Model rocketeers have known for a while that a dimpled surface will apparently decrease drag and make the rocket fly higher. The challenge is to create a dimpled surface using what is at hand for the average hobbyist.
Another trick is a nose cone larger in diameter than the body of the rocket--it seems to accomplish the same thing in that the separation of the boundry layer of air occurs further down the body of the rocket. The trick is to find the right angle of transition from larger diameter nose cone to the body--apparently it can make a big difference.
Casey
