Navy perfects rail gun

[vantec08]

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/12/10/navy-railgun-shoots-bullets-electromagnet/

now if it could be miniturized . .. . . ... .

[Sinister_1]

WOW

[robcoe]

I would not call it perfected, as far as I know this thing still basically destroys itself with each shot(magnetic forces so strong it warps or just rips apart the rails)

[dieselpower]

and a Solar flare could cripple our Navy... an EMP burst could neutralize a Destroyer for 15 minutes. An aircraft transmitting EMP bursts at timed intervals could render a fleet useless. We are inventing technology to destroy this technology as we speak.

That way we can someday overcome what we already know is a poor weapon...the railgun.

[Spaceghost]

I wouldn't say putting rail guns in use by 2025 is perfection.

[meaty-btz]

Its not the magnetic force that shreds them, I've built rail-guns a plenty. Its not perfected, not by a long shot. They are terribly fun toys actually. This is rather old news, navy has been working on advanced rail-gun technology for more than three decades. The same problems we faced then are still relevant now. In fact, the primary issue of longevity and durability have never been solved.

The plasma arc that rides behind the projectile is the problem and the propulsion. We have an issue with the nature of materials that has yet to be overcome. I've used copper rails (cheap and last only a few shots before the ablating process wrecks them) and tungsten rails (Super expensive, and they still ablate quickly under high energy or rapid fire). I've used lexan barrels over an inch thick and they still fail under the barrel pressures generated in firing. This is all small scale stuff. The navy is struggling under a huge issue of scale. Big guns make the stresses my prototypes saw look like a fart.

[EchoFourTango]

Still it would be pritty awsome to see.

[meaty-btz]

So make one. It isn't hard and the plasma fireball they blast out when fired is very satisfying. Shouldn't cost more than 2K to make afairly sizeable toy. Wont last. But will be fun. Always want to take one to a public range, but it qould startle the hell out of everyone.

[vantec08]

Its not the magnetic force that shreds them, I've built rail-guns a plenty. Its not perfected, not by a long shot. They are terribly fun toys actually. This is rather old news, navy has been working on advanced rail-gun technology for more than three decades. The same problems we faced then are still relevant now. In fact, the primary issue of longevity and durability have never been solved.

The plasma arc that rides behind the projectile is the problem and the propulsion. We have an issue with the nature of materials that has yet to be overcome. I've used copper rails (cheap and last only a few shots before the ablating process wrecks them) and tungsten rails (Super expensive, and they still ablate quickly under high energy or rapid fire). I've used lexan barrels over an inch thick and they still fail under the barrel pressures generated in firing. This is all small scale stuff. The navy is struggling under a huge issue of scale. Big guns make the stresses my prototypes saw look like a fart.

Wouldnt that take a massive power supply? I mean batteries wouldnt get it, would think it would take line power.

[Cyc Wid It]

Wouldnt that take a massive power supply? I mean batteries wouldnt get it, would think it would take line power.

Nuclear powered ship or dedicated engines.

[Ross]

http://atg.ga.com/EM/defense/railgun/index.php

[Spaceghost]

A little off topic, but does anyone remember the rail guns in Eraser? Man they were hilarious! A projectile the size of a bb is going to right through you, not pick you up and toss you fifty feet. It did look great though...

[YourHuckleberry]

wow. really shows how far behind the 8 ball Faux News is. And OP; perhaps modify the title to reflect reality.

[robcoe]

Wouldnt that take a massive power supply? I mean batteries wouldnt get it, would think it would take line power.

Capacitors, DC-DC converter and a ton of capacitors(ok a few tons) and you could fire that thing using a bunch of AA batteries.

The power is only needed for a few miliseconds while fireing, not a constant stream of power to the gun.

[meaty-btz]

Capacitors, DC-DC converter and a ton of capacitors(ok a few tons) and you could fire that thing using a bunch of AA batteries.

The power is only needed for a few miliseconds while fireing, not a constant stream of power to the gun.

Exactly, in fact all millitary coil and rail guns utilize capacitor banks.. hell EVERY design uses capacitor banks. Rise time between shots is a problem. ON a ship though you have massive space avail. The powder magazines are empty, repurposed to cap banks you can run quite a few shots before having to pause for a recharge off the diesel engines output.

When I mentioned 2K cost for making a railgun, you know what 90% of the cost is? Caps. Not only do you need very strong ones, but you need very very very high grade and consistant ones. Thats pricey. Not only that but you usually have to run them in oil baths to cool them. On top of that, you are playing with fire, litterally. One wrong move with a cap-bank and you are litterally ash. It will burn you away moments. Its not fun and lol games. We are talking serious high energy fun here. I have had a catastrophic failure in one of my designs and a nasty scar as a reminder and watched 5500 bucks go up in flames and sparks.