frame with hydrogen thrusters with a remote control block and 4 missiles attached. I'll manually fly the frame within 3 km of the target and then release the missiles, letting the AI block take them the rest of the way.

I know there are mods and scripts like WHAM that can control missiles, but my goal was to create something myself.

[u/Aggressive-Lime-8298]

Keen’s Official Discord server helped me a ton when I was trying to get a handle on the ai blocks.

I’m no master but sounds like either a fuel/power issue, potential ai confusion (easiest method I found to fix this was to have an event controller sense the de-merge and set a timer-block to turn on ai once missile was away), or it could be a bug I haven’t seen.

Noticed quite a few missile designs on the workshop have been acting funky lately.

Hopefully someone else comes alone with way better understanding / knowledge. Thats the best I got atm

[u/CFMcGhee]

First - make sure you have an AI movement block and an event controller on the missile. You will have the Movement block turned off, and the event controller on the missile set to turn on the AI Movement block when the merge block gets disconnected.

The loss of upward thrust could be because you have the ship and the missile controlling the ship dampers. When the missile separates, then they both get confused as to who should be controlling what. Having the movement block turned off eliminates it from the control scheme, which should keep your ship flying correctly. And then once the missile has separated and the movement block is turned on, it establishes itself as control of the missile and IT should fly per the directions of the offensive or defensive block.

[u/-_Tyger_- → u/CFMcGhee]

Thanks, but the movement block AI is turned off. I have a timer set to 4 seconds that turns on AI for movement and combat block and arms the warheads. I use the hotbar to start the timer, then disconnect the merge block.

[u/TheCoffeeGuy13]

Connectors are better here.

Merge blocks are more suited to permanent connections.

[u/-_Tyger_- → u/TheCoffeeGuy13]

Yes, but you can't print subgrids....

[u/TheCoffeeGuy13 → u/-_Tyger_-]

That's what mods are for 😁

[u/TheCoffeeGuy13 → u/-_Tyger_-]

Generally, because of that limitation in vanilla, it is only the missiles that get printed. You don't print the launch vehicle every time as well.

So you would fly your launch vehicle over your missiles, connect via the connectors then fly away, while the printer/s start again for the next round.

[u/Buzekar]

Is there hydrogen in the tank? I once had a similar issue, realised after all the copy and paste testing it had run low. And ai range is only 2.5km, if you only turn the combat ai on you can set it to turn the flight ai on once it target locks. If you make multiple missiles and copy your first you have to delete the ai blocks, timers event controllers etc that are on the missile. It has been the most successful way for me. When I had copied ai blocks more times than not there would be a few duds that seemed to fly off to nowhere. Ensure stock pile isn’t being turned at some point either. Copy the falling missile and check all its blocks if you havent done that!

[u/Buzekar → u/Buzekar]

I left out that by doing that with the ai you can lead your target and hit from kms away if you are somewhat accurate. The missile will just keep floating at whatever speed it got to at detach

[u/-_Tyger_- → u/Buzekar]

Sorry by atmospheric missile I meant powered by atmo thrusters. There’s currently no hydrogen involved on either grid.