tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post7608698256585336407..comments2024-03-28T20:53:49.167-04:00Comments on The Adventures of Roberta X: Strange But TrueRoberta Xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09956807794520627885noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-16647176552284898712010-05-13T07:08:36.669-04:002010-05-13T07:08:36.669-04:00If you'd like to see the modern day equivalent...If you'd like to see the modern day equivalent of Mass Drivers, and you're willing to travel to Mordor sometime in sep 13-18, I can introduce you<br />http://www.imts.com/<br />Several companies use linear servos, which have a direct lineage back to the original Mass Driver concept.oghttp://www.neanderpundit.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-58359787071439496802010-05-12T16:25:49.482-04:002010-05-12T16:25:49.482-04:00pdb -- I got halfway through the script last night...pdb -- I got halfway through the script last night. I agree, I'd like to see the film made.<br /><br />That being said, I like Mannie better in the book so far. But then, what I'd really like to see more than a movie is something more like a miniseries that was a lot more faithful to the book.<br /><br />The problem with a movie is that it's just damn hard to develop Heinlein-esque characters in two hours.Fuzzy Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03802539927743643041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-23334246728865798462010-05-12T15:28:56.227-04:002010-05-12T15:28:56.227-04:00Dr. D --
Rail life is still an issue. But ordnan...Dr. D --<br /><br />Rail life is still an issue. But ordnance development is more than the sum of the individual parts.<br /><br />Things just keep puttering along. We're at least a decade from laying down an appropriate capital ship to install the system in yet ANYWAY, so bug-smacking is still acceptable.<br /><br />Now, if we were planning on a keel laying ceremony next year on a <i>large</i> gun, nulk powered, major capital ship to support marine landings and shoreline operations (BBN, anyone? One can hope. . . ), I would be more skeptical. But interesting things are happening in materials technology as we speak -- and most are not in DoD.Geodkythttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328915597574377444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-63610331593764914242010-05-12T12:57:17.581-04:002010-05-12T12:57:17.581-04:00If you look at the top of the Wiki Mass Driver pag...If you look at the top of the Wiki Mass Driver page,you will see a link to the use of mass drivers in fiction. TMIAHM is there.Comrade Misfithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15404477636451308763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-64944139465725447132010-05-12T08:12:05.773-04:002010-05-12T08:12:05.773-04:00Wikipedia missed an obvious connection? If only it...Wikipedia missed an obvious connection? If only it were a collablorative project that <i>anyone</i> could edit!<br /><br />wv: "tochan" -- directions to my house.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10595960360013731640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-78911201607911527912010-05-11T15:59:27.067-04:002010-05-11T15:59:27.067-04:00@ Geodkyt
TBMD? Do you know if they have had some...@ Geodkyt<br />TBMD? Do you know if they have had some sort of break through in the rail life problem? As of about four years ago, the max number of shots on a pair of rails was around 15 - 20 shots at the outside, and the idea of having to disassemble and replace rails that frequently was simply completely unacceptable.<br /><br />My own interest was more in the power sources for the rail guns, particularly pulsed alternators. I know that Dahlgren was big on capacitor banks, but I did not think that was a good way to go for shipboard applications. Pulsed alternators are really interesting machines that do amazing thing.<br /><br />Either way, you need to pull several hundred thousand amps DC to drive the projectile, it is quite a discharge. Not anything you want to try at home.Dr.Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18360786634583725263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-70507248693832633292010-05-11T15:34:10.979-04:002010-05-11T15:34:10.979-04:00Dr.D --
Out at Dahlgren (NSWCDD), they are WELL o...Dr.D --<br /><br />Out at Dahlgren (NSWCDD), they are WELL on their way to practical rail guns. For TBMD from capitol ships, at first, but still. . . .<br /><br />wv: "dingster" -- What yon hipster will be if he doesn't pull his frakkin' IPod buds out while crossing the street in front of me.Geodkythttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328915597574377444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-57162842300359329392010-05-11T15:04:18.621-04:002010-05-11T15:04:18.621-04:00Here's a different version of "The Moon i...Here's a different version of "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" via "The Celtic Woman."<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUpi-CIMGi0Crucishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15441911110953212619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-69807607425169395352010-05-11T13:41:01.949-04:002010-05-11T13:41:01.949-04:00Ok, I'm about halfway through the script.
I ...Ok, I'm about halfway through the script. <br /><br />I will probably lose about ten punches on my libertarian scifi nerd card, but does anyone else think this is more fun than the book? It sure moves faster, has more humor and a lot more action. I can't say that either is BETTER, they're just awesome in different ways.<br /><br />I would love to see this movie made. Maybe get the guys who did Iron Man on it.pdbhttp://www.papadeltabravo.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-12654262057022243462010-05-11T10:49:47.412-04:002010-05-11T10:49:47.412-04:00Reading the script. How very cool.Reading the script. How very cool.Fuzzy Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03802539927743643041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-2002712246914831642010-05-10T23:01:41.817-04:002010-05-10T23:01:41.817-04:00When I was helping shoot the light gas gun at Mars...When I was helping shoot the light gas gun at Marshall, we had a primitive rail gun in the next room. Had a bunch of huge capacitors in there. I don't think they had it working right when I left. <br /><br />I read the script, and yes it's good. <br /><br />Free Luna! (and Earth)Justthisguyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17277333206171756636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5837660608809488753.post-51219754516849725612010-05-10T21:37:13.270-04:002010-05-10T21:37:13.270-04:00The wiki page seems to focus mostly on coil guns, ...The wiki page seems to focus mostly on coil guns, but the real fun is with rail guns. When I worked for the Navy a few years back, rail guns were one of the areas that I was involved with, and they were really mean machines. They have a long way to go before they become practical weapons, but when you can get a chunk of steel up to a few km/s in the length of a barrel, you have the potential to do huge amounts of damage. I have seen 1 cm cubes of lexan blow 8" diam holes in three pieces of 4" steel plate sandwiched together. They are really great machines.Dr.Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18360786634583725263noreply@blogger.com