Do the precoolers do anything?

[yorshee]

I read on the subreddit that precoolers increase the thrust of your jet engines, but I've tried flying planes both with precoolers and without precoolers and I haven't noticed any difference. If anything, it's been making 'em worse because they're just adding dead weight. Someone else said that they stop your jet engines overheating but I haven't had any issues with jet engines overheating, so I don't think it affects that.

Does anyone know what the precoolers actually do?

[Randazzo]

They serve as an intake with a slightly higher ability to radiate heat than a standard intake. At standard operating temperatures this doesn't translate into much, but if you're pushing SSTO's in orbit, they may help a little.

[worir4]

They serve as an intake with a slightly higher ability to radiate heat than a standard intake. At standard operating temperatures this doesn't translate into much, but if you're pushing SSTO's in orbit, they may help a little.

This, and also they look cool. Get it?

[Foxster]

Umm, I'm pretty sure that they only radiate some heat because there is a fuel tank built in there too. If you used another intake and a separate fuel tank you would get the same effect - except it would weigh less and work better.

[Randazzo]

Umm, I'm pretty sure that they only radiate some heat because there is a fuel tank built in there too. If you used another intake and a separate fuel tank you would get the same effect - except it would weigh less and work better.

They have a higher emissiveConstant value than the other intake parts. They will radiate more heat than any other comparable part (standard mk1 intake, engine nacelle) due to this, if only marginally. A regular fuel tank plus a radial intake might soak more heat before exploding due to the overall higher thermal mass available, but it won't radiate any more heat.

[Sidereus]

I found attaching engines directly to the precoolers is a good way to have them both explode in 1.02. Fuel tanks always seemed to be the best thing to attach engines to. I didn't notice any huge differences in having precoolers vs. having a radial intake, except for in dV.

Haven't really tried it yet in 1.04. I've been waiting for KER to be updated before I build any space planes.

[Znath]

I've got a precooler as the main body for my fighter jet and this design's been able to circle the globe nonstop at mach 3.5-4. It's a rather small jet so maybe that helps with the heat, but it works for me.

[Clockwork13]

laughing so hard. I accidentally misread "precoolers" as "preschoolers.

I read on the subreddit that preschoolers increase the thrust of your jet engines, but I've tried flying planes both with preschoolers and without preschoolers and I haven't noticed any difference. If anything, it's been making 'em worse because they're just adding dead weight. Someone else said that they stop your jet engines overheating but I haven't had any issues with jet engines overheating, so I don't think it affects that.

Does anyone know what the preschoolers actually do?

[tutike2000]

I read on the subreddit that precoolers increase the thrust of your jet engines, but I've tried flying planes both with precoolers and without precoolers and I haven't noticed any difference. If anything, it's been making 'em worse because they're just adding dead weight. Someone else said that they stop your jet engines overheating but I haven't had any issues with jet engines overheating, so I don't think it affects that.

Does anyone know what the precoolers actually do?

In real life, jet engine precooling is supposed to increase thrust/ISP. KSP precoolers don't do anything of the sort.

[Nich]

Not sure on the increase to ISP but they definitely allow denser air to the engine which increases thrust. If anything they take energy out of the air so from a thermo standpoint they would decrease engine efficiency.

[Sharpy]

Considering they are roundish, pretty firm, hold some fuel and crossfeed it, provide air, and cool fast, they are perfect mounts for LV-N on your SSTO. They are poor at every single thing they do, but if you count all the marginal benefits, they are actually a decent part.

[Foxster]

Kinda. Except that if you used a Ram Air Intake and an FL-T100 tank with the oxy removed you would get the same thing with less mass, more fuel, similar cooling, twice the intake air and all in less space.

Really their only selling point is that they are an in-line intake. Unless that's absolutely critical to your craft's design then other things are better.

[Arsonik]

In 1.0 I had been using 2x precoolers in front of my turbojets. They were radially attached to a Mk2 body. This setup seemed to deal with overheating better then anything else I tried in stock 1.0. Just an observation.

[Randazzo]

Meh, nevermind. Not worth the effort.

Edited June 25, 2015 by Randazzo

[yorshee]

It seems like there are a lot of conflicting opinions here too. I'll make a simple jet soon, one with precoolers and one without, and I'll see what difference it makes.