Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Path: utzoo!utcs!mnetor!lsuc!pesnta!hplabs!ucbvax!space From: bilbo.niket@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU ("Niket K. Patwardhan") Newsgroups: net.space Subject: Re: Rail guns vs. ordinary guns Message-ID: <8601202140.AA00500@s1-b.arpa> Date: Mon, 20-Jan-86 16:25:15 EST Article-I.D.: s1-b.8601202140.AA00500 Posted: Mon Jan 20 16:25:15 1986 Date-Received: Wed, 22-Jan-86 00:24:53 EST References: Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 14 Your suggestion of arc-heating the hydrogen gas triggered another idea..... Why not work on a "rail-rocket"..... This would not have the speed of sound restriction, since by suitable nozzles the ejection velocity can be increased beyond the speed of sound. Essentially the "rail-rocket" would be a rocket that got its heating power from two rails that feed electrical power into an arc that was located where the combustion chamber would normally be. If the rocket was encased in an open barrel you would have a "rail-bazooka": and the rails and their support structure would be protected from the blast. BTW the speed of sound in hydrogen should be around 3900-4100 m/s at 3000K. Also the melting point of tungsten is 3370 or 3410 C depending on which source I look at (eshbach?? Engineering Handbook OR Encyclopaedia Brittanica).