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Centrifugal weapon could deliver stealth firepower
New Scientist ^ | 5/11/05 | Will Knight

Posted on 05/11/2005 1:07:57 PM PDT by LibWhacker

click here to read article


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To: thackney; Eaker; humblegunner
Eaker has a new project.

He has to finish the bowling ball cannon first!

41 posted on 05/11/2005 1:29:22 PM PDT by Flyer (If I were 8 pixels tall I could fit in my tag line)
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To: avg_freeper

If this is a centripetal weapon, doesn’t this mean theoretically the opposing force of the exit volicty would be distributed along the entire centripetal loop (or path), thus giving a great force with little true recoil as it is spread evenly around the circle?


42 posted on 05/11/2005 1:29:27 PM PDT by mnehring (http://www.mlearningworld.com)
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To: Buford T. Justice

you forgot to mention duct tape.. must always have duct tape.


43 posted on 05/11/2005 1:31:01 PM PDT by mnehring (http://www.mlearningworld.com)
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To: LibWhacker
"It's all ball bearings these days"
44 posted on 05/11/2005 1:31:26 PM PDT by Texas_Jarhead (To hell with Mexico, its policies, and its leaders)
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To: LibWhacker

When ball bearings are outlawed, only outlaws will have ball bearings.


45 posted on 05/11/2005 1:31:53 PM PDT by anonymous_user (Not everything's a conspiracy.)
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To: MeanWestTexan

or balistic missiles


46 posted on 05/11/2005 1:31:54 PM PDT by SShultz460
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To: PreviouslyA-Lurker
Will it fit in a purse?

I get a diameter of about four feet, if you want a "muzzle" velocity of 1,000 ft/sec, and want the wheel to spin at 5,000rpm. How big is your purse? :-)

47 posted on 05/11/2005 1:32:33 PM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: wideminded

> described a similar idea to me a number of times

The concept is quite old. Many people thought back in the 1910-1930 time frame that space launch would be by means of giant spinning wheels hurling rocketships into the sky at escape velocity.


48 posted on 05/11/2005 1:33:03 PM PDT by orionblamblam ("You're the poster boy for what ID would turn out if it were taught in our schools." VadeRetro)
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To: SlowBoat407

A "black box", no matter what its internal workings, will have recoil if it is projecting mass. There is no way around this.

I think they must have meant "no recoil" in a loose human-perceptive sort of way.


49 posted on 05/11/2005 1:35:05 PM PDT by Born to Conserve
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To: thackney

I sent them an email requesting a unit for beta-testing!


50 posted on 05/11/2005 1:35:06 PM PDT by Eaker (..Let them throw cake!! . (TheMom)
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To: LibWhacker

Okay, I guess I'll have to keep it at home. My purse is big, but not THAT big. Dang it, I work in a bad neighborhood too.


51 posted on 05/11/2005 1:35:19 PM PDT by PreviouslyA-Lurker (...where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18)
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To: LibWhacker

Aw, c'mon, boys! It's all about ball bearings these days!

52 posted on 05/11/2005 1:35:48 PM PDT by keepingtrack
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To: LibWhacker

Ball bearings are notoriously inaccurate, any round object is.

If the ball bearings exceed the speed of sound, they will still make a very loud crack!

Sounds like another way to waste defense dollars.


53 posted on 05/11/2005 1:35:57 PM PDT by Pylot
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To: SShultz460

"or balistic missiles"

Only at the top of the arc, though.

In the atmosphere, I think this would be worthless.

Unless, perhaps you lived in England and they hadn't written the law to ban it yet.


54 posted on 05/11/2005 1:36:12 PM PDT by MeanWestTexan
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To: LibWhacker

So in laymen's terms it's a high powered sling shot.


55 posted on 05/11/2005 1:36:14 PM PDT by BROKKANIC
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To: mnehrling

There is no opposing force. The mechanism that spins the bearings gives them energy; when the bearings are 'fired', they are mearly released.


56 posted on 05/11/2005 1:36:19 PM PDT by Sofa King (MY rights are not subject to YOUR approval.)
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To: LibWhacker
I saw a presentation on this stuff at a space conference about 10 years ago. He was talking about the possibility of scaling it up to launch things into orbit.
57 posted on 05/11/2005 1:36:30 PM PDT by TalonDJ
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To: LibWhacker

Anybody read any Dale Brown? This sounds like a perfect addition to his stories(or taken straight from them). Even has a silly name, "DREAD".


58 posted on 05/11/2005 1:38:33 PM PDT by Rane _H
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To: LibWhacker
I would imagine that the startup time for the thing would be measured in minutes, since the chamber would have to be spun to the proper velocity before the ball bearing can be put into it and spun out.

That, and the power/energy requirements for spinning the chamber would be much larger than what a typical handgun/firearm currently uses.

59 posted on 05/11/2005 1:39:00 PM PDT by Frohickey
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To: Sofa King

True: all of the energy would be directed outward from the center and contained by the unit until the bearing itself is released.


60 posted on 05/11/2005 1:39:23 PM PDT by SlowBoat407 (Don't bother giving me liberty - I'll take it for myself.)
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