Sci-fi Weapons, Vehicles and Equipment

The Bussard ramjet has a nuclear fusion component. This one doesn't.

The closest analogue I can give is a motorboat engine that laps up water at the front and spits it out at high pressure at the rear.

The exhaust's particles are ionized (causing the light emission), which makes them react to electromagnetic fields. The fields are then used to accelerate the particles before they leave the engine, using the same principle as a single-staged coilgun (which basically converts electrical energy into kinetic energy plus waste heat). Due to Newton's third law, the faster the exhaust leaves the engine, the more momentum it will transfer to the engine.

Of course, it would require currently non-existent room temperature superconductors to produce this kind of electromagnetic field with a magnet of such compact size...

edited 28th Sep '14 6:33:50 AM by amitakartok

So when you say "particle accelerator" what you really mean is a single stage magnet? Leaving aside all the problems that magnetic ramscoops have, and also aside from the fact that I think you could get more acceleration with less energy from a more mainstream propulsion system, I think any magnet that powerful would melt itself.

Also, what do you mean by "zero fuel investment"? Where, exactly, is the energy to power the scoop and ionize the medium coming from? If by "fuel" you merely mean reaction mass, then what you save on fuel is going to be lost, and then some, in your powerplant.

Power is not an issue here.

And I put it the wrong way above when I used the coilgun analogy. It's electromagnetic but I don't know how many stages it uses, only that it's not a circular/looping accelerator.

edited 29th Sep '14 12:04:54 PM by amitakartok

Well, you asked if it was physically possible. I think the answer if very likely "no", but it would take a lot more calculation to demonstrate that definitively. With enough applied phlebotinum, of course, you can create anything you want.

edited 29th Sep '14 5:26:51 PM by demarquis

That phlebotinum is only for power generation and it has its own problems arising from technological limitations caused by the imperfect materials it is currently made of. As it is, coaxing any more power out of it than 40% of what it's theoretically capable of causes the thing to become unstable, with effects ranging from fizzling out amidst a shower of sparks and smoke to experiencing nuke-level Explosive Overclocking, depending on how far it was pushed over the limit.

The best analogy I can give for that one is two spaces, separated by a rubber membrane like a balloon's wall. One of these spaces is filled with not-infinite-but-practically-considered-as-such water (energy). What this phlebotinum does is pierce a small hole through the membrane to let the water through and control the water's pressure. You can increase pressure to make the water go through the hole faster but since the membrane's wall isn't infinitely elastic, a too high pressure will rip into the edges of the hole and tear the membrane apart, letting all of that water through at once.

Sounds like a kind of magnetic propeller. Would work but with very low output.

You want to repel protons with a positive magnetic charge since protons have more mass. However, that also means you're stuck with the electrons.

edited 30th Sep '14 5:04:54 AM by Belisaurius

^ Not if he separates the particles in question into different exhaust vents. Some charged negative to accelerate and shoot out electrons, others positive to do the same with protons.

Neutrons on the other hand will just have to be dumped.

IIUC, he's describing the power supply, not the reaction mass. Along with all the other objections I raised, this thing sounds too heavy to accelerate very quickly.

Ideally, yes but the electrons will want to stick to the positively charged diode and there's no good way of getting them off without compromising thrust.

Here is something for you folks to chew on.

Artillery For the Infantry.

I am looking at anything from pistol type grenade launchers or pistol fired grenades that are like the rifle grenade all the way up to something more like the high impulse system for power armor troops.

I am currently looking at systems like light, commando/patrol mortars, or even something like the Typ 89 Grenade Discharger (Knee Mortar) or even some form of light weight artillery like the .59-inch Breech-Loading Vickers Q.F. Gun, Mk II and other similar systems.

For artillery I was thinking of systems like the "Grasshopper Cannon" or the Japanese Type 92 "Battalion Gun"

edited 4th Oct '14 11:48:32 AM by TuefelHundenIV

No love for things like the MAAWS?

Overrated. Rocket launchers out range them and weigh less and have less complex firing systems. Next Gen SMAW will just put it completely to shame.

edited 4th Oct '14 12:48:44 PM by TuefelHundenIV

^ The new RAP's for it can hit upwards of 1500 meters with the right stuff. Sure it won't bust a T-90 from the front but it'll play merry havoc with a technical or a mortar position or machine gunners or a small AA battery (ZU-23-2 like that). Materiel and hard targets that are not main battle tanks, that sort of stuff.

Also the weight and range limitations are being addressed.

@Tuefel:

Hm... although it doesn't really help much, I imagine that - assuming the infantryman has a HUD of some sort (say, a monocle ala Halo for non-powered armour, or the powered armour's internal HUD), it should be possible for the weapon to perhaps calculate where a given round should land. And depending on how far into the future it is, it might be able to correct for wind etc.

I'm trying to come up with a powerful spaceship mounted weapon. However, it must not be an energy weapon. In terms of target, it's intended to gut capital ships, which may be protected by shielding.

Any pointers/suggestions?

Flanker: We have sight systems that can more or less do that now. What we need are some smarter rounds and ones with more reach to fully take advantage of it. The new SMAW II Serpent sight uses such a system with a thermal targeting sight and range finder laser in place of the old spotting rifle. Thank god for loss of the Spotting Rifle.

Tom: 1000m for stationary targets on the RAP and rocket boosted projectiles are less accurate then their baseline counterparts without additional guidance in the round. I also hope the irony of using a RAP to extend its range isn't wasted. Part of the weight saving was in cutting down barrel length, which is disappointing as it decreases the total possible round length for any future longer special munitions or rounds that use longer cartridge for improved range. The MAAW projectiles also have more arc then rockets do by comparison.

SMAW II was completed two years ago and is already being offered on export market and has started to make it's way into the Corps as of last year. It uses a modern computerized targeting system and thermal scope with a laser range finder and even incorporates tremble correction in the weapon. Better yet there is now a soft launch round for the SMAW so it can be fired from enclosed spaces. Better still they lightened the whole package. Sans Modular Ballistic Sight which is detachable it is lighter then it used to be to an appreciable degree. It has flip up back up iron sights as well. The launcher is just 8.5lbs now 13 with the sight attached. Removing the spotting rifle also saved some weight and made the thing easier to work with. I wish I was around for that change as the old SMAW was a bit of a pain to work on sometimes because of the spotting rifle.

Now where I will give the Gustav due credit is the wider array of rounds available to it and a pretty good baseline target engagement ranges with HEDP when lobbed. I like the flare and smoke round capability as well. Also the fact it can use APERS type rounds and it could easily incorporate a HESH round if one were to be made. I also like the lower comparative report and smaller back blast of the MAAWS. The fusing options on the HE rounds is a nice touch and would want that for pretty much any weapon be it rocket or shell.

For me to really give the MAAWS more consideration I would want a round with a flatter trajectory and bit more velocity to push it out further without a RAP. The Flatter trajectory means the HEAT rounds are more likely to hit dead on then at an angle and also helps improve long range accuracy. Combustible/Frangible casings would be a plus as well. I also would want to see its family of compatible rounds expanded further to include a thermobaric and/or a more direct incendiary round. A long range blast frag round would be great for use against infantry. As it is they have to lob the HE rounds out to the 1,000m mark against area targets so may as well go with a blast frag round with shrapnel content to improve area effectiveness. I would try and find a better way to save weight not by shortening the barrel but trying to do something more creative with the breach system to possibly lighten it up there.

The SMAW needs more tweaking as well. While the launcher is nice and light lighter ammo would be nice to. Also a more widely expanded family of ammo. A blast frag rocket for APERS would be great. The ability to adjust the fusing on the rocket before launch would be very handy as well. What would be really nice is a rocket that is not so fricken loud when it fires.

Both systems would be even better with integrated targeting systems that can use sensor fusing and the ability to use accurate indirect fire and the ability to fire guided rounds. Also the ability to attach a adjustable blast deflector so they can be used at odd angles. Though I think the MAAW would fill the indirect role and be easier to fit a blast deflector to.

I like the new SMAW and it would be nice if we could bump the ranges of the MAAW out further without having to resort to lobbing rounds.

As it is though I don't like the back blast of either weapon which is why I was more interested in some of the lighter and more portable artillery pieces. Maybe one of the high-low pressure systems would work as well and be easier to handle.

edited 4th Oct '14 3:41:26 PM by TuefelHundenIV

How about a kinetic cannon that fires high-caliber shells wrapped in a thin plasma sheath that temporarily disrupts the shield's structural cohesion on impact, allowing the shell to penetrate and strike the hull without slowing down?

It's not an energy weapon because the plasma isn't a primary component here but serves only to remove an impediment to the main payload, kinda like how real-life supercavitating torpedoes work: they wrap themselves into a layer of gas that pushes the water away from the torpedo, allowing it to strike the target at an extremely high speed.

edited 4th Oct '14 4:14:58 PM by amitakartok

^ That kind of weapon would be self-defeating. Plasma would destroy the underlying KE round. Even a thin sheen of the stuff is many thousands of degrees Kelvin in temperature.

What's wrong with a missile?

...Lol. Sorry I had to laugh. We just had a big discussion over ship weapons and I found that amusing. But it is also a good suggestion. You need to crack a cap ship why not missiles or big ass super kinetic guns if you have the handwavium going.

High Impulse Weapon System:

edited 4th Oct '14 11:12:35 PM by TairaMai

The thing that gets me is that they don't have even an attempt at a recoil buffer system on that weapon. The recoil on that is way too high.

edited 4th Oct '14 8:10:57 PM by TuefelHundenIV

Yeah, a big flaw. However a weapon of with that kind of recoil could benefit from Powered Armor.

I wouldn't even mount that on power armor. The recoil would be horrid on any mounting short of a ground mount. It really would not be too hard to put in a few light weight hydraulic buffers.

edited 5th Oct '14 2:49:54 AM by TuefelHundenIV

Isn't the guy in the video describing a new kind of recoil buffer?

A little background

edited 5th Oct '14 3:40:33 AM by ManInGray

A little something to think about in protecting future waterways.

Unmanned Patrol Boats. The US Navy just made em a thing.