how fast is fast enough

[flhroy]

I was watching TV last night and saw something on the Discovery Chanel. They showed a rifle that NASA has. It launches an aluminum projectile, don't remember how heavy, at 21,120 fps. Thats 4 miles per second. It used hydrogen as a propellent and they filled the barrel with an inert gas. They use it to study meteor strikes. When it was fired into a box of sand enough heat was generated to form bits of glass. Kind of puts a new meaning to high speed bullets doesn't it?

[Bullshop]

I recall an article in an American Riflmen dating to the late 60's early 70's of a test also done by/for Nasa. They used a stock Rem 700 varmint 22/250 inside an old iron lung. It fired as I recal a three gn zink bullet pushed by a case full of Bullseye. Cant remember for shure how fast but seems like about 8K. Apparently not fast enough.
BIC/BS

[versifier]

NASA and the USAF had a joint project some years ago for testing jet fighter canopy materials. They had a unit that would fire a frozen chicken at Mk II+ to simulate bird strikes at high speeds. Kinda makes a potato gun look like a toy. Oh yeah, they are toys. Still it would be fun to put a chicken into the next county. I wonder how many millions of dollars it cost to develop them....

[onceabull]

"fun to put a chicken into"-- Or a cat to San Angelo!!! Onceabull

[Scrounger]

"fun to put a chicken into"-- Or a cat to San Angelo!!! Onceabull

Now you've done it! CarpetMan will be building a potato gun to launch cats... Can you imagine their scream when that burning lighter fluid hits their tail?

[imashooter2]

I saw an article some time back about a similar device used to launch a wasp waisted projectile at ridiculously high speeds via electromagnetic fields. The purpose was anti armor and it was supposed to defeat the armor with the pressure of the air pushed in front of the projectile. Seemed a little far fetched, but what do I know?

[Bigscot]

There was some guy in the last 20-25 or so years who was working on a huge (as in barrel length) cannon. The barrel was maybe on the order of around 100ft long or longer. The purpose was to use this cannon to blast objects (satelites) in to orbit rather than launch them. I believe he was from Texas.
He died rather mysteriously as I recall and I think Sadam Husain was tied to or interested in his project for sending warheads to Israel and other enemies.
I saw film of his shots and they were amazing. I don't recall any ballistics though.

B.S.

[redneckdan]

i remember hearing about that. No one was intrested in his research, except for saddam, who wanted a gun built that he could hit isreal with, in return for research funding. He (the scientist) was mysteriously killed in canada by a .22 rimfire to the head, the apartment neighors say they never heard a shot, sounds like High Standard Military Model qith a hush puppy can on it to me.

[Scrounger]

i remember hearing about that. No one was intrested in his research, except for saddam, who wanted a gun built that he could hit isreal with, in return for research funding. He (the scientist) was mysteriously killed in canada by a .22 rimfire to the head, the apartment neighors say they never heard a shot, sounds like High Standard Military Model qith a hush puppy can on it to me.

That would be 'Doomsday Gun', about Dr. Gerald Bull.

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109650/

[wills]

http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/apj/spacast3.html
There are several alternatives for delivering weapons, including the TAV described previously, ICBMs, satellite basing, and intercontinental cannons. The SPACECAST lift team believes that operational flexibility greatly favors the TAV approach

http://www.fas.org/spp/military/docops/usaf/2020/app-h.htm
Even making these assumptions, there are several possible alternative systems, most of which are familiar. These include Pegasus, Taurus, other light expendable launch vehicles, converted sea launched ballistic missiles launched from sea-based platforms, hybrid (mixed solid-liquid propellant) rockets (also expendable), a variety of reusable vehicles from National Aerospace Plane (NASP)-derived systems to DC-X-derived single-stage-to-orbits (SSTO) and carrier-orbiter concepts like the German Sänger, Boeing's Reusable Aerospace Vehicle (actually a trolley-launched system), and even cannon or railgun launch. A new idea with potentially greater promise is the air-refuelable, rocket-powered Black Horse TAV.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/programs/transcripts/911.html

ANNOUNCER: How did the U.S. support this man and what were his secret dealings with Saddam Hussein? And who killed the brilliant arms designer last March? Tonight on FRONTLINE, "The Man Who Made the Supergun."

NARRATOR: They'd been following him for months. They'd been monitoring his every move. Yet as he drove to his Brussels apartment on March 22nd, 1990, Dr. Gerald Vincent Bull had no idea that tonight he was the target of a hit squad.

DAVID HALEVY, Intelligence Analyst: It was definitely a complicated operation by a state intelligence organization and carried out by some 80 people, was outstretched for almost two years.

NARRATOR: For the last time, Gerald Bull rode the elevator to his apartment. In his lifetime, his guns and shells had been sold around the world. The weapons he'd designed were known for their deadly accuracy. Now, the knowledge he carried in his head had become too dangerous. His killers were waiting for him on the landing of the sixth floor. As he fumbled for his front door key, he was shot five times with a silenced automatic.


http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-74-626/people/gerald_bull/

[floodgate]

NASA and the USAF had a joint project some years ago for testing jet fighter canopy materials. They had a unit that would fire a frozen chicken at Mk II+ to simulate bird strikes at high speeds. Kinda makes a potato gun look like a toy. Oh yeah, they are toys. Still it would be fun to put a chicken into the next county. I wonder how many millions of dollars it cost to develop them....

Versifier:

The way I heard that story, they wanted to test for bird strikes, but kept busting up the windscreens and turbofans, even at fairly modest velocities until someone suggested, "THAW the chickens first, dummy!"

floodgate

[Frank46]

Yep, thats the guy. Supposedly the israeli mossad did the dirty deed. Was aiming the cannon at israel. Now back to cats. I can see the headlines now. Mysterious shower of dead cats strikes terror into the civilian population. Oughta set up a guiness book of records trial for the longest shot. Punkin chunkin heck, we's be chunkin cats!!!!!!. Frank

[redneckdan]

I'm game....I got a chunk of 12" diameter plastic water main that fell of a truck. My ranger looked kinda funny driving down the road with 20' of green pipe on top. Maybe we could build a masive potato gun? Might have to turn some delerin sabots, don't want streak marks in the barrel.

[Scrounger]

I'm game....I got a chunk of 12" diameter plastic water main that fell of a truck. My ranger looked kinda funny driving down the road with 20' of green pipe on top. Maybe we could build a masive potato gun? Might have to turn some delerin sabots, don't want streak marks in the barrel.

No problem. A certain board member can supply us with all the lanolin you need for lubrication...

[Bodydoc447]

MythBusters recently did a frozen chicken versus fresh chicken on the windscreen episode. All they had were civilian aviation parts. IIRC, in their testing the frozen chickens were not much different than the fresh ones.

Doc

[BigTom]

For you guys into spud guns......

Home of the world's most advanced hand held laser-guided bolt-action aluminum SP9004 potato rifle..... http://www.spudtech.com/