Spike Jones wrote:
>
> > Mike Lorrey wrote: ... the "Baby Babylon" and the
> > "Babylon Gun", which were 36" bore cannons, 100 and 1000 feet long,
> > respectively. The purpose of the gun was to give Hussein the ability to
> > launch small payloads into orbit (which the 1000 ft long gun would have
> > done) which could reenter on any location within the 40th north and
> > south latitudes.
>
> Did they work out a way to carry some delta v capability in a
> package that experienced about 1400 Gs? They would need
> that if they were to get into orbit, or to be able to reenter on
> *any* location +/- 40 degrees. In order to either round out the
> orbit or reenter at a controlled spot, they would need to carry
> not only quite a bit of delta v, they would need some kind of
> guidance and control. I know of no system currently that can
> stand up to that kind of acceleration, but if you know of one,
> do fill me in. We could really do some cool stuff with that.
Well, I know that Bull had experimented with both liquid, solid, and
explosive based maneuvering systems in his work at his ranges in Canada
and Dominica. He also pioneered work on hardened electronics, which
really isn't that tough: you immerse it in an epoxy much as many
electronic ballasts are for fluorescent lights, hold it under high
pressure as it cures. The chamber the electronics sit in are lined with
a deformation layer that deals with thermal and shock created
deformation, so this doesn't shatter the 'block'.
G hardened electronics are not a matter of possibility, merely practice.
BTW: the big Babylon gun design did not use a single charge, it had
staggered charges along its length that would go off as the projectile
passed, thus reducing peak G forces.
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