How broken are aerodynamics?

[Justin_Kerbal]

PS4 - Anyone notice that any parts that are meant to make a rocket more aerodynamic just greatly reduce the effectiveness of it?  For example, launch a single stage rocket with a solid rocket booster and see how high it goes.  Put an aerodynamic top on the rocket and do the same launch.  You get considerably less high with the aerodynamic part!  It's like the only thing taken into consideration is the increased weight.

Edited November 23, 2016 by Justin_Kerbal
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[DunaManiac]

On 11/22/2016 at 7:21 PM, Justin_Kerbal said:

PS4 - Anyone notice that any parts that are meant to make a rocket more aerodynamic just greatly reduce the effectiveness of it?  For example, launch a single stage rocket with a solid rocket booster and see how high it goes.  Put an aerodynamic top on the rocket and do the same launch.  You get considerably less high with the aerodynamic part!  It's like the only thing taken into consideration is the increased weight.

Umm....

[DD_bwest]

KSP takes many things into consideration.  A rockets weight will affects its total delta V, which is its ability to change its speed, So added weight will reduce that number.  The altitude you are at also changes the characteristics of the engine, the Specific impluse will change, aswell as the TWR.  It will also affected by TWR and gravity losses, that being how long your burn is, and how fast you reach a velocity that drag really becomes an issue.  Your heading is also obviously taken into account.  If you are pointed even a few degrees off from straight up, you will be spending fuel on horizontal thrust, so you wont go as high.  but thats for if your just trying to go up,  you want horizontal velocity to reach orbit.

[Sirad]

Tried this with the PC version.

A Thumper with a wheel and core and 4 small wings without the aerodynamic hat goes up to 251505m

A Thumper with a wheel and core and 4 small wings with the cheapest aerodynamic top goes up to 368913m

I wouldnt judge anything further because i  unfortunately did not purchased the PS4 version. As long as you didnt made something fundamentally wrong (put the aerodynamic stuff at the wrong end or attached it to the side) there should be merely the same outcome