picted in Figure 2., it has been a subject of
interest on Internet forums over the years.
Just like any rocket, a flying nose cone must
have the center of gravity (CG) in front of
the center of pressure (CP) to be statically
stable. So, let's look at how I calculated the
CP location and how I achieved a CG far
enough forward to ensure safe flight.
Center of Pressure
Location
To calculate the CP of just the nose us-
ing the Barrowman equations, you need to
know the length, diameter, and volume of
the nose. I used a modified parabolic nose
and calculated the CP at 0.45 times the
nose length as measured from the tip of the
nose.
SPORT ROCKETRY MAY/JUNE 2024 37
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Figure 2. An artist's
representation of a historically
accurate conversation between
two ancient rocketeers discussing
the CP location of a flying nose
cone. Note the rocketeers correctly
point out the Barrowman
Equations may be used to calculate
the CP, and that the cardboard
cutout method is not conservative
for a flying nose. It's also worth
noting that they make reference
to both the cardboard cutout
method and the Barrowman
Equations more than 2,000
years before the invention of
cardboard or the Barrowman
Equations.
