Difference between revisions of "Control surface"

Revision as of 09:05, 24 February 2015

adjusting the reaction to the different axises

A control surface is an aerodynamic part that provides reactive force when in motion relative to the surrounding atmosphere. Control surfaces provide greater control and stability to rockets and aircraft, though they are of no use outside of an atmosphere.

Each of the control surfaces is tweakable in the game - can be adjusted by the axises. It can prevent the craft from the overreactions, gives better control by ensuring "free" control surface for the given axises. These can be set off in the SPH or VAB, and even after the launch of the craft.

The state of the control surfaces' (and its symmetrical pairs) reaction to the control of the axises can be adjusted by the buttons next to the names of the axises in a popping up window by right clicking ion the selected control surface.

• Pitch : lits and lowers the nose of the craft and can be controlled with a horizontal control surfaces far from the center of mass.
• Yaw : turns the craft left and right. It can be controlled most efficiently with vertical control surfaces far from the center of mass.
• Roll : rolls the craft around the longitudinal axis of the craft, can be controlled most efficiently with symmetrical control surfaces far from the longitudinal axis (like at the end of the wings).

The Active/Inactive label by the axis indicates the relation of the control surface to the given axis.

(As the KSP aerodynamic model is not very realistic now (0.25^[outdated]), the crafts can be controlled quite "well" without adjusting too)

Table of Control Surfaces

Image	Part	Radial size	Cost ()	Mass (t)	Max. Temp. (K)	Tolerance (m/s)	Tolerance (g)	Lift	Deflection Range (°)	Deflection Surface Part (%)
	AV-R8 Winglet	Radial mounted	640	0.1	2 400	12	50	0.5	15	95
	Standard Canard	Radial mounted	720	0.1	2 400	12	50	0.5	15	100
	Advanced Canard	Radial mounted	800	0.08	2 400	12	50	0.4	10	100
	Delta-Deluxe Winglet	Radial mounted	600	0.078	2 400	12	50	0.65	25	20
	Tail Fin	Radial mounted	600	0.125	2 400	12	50	0.61	25	100
	FAT-455 Aeroplane Tail Fin	Radial mounted	1 000	0.36	1 200	15	50	2.69	15	37
	Big-S Spaceplane Tail Fin	Radial mounted	2 500	0.45	2 400	15	50	3.49	25	29
	Elevon 1	Radial mounted	400	0.05	2 400	15	50	0.25	20	100
	Elevon 2	Radial mounted	550	0.06	2 400	15	50	0.30	20	100
	Elevon 3	Radial mounted	650	0.08	2 400	15	50	0.42	20	100
	Elevon 4	Radial mounted	400	0.04	2 400	15	50	0.18	20	100
	Elevon 5	Radial mounted	800	0.08	2 400	15	50	0.4	20	100
	Big-S Elevon 1	Radial mounted	950	0.15	2 400	15	50	0.77	25	100
	Big-S Elevon 2	Radial mounted	1 300	0.23	2 400	15	50	1.16	25	100
	FAT-455 Aeroplane Control Surface	Radial mounted	800	0.17	1 200	15	50	0.86	15	100
	A.I.R.B.R.A.K.E.S[Note 1]	Radial mounted	1000	0.05	1 200 (2 400)	8	50	0.38	70	100