Are Air Brakes Used Forward & Backward?

[Castille7]

Are Air Brakes Used Forward & Backward, I like to use them both ways but not sure if the Drag is the same both ways or not?

Edited August 22, 2015 by castille7
Question Answered nicely

[Pecan]

Yes, the drag is the same. The 'correct' orientation is with the hinged end forwards but that usually doesn't make any sense anyway for my SSTO rockets, which launch nose-first and land engine-first.

In that case, I use them as control surfaces on the way up, which means placing them the right way around. On the way down, they're just 'deployed' so fully active, although technically the wrong way around, they work fine.

[Castille7]

Yes, the drag is the same. The 'correct' orientation is with the hinged end forwards but that usually doesn't make any sense anyway for my SSTO rockets, which launch nose-first and land engine-first.

In that case, I use them as control surfaces on the way up, which means placing them the right way around. On the way down, they're just 'deployed' so fully active, although technically the wrong way around, they work fine.

That is the answer I needed, thank you Pecan! I didn't want to look awkward like putting your shirt on backwards in public....lol

[Red Iron Crown]

In that case, I use them as control surfaces on the way up, which means placing them the right way around.

Do they function differently if oriented the other way and used as control surfaces? Or is it just an aesthetic concern?

[Alshain]

The stock air brakes are based on Fighter Planes, they should for a ramp from the front.

I wish they would add tail cone air brakes. They look so much better IMO (I would also take space shuttle air brakes. those are cool looking too)

[ajburges]

I so wish we could deploy those rudders like STS airbrakes. Love how those things looked.

[cantab]

If you use separate elevons and fiddle with them you can make a split-rudder airbrake. The tricky bit is to make it split rather than having both turning the same way when you hit the B key.

[Castille7]

If you use separate elevons and fiddle with them you can make a split-rudder airbrake. The tricky bit is to make it split rather than having both turning the same way when you hit the B key.

Too Slick! cantab too slick!....lol

[Claw]

Do they function differently if oriented the other way and used as control surfaces? Or is it just an aesthetic concern?

I think because of the way the drag cube system works, it's just aesthetic.

If you mounted them forward facing (like a scoop), they should make the craft a little more unstable, but they don't. You can also watch the drag lines from the overlay and see that even though the scoop-forward type airbrake presents more flat plate area to the wind stream when yawing or pitching, it produces less drag. That's because it's based on part orientation from the connection point and rotation, rather than from the animated plate section of the airbrake.

And yeah, deployable flight controls can act like slats, flaps, and all sorts of things with a little fiddling.

Cheers,

~Claw

Edited August 22, 2015 by Claw

[Castille7]

Thanks for the additional info Claw it's appreciated!

[Nookos]

And yeah, deployable flight controls can act like slats, flaps, and all sorts of things with a little fiddling.

Cheers,

~Claw

Would it even be possible to force that moduleaerosurface from airbrakes to roll? only pitch and yaw are available? It would help me a lot.

[Claw]

I think because of the way the drag cube system works, it's just aesthetic.

If you mounted them forward facing (like a scoop), they should make the craft a little more unstable, but they don't. You can also watch the drag lines from the overlay and see that even though the scoop-forward type airbrake presents more flat plate area to the wind stream when yawing or pitching, it produces less drag. That's because it's based on part orientation from the connection point and rotation, rather than from the animated plate section of the airbrake.

And yeah, deployable flight controls can act like slats, flaps, and all sorts of things with a little fiddling.

Cheers,

~Claw

I clarified my statement a little. It might have been misleading...

Would it even be possible to force that moduleaerosurface from airbrakes to roll? only pitch and yaw are available? It would help me a lot.

No. I think the module itself is a bit different than the control surface module. The roll code is not present, and I think that's because it starts to present non-intuitive options. I'm guessing for the sake of simplicity, it was left out.

Cheers,

~Claw

[Nookos]

No. I think the module itself is a bit different than the control surface module. The roll code is not present, and I think that's because it starts to present non-intuitive options. I'm guessing for the sake of simplicity, it was left out.

Cheers,

~Claw

Thanks for the clarification. It's a pity they left that code out. It would have been the perfect module for spoilerons which are much needed.