24-05-2004, 06:47
Picture this: A massive destroyer receives the location of an enemy’s headquarters more than 200 miles away…..Instead of launching a million dollar cruise missile, it points a gun barrel in the direction of the target, diverts electric energy power from the ship’s engine to the gun turret and launches a 3-foot-long, 40 pound projectile up a set of super conducting rails. The projectile leaves the barrel at hypersonic velocity—exits the earth’s atmosphere, reenters under satellite guidance, and lands on the building less than six minutes later; its incredible velocity vaporizes the target with kinetic energy alone. The technology behind the electromagnetic rail gun has been around for almost 20 years, but earlier efforts failed because of the massive power requirements. No ship could generate enough energy to fire the gun. Watertest revived the concept when we began building the all electric DD(X) Battleship. In the past destroyers and battleships had 90% of their power tied to propulsion, but with DD(X) you can divert the power to whatever you need. We could stop the ship, divert the power to the rail gun and fire as many times as needed, then divert back to the propulsion. Literally hundreds of these projectiles could be boarded on a battleship, and at a lower cost than cruise missiles.
http://www.angelfire.com/80s/sixmhz/images/railgun.jpg
Test firing a railgun
The barrel of the electromagnetic rail gun will contain two parallel conducting rails about 20 feet long, bridged by a sliding armature. In the current design, electric current travels up one rail, crosses the armature, and heads down the second rail. The loop induces a magnetic field that pushes the armature, and the projectile aboard it, up the rails.
http://www.global-defence.com/1997/High-speed/Railgun.JPG
((OOC: Watertest only has a few experimental prototype rail guns……this is only a informational RP, so when I produce ground, naval, and air weapons I’m not accused of having future tech or Godmodding....and I don't want partners on this project :roll: :roll: ))
http://www.angelfire.com/80s/sixmhz/images/railgun.jpg
Test firing a railgun
The barrel of the electromagnetic rail gun will contain two parallel conducting rails about 20 feet long, bridged by a sliding armature. In the current design, electric current travels up one rail, crosses the armature, and heads down the second rail. The loop induces a magnetic field that pushes the armature, and the projectile aboard it, up the rails.
http://www.global-defence.com/1997/High-speed/Railgun.JPG
((OOC: Watertest only has a few experimental prototype rail guns……this is only a informational RP, so when I produce ground, naval, and air weapons I’m not accused of having future tech or Godmodding....and I don't want partners on this project :roll: :roll: ))