Do nose cones still help rapiers drag?

[Arugela]

As the title says. Does this still work in 1.11?

[bewing]

Probably, but you'd really have to test it yourself to find out.

[Streetwind]

An easy way to test involves using the "display aero info in part action windows" option in the "physics" section  in the debug menu. Then you can rightclick the engine in flight and see exactly how much drag it generates.

[fourfa]

The answer is: yes.

I've done this a few times in previous versions, so why not check in on the current version...

You'll need to zoom way in if you want to inspect the data yourself.  It's just a big Mk3 plane with 8 simultaneous tail attachment variations on its RAPIERs.  This is only at this one point, around Mach 5 at low altitude slightly before exploding.  There's a drag curve at different speeds and altitudes but the offsets between different combinations track at all speeds (in my previous experience) so I'm not going to bother with plotting curves.  There's a little angle of attack so a little side drag on the parts, though that's pretty typical for most SSTO ascents.  Listed from worst to best:

Bare RAPIER: 24.40 drag

with Advanced Nose Cone A: 18.30 total drag (RAPIER plus nose cone)

with CH-J3 avionics hub: 18.06

with Small Nose Cone: 17.69

with FL-A10 + Small Nose Cone: 17.00

with Circular Intake: 16.73

with Shock Cone: 15.81

with Aerodynamic Nose Cone: 14.87

Aerodynamic Nose Cone wins with a 40% reduction in drag!  It's also one of the lighter options, so this really should be your go-to aero tailcone for RAPIER engines.  Just remember to clip it forward 4-5 ticks as it will obstruct engine thrust and explode otherwise.

Edited December 23, 2020 by fourfa

[AHHans]

On 12/23/2020 at 2:27 AM, fourfa said:

Aerodynamic Nose Cone wins with a 40% reduction in drag!

Hmmm... I still think the small nose cone looks better, with only the dark tip poking out!

[Arugela]

I put a bunch of shock cones so I could come in backwards and slow down for reentry.