Quote:
Originally Posted by Lionclaw
I tried the asparagus staging on the MunRocket and I saved a bit of fuel, surprised it worked for such a heavy payload with only 4 boosters. Thanks!  |
Part of the reason it works is because the game calculates drag by piece, not based on whether or not they actually make head on air contact. This is why some wider rockets can function just as well or better than their skinny counterparts.
After reading about it, apparently the FalconX by SpaceX will use an asparagus like concept where all 3 engines will ignite, but the booster rockets will empty before fuel is drained from the center tank. NASA designs that feature all 3 engines igniting at once still have the center rocket burning its own fuel instead of cross feeding.
Speaking of aerodynamics, as they still need to work the aerodynamic model(will probably come when we get clouds) the nose cones don't really work. I believe they add a minimal a bit of lift, but add a fair amount of weight. If your ever pressed for fuel because of weight you should remove them. However, if you like the way rockets look(I like the nose cones) you can edit their config so they weight less.