Thermal tiles as an option to cover surfaces of fuel tanks, wings and the bottom of cockpits/command pods.

[Screeno]

I feel that a system that can generate heat tiles on the desired surface of a fuel tank (standard methalox tanks not hydrogen tanks however), wing or command pod/cockpit should be implemented. Unlocked somewhere in the tech tree, aka not unlocked by default, you have to earn it.

Perhaps a universal part that when applied to a fuel tank, wing part or aircraft cockpit, becomes procedurally generated and snaps to the surface of part you applied it to. ( similar to how fairings work but it automatically just covers the side of the part you apply it to). It can't be destroyed unless the part it is attached to is destroyed. (or, it could simply act like just adding a texture to a side of a part which is much simpler and less resource intensive because it doesn't add a literal part to the craft)

It  would add weight to the part it is attached to proportional to the size of the heat tiling generated.

Heat tiles would protect the part exposed to the airflow underneath them from aerodynamic heating but would not effect aerodynamic forces because that would cause a lot of issues with building crafts. They simply shield one side (or both if you apply it to both sides) from heating to a certain degree and add weight to the part they are attached to.

I feel this would add an extra level of realism and fun factor. 

This also brings me to an issue: heating is not simulated by skin temp and internal temp like it was in ksp . It's just a generic temperature by part mechanic that isn't very realistic. It also creates part balance issues.

I feel for the thermal system in ksp2 to work properly it needs to take in to account both skin temperature and internal temperature.

Anyway  for a thermal tiling part system to work, skin/internal temperature would need to be separate things.

thanks for reading!

[Jeq]

I support this, i actually had same idea when testing thermal system and heatshields. Some of parts can right now be protected if you apply therma shield at middle of vessel so both of thermal shields nods parts are protected from heat (this kind of works like that part is covered with ablators) but it doesn't seem to work for all parts and isn't reliable.

Edited January 5 by Jeq