Solar Panels and Aerodynamics

[Pwnstarr]

I thought I would share an interesting observation I had tonight. I hear criticisms of the aerodynamic model (personally it doesn't bother me), but while reentering with extended solar panels tonight, my panels were perfectly aligned to the flight path, and they didn't shear off! Only after getting lower in the atmosphere (like < 20 km), I started turning the ship for fun, and the panels rotated and showed the sides to the wind - at which point they finally broke off, unfortunately no screenshot. Normally extended panels will break off while burning in reentry... these stayed intact until I made them rotate their flat side against the wind. Interesting huh?

So it's not conclusive, but it seems the engine knows that, for solar panels at least, the aerodynamics of the edge behaves differently from the flat side.

[AlamoVampire]

Had a similar experience today with a crew ship for my station as it reentered unmanned. 2 of the 4 panels tore off because they were not aligned with the flight path, but 2 were and survived. I think it has to do with the angle you are to the sun, I would say based on the picture, the sun was just beyond the horizon there.

[Pwnstarr]

The sun was directly overhead in my case.

[Nano606]

I do that regularly with any craft i return to Kerbin. I make a mini game of seeing how low i can go before they break off. The ones of the Dragon X trunk can make it all the way down....

[Scotius]

Not only that. Once i deorbited my space station with panels deployed, and only some of them disintegrated immediately. I was mystified what happened to the others, until i've realised they've been protected by station's hull. After turning station with SAS, remaining panels were torn off as soon as air flow hit them.

[Soda Popinski]

I recall seeing a video (probably Scott Manley) doing a re-rentry with DRE and FAR. Interestingly, as the space station was rotating, the solar panels shifted to reface the sun, which in turn changed the direction of rotation due to aerodynamic forces (from FAR). That along with DRE's exploding parts due to heat made for a spectacular re-entry.

*DRE = Deadly Re-Entry & FAR = Ferram Aerospace Research mods.