Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!sun!amdcad!amdcad!military
From: jmc@DEC-Lite.Stanford.EDU (John McCarthy)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: 16" Battleship gun info wanted
Message-ID: <1991Apr5.092149.8384@amd.com>
Date: 4 Apr 91 05:53:54 GMT
References: <1991Apr4.041931.11567@amd.com>
Sender: military@amd.com
Organization: /u/jmc/.organization
Lines: 15
Approved: military@amd.com



From: jmc@DEC-Lite.Stanford.EDU (John McCarthy)

Assuming a vacuum, the longest range is obtained when a gun is fired
at an elevation angle of 45 degrees.  In this case, the altitude reached is
1/4 the range.  This would be 6 1/4 miles if the range is 25 miles,
which is 33,000 feet.  If one takes air resistance into account, the
maximum range would be obtained at a somewhat higher elevation angle,
because that would make the shell spend more of its trajectory where
the air is less dense.

If 25 miles is not the maximum range, then the elevation angle can
be higher or lower.  It is not obvious to me which would be more
accurate.