Navy tests electromagnetic railgun

[scootro]

i love it...

i meant projectile! ha

[ceyko]

Damn the Navy is slow. This shit has been available since the original Quake....

http://www.google.com/images?um=1&hl...w=1440&bih=687

Now if we could just get N. Korea, Iran...etc in a deathmatch we'd be set.

[Unicorn Jeff]

So I'm here in OKC with my family and had some family fly in from the east coast. Come to find out my rocket scientist cousin is actually one of the ones working on the guidance system on this thing

[no4njnk]

The rail gun is around 20-30 years old, it takes so much power to produce so it's hard to put into use.

[jakesford]

The rail gun is around 20-30 years old, it takes so much power to produce so it's hard to put into use.

Until you put it on the deck of a nuclear powered ship... but it won't be man portable anytime soon for sure.

[Binky]

The Idea has been around since the 80's (birthed from sci-fi) but the technology hasnt. Getting power to it was never the problem, it was the technology as firing the projectile would melt the rails and destroy the device.

Those flames are the result of superheated air because of the air resistance and friction generated. Its akin to creating a manmade meteor at sea level.