Nose cone

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Revision as of 11:25, 5 December 2013 by XZise (talk | contribs) (Created page with "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{{Check v...")
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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 But with the current[outdated] atmospheric drag model they actually increase the drag of the rocket.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
(Funds)
Mass
(t)
Max. Temp.
(K)
Tolerance
(m/s)
Tolerance
(g)
Small Nosecone 1.6.png
Small Nose Cone Tiny 180 0.01 2 400 10 50
AerodynamicNoseCone Gray.png
Aerodynamic Nose Cone Small 240 0.03 2 400 10 50
AdvancedNoseCone-A White.png
Advanced Nose Cone - Type A Small 320 0.075 2 000 10 50
AdvancedNoseCone-B White.png
Advanced Nose Cone - Type B Small 320 0.075 2 000 10 50
ProtectiveNoseCone White.png
Protective Rocket Nose Cone Mk7 Large 450 0.2 2 400 10 50
ProtectiveNoseCone Mk12A.png
Protective Rocket Nose Cone Mk12A Extra large 850 0.4 2 400 10 50
Tail connector.png
Tail Connector A Small 675 0.2 2 200 8 50
Tail Connector B.png
Tail Connector B Small 675 0.2 2 200 8 50