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Why do some airplanes have rounded noses and not pointed?

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A round nose allows the flow to come from a range of angles without creating too much drag. Aerodynamically speaking, the stagnation point can be moved without problems. In supersonic flow, the air has no indication of the approaching vehicle. read more

Most modern commercial aircraft have rounded noses, not pointed noses. When supersonic, a pointed nose is required to prevent the formation of a separated shockwave. Wings would have the same need. A non-supersonic aircraft has no need for sharp surfaces, rounded surfaces are lower in drag. Notice how the wing leading edges are all rounded, not sharp. read more

If you do not go into the details of aerodynamic design, you would think that an airplane will fly the fastest, tearing through the air with high efficiency only with a pointed nose. Despite this, most passenger airplanes are made with blunt round noses instead of a sharp one, and we see the sharp tips mostly in the fighter planes. read more

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