Control surface
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(As the KSP aerodynamic model is not very realistic now (0.25[outdated]), the crafts can be controlled quite "well" without adjusting too)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 |
- ↑ A.I.R.B.R.A.K.E.S are classified as an "Aero Surface" in the part configuration files and in-game.