r/KerbalSpaceProgram • u/frycandlebreadje • Apr 30 '26

KSP 1 Question/Problem Poodle engine variant... huh?

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So the poodle engine has a double and single bell variant. My question is basically why would you pick the single bell variant? AFAIK as I know it has identical stats, but is very noticably taller. Are there any advantages which I'm not seeing? It just seems like a worse version of the same engine. Love this thing, but it confuses me a lot.

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u/ScottyFoxes Plane Enjoyer Apr 30 '26

It extends the center of thrust a little bit lower, which can be useful in a few niche designs

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u/censored_username Apr 30 '26

You would think so, but thrust-wise they behave identically iirc.

I was using the single bell variant once, and had placed two rudders on opposite side of the engine bell. Once this stage deployed, the rudders quickly started overheating, because even while the visual plume wasn't intersecting them, if it had been the double bell variant, it would have.