Nose cone
From Kerbal Space Program Wiki
A nose cone is usually used to reduce the drag by rounding the top of a rocket part making it easier for the air to flow around it. But with the current[outdated] atmospheric drag model they actually increase the drag of the rocket. This increase of drag is actually happening for two reasons:
- All nose cones, except the Standard NC, have a drag coefficient of 0.3. But as most parts have a coefficient of 0.2 a rocket has usually an overall coefficient between 0.2 and 0.3, so they increase the overall coefficient and thus the drag.
- They add additional mass, and the drag model doesn't calculate the cross-sectional area, but instead uses the mass to estimate the cross-sectional area.
So their primary usage will be only for the looks. There are mods like the Ferram Aerospace Research which use a more advanced drag model and making nose cones useful.
Available nose cones
Image | Part | Radial size | Cost ( ![]() |
Mass (t) |
Max. Temp. (K) |
Tolerance (m/s) |
Tolerance (g) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Small Nose Cone | Tiny | 180 | 0.01 | 2 400 | 10 | 50 | |
Aerodynamic Nose Cone | Small | 240 | 0.03 | 2 400 | 10 | 50 | |
Advanced Nose Cone - Type A | Small | 320 | 0.075 | 2 000 | 10 | 50 | |
Advanced Nose Cone - Type B | Small | 320 | 0.075 | 2 000 | 10 | 50 | |
Protective Rocket Nose Cone Mk7 | Large | 450 | 0.2 | 2 400 | 10 | 50 | |
Protective Rocket Nose Cone Mk12A | Extra large | 850 | 0.4 | 2 400 | 10 | 50 | |
Tail Connector A | Small | 675 | 0.2 | 2 200 | 8 | 50 | |
Tail Connector B | Small | 675 | 0.2 | 2 200 | 8 | 50 |