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Many sources I've read, including the technical documentation of OpenRocket, indicate that at speeds below 0.8 Mach, there is essentially no pressure drag for any nose cone with a tangent merge to the body tube. The specific formula used by OR says this: drag is proportional to the square of the angle of intersection, so zero angle means zero drag. The least drag should be something like a hemisphere because it has the least area, especially on a rocket that's staying below 500 mph.
However, when I select any elliptical nose cone, the OR calculated apogee tanks compared to a similar fineness-ratio parabolic series nose cone.
Anybody know what's going on with that?
Am I going to have to do a series of launches with a good altimeter and different 3D printed cones?
However, when I select any elliptical nose cone, the OR calculated apogee tanks compared to a similar fineness-ratio parabolic series nose cone.
Anybody know what's going on with that?
Am I going to have to do a series of launches with a good altimeter and different 3D printed cones?