Do solar panels still radiate enough heat for NERVs?

[THX1138]

I notice that NERVs generate a lot less heat than they used to. Does this mean that solar panels are a good enough solution to radiate the heat?

[Mjarf]

In the later versions of KSP I have never really needed any extra cooling for the NERV engine, even in clusters. They heat up, but never enough to cause any problems.

[Jarin]

Unless you're using huge clusters on really long burns, I wouldn't expect trouble. I still put the smaller deployable heat unit on my large interplanetary craft, but I could probably get by without them.

[fourfa]

Do the solar panels actually function as radiators, or is that just obsolete flavor text?

[bewing]

Everything functions as a passive radiator. And I suspect that the radiative power does go with the measured surface area.

But as said above -- NERVs still get hot, and still glow cherry red if you burn them for 10 minutes, and transfer heat to nearby not-so-heat-resistant parts -- but under most circumstances you won't get anywhere near a severe overheating situation. Even with no special cooling equipment.

[Violent Jeb]

The panels do seem to radiate some heat, but in my experience a burn longer than 5 minutes or so can overheat a single NERV.

note that this is heavily dependent on other factors, like how close you are to the sun, if you're on the night side of a body, etc.

But i do know that I have overheated single nervs with xl panels on moho during suicide burns.