On 12/21/2012 10:39 AM, z wrote:
On Fri, 21 Dec 2012 09:53:39 -0600, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 12/21/2012 9:23 AM, z wrote:
On Fri, 21 Dec 2012 00:01:28 -0800 (PST), harry
wrote:

On Dec 20, 4:58 pm, "Don Phillipson" wrote:
"harry" wrote in message

...

There are theorotical limitations on how far any simple gun can fire.
The longest range gun was the V3 cannon (Tausendfuss) with mulitple
charges. Range of over 100miles.
German, designed to bombard London from France

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-3_cannon

I was bombed by the RAF using blockbuster bombs and put out of action
before it could be used. But you can go and see what's left of it.

The largest cannon I have ever heard of was Gerald Bull's HARP on
the island of Barbados in the 1960s, constructed from two USN
battleship gun barrels fitted end to end:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_...search_Program
The original HARP idea (approx. 1960) was that it would be cheaper to launch
satellites (then usually orbiting at 100 to 500 miles altitude) from
reuseable
guns rather than rockets expended in use: but Bull never got into orbit,
(The
maximum altitude mentioned here is 66 km.)

Bull was a fascinating individual, the youngest Toronto PhD ever (at 21) in
his day, employed as a military researcher by the Canadian Defence
Research Board, funded partly by the US Army gun research branch,
and eased out because he seemed more interested in space research
than weapons. Twenty years later he was active in 105 mm. artillery and
ammunition supply, eventually assassinated in mysterious circumstances.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Interesting story that.
I read somewhere that the idea of a satellite gun is not actually
possible. There is a top limit to muzzle velocity that cannot be
exceeded and is not sufficient to launch a satellite.
Though a rail gun might.

A satellite gun isn't possible, even if you could get enough velocity.
An orbit must include the point of the last change in velocity. In the
case of a bullet, it's at the end of the barrel so the orbit would
include this point. The next orbit the would be satellite would
intersect the ground somewhere next to the gun (where the gun was).


Ever heard of a recoilless rifle? "Every action has an opposite and
equal reaction" I believe any "space projectile weapon" would have to
operate with the same principles as a recoilless gun. ^_^

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recoilless_rifle

If you're saying that a rocket can launch a satellite, then yes, I
suppose it can. ;-) However, the same principle applies; the orbit
must contain the last point of delta-V.



DUH!, I was under the impression you were discussing firing a gun in
space from a satellite. Premature postification and text skimming error. ^_^

TDD