<P> On airliners the nose cone is also a radome protecting the weather radar from aerodynamic forces . </P> <P> The shape of the nose cone must be chosen for minimum drag so a solid of revolution is used that gives least resistance to motion . The article on nose cone design contains possible shapes and formulas . </P> <P> Due to the extreme temperatures involved, nose cones for high - speed applications (e.g. hypersonic speeds or atmospheric reentry of orbital vehicles) have to be made of refractory materials . Pyrolytic carbon is one choice, reinforced carbon - carbon composite or HRSI ceramics are other popular choices . Another design strategy is using ablative heat shields, which get consumed during operation, disposing of excess heat that way . Materials used for ablative shields include, for example carbon phenolic, polydimethylsiloxane composite with silica filler and carbon fibers, or as in of some Chinese FSW reentry vehicles, oak wood . </P> <P> In general, the constraints and goals for atmospheric reentry conflict with those for other high - speed flight applications; during reentry a high - drag blunt reentry shape is frequently used, which minimises the heat transfer by creating a shock wave that stands off from the vehicle, but some very - high - temperature materials may permit sharper - edged designs . </P>

What is in the nose of a plane