Basic Fin
| Basic Fin | ||
 | ||
| Winglet by Jebediah Kerman's Junkyard and Spacecraft Parts Co | ||
| Radial size | Radial mounted | |
| Cost | (total) | 25.00 
|
| Mass | (total) | 0.010 t |
| Drag | 0.02 | |
| Max. Temp. | 934 K | |
| Impact Tolerance | 4 m/s | |
| Research |  Start
| |
| Unlock cost | 0
| |
| Since version | 1.0.1 | |
| Part configuration | basicFin.cfg | |
| Lift generated | 0.12 | |
| Packed volume | 90 l | |
The Basic Fin is a winglet that helps stabilize a rocket during flight.
It is the first winglet unlocked in the tech tree, being available from the start of the game.
Contents
Product description
| “ | This simple bolt-on aluminum fin may not be the cutting edge of aerospace engineering but it's dirt cheap and will make your rocket slightly less unstable. — Jebediah Kerman's Junkyard and Spacecraft Parts Co |
” |
Usage
Fins are usually placed at the back of a rocket. They provide drag, which helps keep the rocket pointed in the right direction. By attaching a set of Basic Fins to the base of the rocket, this drag will pull the back end of the rocket backwards, keeping it pointed prograde.
The Basic Fin is the cheapest and lightest winglet; it is useful for creating cheaper rockets in Career mode. As the smallest fin, it produces very little drag; this reduces delta-V drag losses, but makes the fins less effective. For very aerodynamically unstable rockets, a larger fin (such as the AV-T1 Winglet) should be used instead.
The Basic Fin has the lowest heat tolerance of any fin, making it prone to overheating. It will explode on reentry, and if a rocket accelerates quickly enough, the fins may also overheat partway through its ascent. It also has an extremely low impact tolerance of 4 meters per second; however, its shape combined with the above factors makes it unlikely that it will ever be used for landing.
Unlike more advanced winglets, the Basic Fin does not have a built-in control surface.
Trivia
- This piece is meant for your one of your first rockets in career mode.
- This piece never has to be unlocked or bought.
Changes
- Initial release
