<Anyone know why the main tank has a rounded bottom .vs. cone?  My
<guess was the added mass and difficulty flowing the H2 into the
<shuttle overwhelmed the potential lower drag.


The aerodynamics for this object declare that a rounded bottom will not
propagate large shock waves as is the case for any sharp turn and
subsonically cause 'nasty' vortices. Granted I did not do CFD on it, but
that seems to be the general rule.

For a cone to really 'work' the object should have a rocket beneath it.
This is because the exhaust plume actually "cleans-up" the aerodynamics.

Sutton makes mention of this in that particular chapter.

J. S. McFarland,   Kittyhawk Technologies

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