Real rail-gun developed by US navy

[jverne]

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fd9_1189715172


i'm not for killing people, but hey who doesn't want a rail gun?

 

[PvtRyan]

Pretty cool, but it doesn't say anywhere how fast the projectile travels.

It just mentions:

He said the railgun will extend that range to more than 200 nautical miles and strike a target that far away quickly — in 6 minutes.

Which means it does 1 km/s (3600 km/h which is about mach 3) but after it says that:

At the peak of its ballistic trajectory, the projectile will reach an altitude of 500,000 feet, or about 95 miles, actually exiting the Earth's atmosphere.

So while the horizontal distance is 360 km (200 nautical miles) it travels in, it travels in a parabolic trajectory. If we assume that its trajectory is a half of an oval shape (roughly) the distance it travels would be half the circumference of the oval. I don't know how to calculate the circumference of an oval, but if we take the average radius (200 miles + 95 miles / 2) the distance it would travel in 6 minutes is about 834 km, which means the projectile goes more than 8000 km/h

 

[Dog--]

For the Rail-Gun - Cool.

For PvtRyan - What?

 

[Seagull]

interesting, should be fun in another 7-8 years to see how that turns out

 

[PvtRyan]

For the Rail-Gun - Cool.

For PvtRyan - What?

The cool thing about a railgun is how ****ing fast the bullets go, at least it should be. So I wanna know the speed :frown:

 

[DEATHMASTER]

how precise is it? didn't read the whole thing.

 

[Raziaar]

how precise is it? didn't read the whole thing.

It can probably be as precise as artillery rounds... which in this day and age CAN be very precise.

 

[Jintor]

I swear these already existed.

 

[jverne]

Pretty cool, but it doesn't say anywhere how fast the projectile travels.

It just mentions:


Which means it does 1 km/s (3600 km/h which is about mach 3) but after it says that:


So while the horizontal distance is 360 km (200 nautical miles) it travels in, it travels in a parabolic trajectory. If we assume that its trajectory is a half of an oval shape (roughly) the distance it travels would be half the circumference of the oval. I don't know how to calculate the circumference of an oval, but if we take the average radius (200 miles + 95 miles / 2) the distance it would travel in 6 minutes is about 834 km, which means the projectile goes more than 8000 km/h

You were pretty accurate.

(flight hight) h=V0^2*sin^2(x)/2*g
(flight horizontal distance) d=(V0^2/g)*sin(2x)

x==shooting angle
V0==initial speed

put these two together and you get an angle of approximately x=45 degrees

which is an ideal angle

or you can just presume an 45 angle and use

dmax=(V0^2)/g

so the

V0=2131m/s=7672.3km/h


pretty fast!



Jintor, yes rail guns aren't new but the current technology is making them viable.

 

[Seppo]

Pretty cool, but it doesn't say anywhere how fast the projectile travels.

It just mentions...

Which means it does 1 km/s (3600 km/h which is about mach 3) but after it says that...

So while the horizontal distance is 360 km (200 nautical miles) it travels in, it travels in a parabolic trajectory. If we assume that its trajectory is a half of an oval shape (roughly) the distance it travels would be half the circumference of the oval. I don't know how to calculate the circumference of an oval, but if we take the average radius (200 miles + 95 miles / 2) the distance it would travel in 6 minutes is about 834 km, which means the projectile goes more than 8000 km/h

You were pretty accurate.

(flight hight) h=V0^2*sin^2(x)/2*g
(flight horizontal distance) d=(V0^2/g)*sin(2x)

x==shooting angle
V0==initial speed

put these two together and you get an angle of approximately x=45 degrees

which is an ideal angle

or you can just presume an 45 angle and use

dmax=(V0^2)/g

so the

V0=2131m/s=7672.3km/h

pretty fast!

Jintor, yes rail guns aren't new but the current technology is making them viable.

seriously guys...somebody just invented a railgun. can't we just enjoy that?

 

[Jintor]

They are enjoying it.

 

[Fliko]

I wonder what the chances of getting picked off by a stray rail-gun shot is like...

 

[CyberPitz]

I can only imagine...

"Today, a man was struck by a stray bullet. The only thing is, the shooter was over 150 nautical miles away!"

 

[kirovman]

I thought the Nazis developed a rail gun in WWII

 

[Raziaar]

I can only imagine...

"Today, a man was struck by a stray bullet. The only thing is, the shooter was over 150 nautical miles away!"

"And the man exploded into a shower of gory goo because of the sheer velocity of the projectile!"

 

[Remus]

I thought the Nazis developed a rail gun in WWII

Yes they did make a "rail gun", meaning a giant cannon on railway tracks, but that's not what we're talking about here.

However a real rail gun doesn't have any leet FX too it like you've seen in games or movies. There is no blue trail and probably the only sound it makes when firing a projectile is Woooosh:cheese:

 

[Sulkdodds]

Moving target with a six minute delay from two hundred miles sounds hard to hit (though possible, I assume, with modern technology). I guess the railgun's designed for targetting land, because another ship could defeat it just by moving erratically.

It must be cheaper than cruise missiles, otherwise they'd just use those.

 

[Remus]

Moving target with a six minute delay from two hundred miles sounds hard to hit (though possible, I assume, with modern technology). I guess the railgun's designed for targetting land, because another ship could defeat it just by moving erratically.

It must be cheaper than cruise missiles, otherwise they'd just use those.

Yes well it is designed to HIT ANYTHING! Well as the weapon is now you're right it would be hard to hit a moving target from that distance, but they are planing to make "smart bullets" for the rail gun.
The article also sais that a tomahawk missile cost roughly $ 1 milion but a railgun bullet costs $1000.



Couldn't resist

General Atomics, a San Diego defense contractor, has been working on the pulse power system for the Navy railgun with The Boeing Co., L3 Communications Pulse Sciences, SPARTA Composites, and Jackson Engineering.

 

[Smoke]

 

[Gunner]

Oh Ahnold invented railguns that's right!

 

[Direwolf]

Yes they did make a "rail gun", meaning a giant cannon on railway tracks, but that's not what we're talking about here.

However a real rail gun doesn't have any leet FX too it like you've seen in games or movies. There is no blue trail and probably the only sound it makes when firing a projectile is Woooosh:cheese:

They also had a project at one point to build a giant permanent cannon to fire at England with that used secondary charges to accelerate the bullet. Not a railgun, but bizarre nonetheless.

 

[jverne]

I think the long range rail gun was mostly for slow moving or stationary targets.

But on shorter distances this could be the ultimate weapon.

I guess when the pulse generators become better and more efficient they could fit a tank with it.

Thing is that the rail gun would be so versatile and cheap in the sense that you can put whatever you want in the bullet (AP, incendiary, HE rounds) and fire it safely.

But don't expect rail guns for infantry in the near future.

Remember the super capacitors? they could change that!

 

[Remus]

I guess when the pulse generators become better and more efficient they could fit a tank with it.

I think we will see "Rail Tanks" on the battlefield in the next 20-30 years

Thing is that the rail gun would be so versatile and cheap in the sense that you can put whatever you want in the bullet (AP, incendiary, HE rounds) and fire it safely.

What's the point to fit the bullet with any kind of explosive when it can demolish anything by kinetic force alone. "This thing can take out a building"

But don't expect rail guns for infantry in the near future.

Remember the super capacitors? they could change that!

Probably not railguns but I think we can expect weapons similar to the pulse rifle in Aliens in the near future.

 

[Beerdude26]

But on shorter distances this could be the ultimate weapon.

Unreal Tournament-style instagib D:

 

[Kevin]

So what does the thing it shoots look like?
A ball of electricity?





Anyway: Half-Life is TRUE, only this is better.
It's like a giant Tau-cannon!

 

[BaconIsGood4You]

So would there be any significant sonic boom or would it just be like a loud bull whip? (Assuming small ordinance).

 

[Teta_Bonita]

So would there be any significant sonic boom or would it just be like a loud bull whip? (Assuming small ordinance).

See for yourself: (skip to 3:08)
[youtube]y54aLcC3G74[/youtube]

EDIT: I think this is an earlier testing, but still cool nonetheless.

 

[jverne]

See for yourself: (skip to 3:08)
[youtube]y54aLcC3G74[/youtube]

EDIT: I think this is an earlier testing, but still cool nonetheless.

cool vid

and thats only a small prototype. the bullet and the concrete got a bit vaporised.


Remus...you are right that fitting the bullet is not really necessary but still.