Quote:
Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob
Rockets use pointy tops because they get into compressibility approaching Mach 1.
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Oblique shockwaves form at the tip at Mach 1 and a nose cone helps minimize its intensity. HOWEVER, check out the recovery vehicles from the early Apollo missions. BLUNT front end, produced HUGE oblique shocks which: 1. gives a buffer space between the vehicle and the high heat shockwave and 2. requires a lot of energy to form thus slowing it down.
If I can find some of my data from the wind tunnels I'll show it to you. It may have been last year or the year before we placed some spherical objects in there. One was a rough sphere, a smooth sphere, a flat plate and a bowl shaped sphere facing the oncoming air and then turned away.
The rough sphere won the contest and between the spheres, the bowl shaped sphere with the concave section facing the wind came dead last.
I'm only posting to try helping if you guys think I'm wrong I won't post the forum and fill it with 'trash'. I think the best way to get through is to do testing and show numbers. I just don't have that kinda cash.