Stock Fairings

[THobson]

KSP Wiki refers to cargo fairings being available in stock (e.g. AE-FF1 Airstream Protective Shell) "They are the first and currently only procedural part available in the stock game".

Where are they? Unless I am being very stupid I don't see them in the Tech Tree.

Edited June 9, 2015 by THobson

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

Not sure about the tech tree, I'm not at the computer right now, but once unlocked they are in the aero tab. Btw, they look like more or less regular cones, not fairings walls.

[LordFerret]

Yes, that ^

In the Aerodynamics tab, among the nosecones and wings and heat shields and such.

In the Tech Tree, the first one (AE-FF1, 1.25m) shows in the Aerodynamics tier, which branches off from the General Construction and Aviation research tiers... only one of these tiers needs to be researched before the Aerodynamics tier opens up.

Edited June 9, 2015 by LordFerret

[Snark]

The tech nodes you need for stock fairings:

1.25m: http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Technology_tree#Aerodynamics

2.5m: http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Technology_tree#Advanced_Aerodynamics

3.75m: http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Technology_tree#Heavy_Aerodynamics

[THobson]

Many thanks. That explains it. I have been ignoring the space plane stuff and so have not unlocked these yet.

[ajburges]

Many thanks. That explains it. I have been ignoring the space plane stuff and so have not unlocked these yet.

Careful with those things. They are crazy dense. (like a few cm thick of aluminum from what I hear)

Some payloads are better off (in terms of launch cost) skipping the faring and either overpowering drag with more thrust and winglets or flying a subsonic accent to 36 km.

For small payloads, the launch ease can be worth the hit, but that big fairing is rarely useful for launching the monsters you want inside of it.

[THobson]

Interesting. I haven't tried them yet, what I was hoping they would do is to reduce the drag at the top of the rocket so it doesn't somersault if I start the gravity turn below 20+km.

[Sharpy]

Reducing drag can be achieved with a nose cone covering the circumference of the payload at front. Just make sure to strut it up to the bottom. As devs explained, a front part creates a shock cone, and any parts behind it are occluded (shielded).

eh, I call these things "pinecones". Usually thickly covered in massive amounts of Vernor engines to prevent the rocket from flipping over.

[Mic_n]

Yeah, the stock fairings are decidedly underwhelming. Ridiculously too heavy.

I'm tempted to install the procedural fairings mod again.. I can't understand why Squad didn't just incorporate that one (plus the wings) into stock as they've done with plenty of others. I hope they at least approached the mod author and were turned down or something..