Avionics

Bigger rockets need more avionics to function. If your rocket has insufficent avionics, you will not be able to control it. This is added via the 'avionics' module of all probe cores and pods. When in the VAB, click on the 'Avionics' tab of the RP-1 GUI, it will tell you the current maximum weight your avionics support and you vessel weight.

Each core/pod has a limit weight it can support. RP-1 also adds a 'Procedural Avionics Core' that you can use to add more avionics to your rockets. Right click on this core to edit its shape/size and to customize it. It comes in 3 main categories:

• "Booster Core" are heavy and use a lot of electric charge but can support a lot of weight
• "Upper Stage Core" are less heavy, use less electric charge and support a middle ammount of weight
• "Probe Core" are even less heavy, use even less electric charge but support even less weight

Each of them can be upgraded in the Tech Tree and costs money to unlock when researched. New tiers have better weight support and are more energy efficient. Note an important feature of the "Upper Stage Cores" (at least level II) and "Probe Cores" is that they can be turned off during flight from a simple right clik ("Shutdown Avionics"), consuming only a fraction of their normal electric charge. This allows your vessel, while not beeing controlled to reduce their electric needs and thus not deplete your batteries before reaching destination. They will need to be turned back on if you wish to control your rocket again.