U.S. Navy to test Railgun prototype in coming weeks

[FreakyMe]

I get a little sick at the thought that where I am sitting, I wouldn't even hear the whiz or pop of the projectile flying before my entire block got leveled from a shot fired off of the coast of my state.

[Pierrewithahat]

[QUOTE=FreakyMe;34647760]I get a little sick at the thought that where I am sitting, I wouldn't even hear the whiz or pop of the projectile flying before my entire block got leveled from a shot fired on the coast of my state.[/QUOTE]

Would you rather feel it or hear it before hand and suffer greatly or would you prefer it was quick and relatively painless?

[FreakyMe]

[QUOTE=Pierrewithahat;34647779]Would you rather feel it or hear it before hand and suffer greatly or would you prefer it was quick and relatively painless?[/QUOTE]

I'm the kind of person that if the world ends, I want to be able to observe it.

If an asteroid hits, please let it be moving at an observable speed and land somewhere in the California foothills/valley where I can see the impact and then impending shock-wave before I cease to exist as a 10 km thick segment of our planet's crust lifts to fall back on itself and the rest of the planet.

If the sun flares up and burns the earth, I hope the fire starts on the horizon (or on the other side of the world, projecting burning gasses in a contrail around the planet {that I am within} that eventually would either wrap around and bake me to death or just heat up the atmosphere so much that I incinerate)

If zombies take over, I want to be the last one to be infected or turn the lights out.

If God does turn out to be real, and I do pay dearly for my sins, the experience better at least be worth it.

I have a thing for the spectacular, and I wouldn't mind my end being the same.

Fuck quick and easy - if this is going to be the end of my experience, I hope it's worth it when it comes.

[Pierrewithahat]

Yeah but hearing the inevitable thunderclap of the slug and feeling it smash you to pieces would be the least desirable death imaginable in my opinion.

[kaze4159]

[QUOTE=Pierrewithahat;34647887]Yeah but hearing the inevitable thunderclap of the slug and feeling it smash you to pieces would be the least desirable death imaginable in my opinion.[/QUOTE]

But since the rounds are supersonic, you'd get raped by the round before you hear it coming

[Pierrewithahat]

Yeah I had a brain fart, I'm running on two hours sleep and i wok up at 4:30 AM.

[Nigademus]

[QUOTE=kaze4159;34647931]But since the rounds are supersonic, you'd get raped by the round before you hear it coming[/QUOTE]

They're actually in the hypersonic range, Mach 5-10.

[Missing User]

[QUOTE=Rents;34634655]What the hell is a nautical mile and how do I convert it to km?[/QUOTE]

1 Nautical Mile = 1.852 Kilometers

1 Kilometer = 0.54 Nautical Miles

[KristoferKSR]

[QUOTE=Beafman;34639811]People who thinks it would be possible to get "Mass Effect" style weapons with no need for ammo somehow forgets that it is Element Zero which makes it possible to downsize to the point it is.[/QUOTE]

I've thought that the whole deal with Mass Effect fields is that they control the Higgs Boson.

[Mingebox]

[quote]BAE Systems EM Railgun was delivered to the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren on January 30, 2012 and features a 32-megajoule payload. To add some perspective, one megajoule of energy is equivalent to a one ton car traveling at 100 miles per hour.[/quote]
So getting hit is like walking across the street and getting hit by a car... going mach 5.

[Pierrewithahat]

[QUOTE=Mingebox;34648200]So getting hit is like walking across the street and getting hit by a car... going mach 5.[/QUOTE]

Nah it's more like getting hit by 32 cars travelling at 100 mph.

[Dispenser]

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;34634457]This is what I originally thought of

[img]http://www.peachmountain.com/5star/images/AberdeenProvingGrounds/20060509_2099_NSengupta_AberdeenProvingGroundss.jpg[/img]

Not disappointed to be wrong at all though.[/QUOTE]

You call that a rail gun? THIS is a rail gun.
[img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KIlPJy9rHNw/S1DJdRd--6I/AAAAAAAAAfs/3s8V80WYUP8/s400/Schwere_Gustav_03.jpg[/img]

[Zombii]

BAE Systems are pretty awesome, they are also developing a system of thermal camouflage for vehicles

[Xybjj]

[QUOTE=Pierrewithahat;34648358]Nah it's more like getting hit by 32 cars travelling at 100 mph.[/QUOTE]

or one car going mach 5

[Pierrewithahat]

[QUOTE=Xybjj;34648525]or one car going mach 5[/QUOTE]

Or not, cause you know that car will be heavier than the slug, so if they both go at mach 5 the car will have more energy.

[smeismastger]

Maybe we can finally shoot down those pesky UFO's, everyone hates those space junkies going over the speed limit in our airspace with their pimped-out, shitty AGV Type-61387 C-models.

[LookRat]

I can't wait until there are some distant fire tests!

[Flyboi]

The potential of such as system is incredible, without the need for explosive munitions the system would likely be much more effective and cheaper.

I imagine it wont be long before the Royal Navy start pestering BAE Systems to fit these to their warships, or the other way around :v:

[DireWolf]

[quote="ONR"] In addition, ONR states that the EM Railgun may provide effective ballistic missile defense.[/quote]

There may be hope for us yet...

[polyhistor]

This is completely awesome in all ways.

[Smartlord]

[QUOTE=Pierrewithahat;34647779]Would you rather feel it or hear it before hand and suffer greatly or would you prefer it was quick and relatively painless?[/QUOTE]
Quick and relatively painless, but I want to fucking know why or how I would die

if I get shot, at least let me see the guy pointing the gun at me the moment before I die

[Jaanus]

[QUOTE=Ama-zake;34634479]Every time I hear of a railgun system its usually entirely magnetic. Why hasn't anyone tried the concept of initially accelerating the projectile with conventional means? Reliability?[/QUOTE]

I'm sure they have

[Smartlord]

[QUOTE=Ama-zake;34634479]Every time I hear of a railgun system its usually entirely magnetic. Why hasn't anyone tried the concept of initially accelerating the projectile with conventional means? Reliability?[/QUOTE]

I suspect that it'd be less effective anyway. The whole point is that the magnetic force is stronger than our conventional means and speeding it up without the magnetic force wouldn't make it much better

[Deweze]

[QUOTE=AaronM202;34634743][img]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/4882/1186192913896ul3.jpg[/img]

Soon gentlemen.

[b]Soon.[/b][/QUOTE]

Seeing those big ass mechas makes we wonder how useful those helicopters in the background are.

[TheDecryptor]

[QUOTE=Jaanus;34653314]I'm sure they have[/QUOTE]

They haven't just thought about it, the Navy's railgun prototype that was canned used that method.

[Flyboi]

[QUOTE=Mixed Sources;34637284]Misread the article, my fault. Glad this was developed by BAE, you never hear much about advances in technology by the british, nice to know we can still compete.[/QUOTE]
It's an American subsidery of BAE, a British company operating in America... The staff etc are mainly American so it's more of a joint endeavour. However, if you research the field of technological inovation you'll find many examples of British advancements, even today.

[Woomp]

[QUOTE=AaronM202;34634743][img]http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/4882/1186192913896ul3.jpg[/img]

Soon gentlemen.

[b]Soon.[/b][/QUOTE]

Why are you advocating war with the Russian Federation?

[TheTalon]

I remember them test firing a rail gun some time back. They aimed for a thick ass steel plate. They aimed Directly at it, They didn't aim Up for elevation since it was close enough, just perfectly parallel with the ground. After the projectile went through the steel plate, It kept going for 7 miles before it finally hit the ground

[Scrimp]

[IMG]http://www.fortressofmagus.com/Dumbass%203.jpg[/IMG]

That is a pratical use for a rail gun.

[Papa Gator]

that picture looks pretty badass