Is the thing about drag and nose cones still true?

[tfabris]

In the current release of KSP (which I think is 0.21.1?), is it still true that aerodynamic nose cones don't serve a functional purpose yet?

I'd seen in older conversations that adding an aerodynamic nose cone will increase both drag and weight, resulting in no net benefit beyond aesthetics.

Is this still true today?

[TMS]

Yes. Until the aerodynamic model gets an overhaul, they will only add mass and aesthetics rather than reducing drag.

(unless you have FAR installed)

[Boex]

Yes, this is still the case.

Nose cones only add mass, but they're quite light, so sometimes, if efficiency isn't paramount, I use them for aesthetics or realism.

An overhaul for plane parts and the drag model has been talked about a while back, but nothing is confirmed.

I personally don't use mods, but I've heard that Ferram Aerospace Research (FAR) makes the model a little more realistic if that's what you're looking for.

[tfabris]

Thanks!

I'm personally not looking for realism, just wondering if adding nosecones would help my crazy asparagus-staged Duna rocket get out of Kerbin atmo easier.

[TMS]

Nope, just slightly more difficult.

If you desire conical-shaped endings for your boosters, a lot of people will swap the Protective Rocket Nose Mk7 for the Rockomax Brand Adapter due to the mass difference.

[Dispatcher]

Actually, a fueled nose cone would be practical, especially one with reduced drag. Hmmm.

See my sig lines below.

[Sauron]

Actually, the way drag works in KSP, nose cones do serve a purpose. It's just not to reduce drag

Because a rocket orients itself based on drag, a high drag part at the back of your rocket or a low drag part at the front will help orient your rocket correctly. Usually, this isn't a particularly important issue, but especially when working with particularly fiddly space planes or when returning irritating payloads to the surface of a planet with atmosphere it's worth keeping in mind. (FWW mod parts like B9 and Firespitter airbrakes make good use of this effect)