Model Rocket Nose Cone
Catalog Listings
Building Materials
est303160

The model rocket nose cone it the tip of the rocket. The nose cone plays several roles for the model rocket. First, it is the aerodynamic leading edge for the rocket, so it has a significant impact on the flight characteristics for the rocket. The nose cone also helps deploy the recovery system, allowing the rocket to come back to earth softly.

Nose cones use the same names as the body tubes since the must fit together perfectly. A BT-50 body tube must use a BT-50 nose cone.

The nose cone is typically attached to the model rocket body tube by an elastic shock cord, so that when the model rocket engine fires it's ejection charge and blows the nose cone from the rocket, the nose cone is not lost. The model rocket recovery system, typically a parachute or streamer is also attached to the nose cone. When the nose cone is ejected, it pulls the recovery system out of the rocket to allow it to deploy. As such, the nose cone must fit into the model rocket body tube rather loosly because if it becomes stuck the recovery system will not deploy, and the rocket will probably be lost.