The Perfect Gift
Posted December 27th, 2008 by Howard TaylerSandra came up with a definition for “the Perfect Gift” today, as inspired by our receipt of a perfect gift. And I quote:
“The perfect gift is the one you didn’t know existed, but once you open it you realize it’s what you’ve always wanted.” — Sandra Tayler
This stainless steel replica of a Strohl Munitions BH-209i was hand-crafted by Doc Nickel (of “The Whiteboard” fame) in his machine shop in Alaska. Let me state for the record that I’ve always thought it irresponsible for society to allow a cartoonist access to a machine shop. It’s like handing a soldering iron to a software engineer and then asking for data integrity.
In Doc’s case I am forced to admit to an exception. He is an artist and an artisan, and a fine human being on top of it all. We’ve never met in person. We correspond irregularly about three times per year. Without warning he reaches out and perfects my Christmas Holiday with a gift I could not imagine existed. Now that I know it exists I cannot live without it. Good thing I’m holding it right now.
I’m going to have to head down to the trophy shop and get a proper display for my BH-209 replica. It’s not “fan art.” It is FINE art, wrought by hand from the alloyed fabric of a captured imagination. The light it reflects pales against the reflection of the brilliance that created it.
Okay, now I’m gushing.
Two weeks ago Doc emailed me and said he was sending “a small care package.” He went on to say “It’s not a selection of fine cheeses, but I think it’ll be amusing nonetheless.”
Perhaps the display plaque should read “Not A Selection Of Fine Cheeses.”
Wow.
Explore posts in the same categories: Fan Art, Firearms
December 27th, 2008 at 1:09 am
Before you ask, here’s the FAQ:
1) I don’t know how much it weighs. More than 10 pounds, but less than forty. It’s unwieldy, and I haven’t stood on a scale with it yet.
2) I don’t know if Doc will make one for you, or how much he’d charge for it.
3) No, I don’t plan to install lights in it, or put a Strohl plaque on it, or mount a trigger, or a grip, or anything like that. If I do anything besides mount it somewhere it’ll be “wipe the fingerprints off it.” I can’t stop touching it…
December 27th, 2008 at 1:10 am
OMG!!!! That has got to be the COOLEST gift EVER! All it needs is an “ommminous Hummmm”… Kudos to Doc!
December 27th, 2008 at 1:40 am
I think I can sum up my feelings in one word:
WANT.
:)
December 27th, 2008 at 1:40 am
Now THAT makes for a Merry Christmas!
Pardon my envy drool.
December 27th, 2008 at 2:14 am
Wow. I’d have to say that that is the coolest Christmas present ever. I’ve known that Doc has a way with tools, but just wow…
December 27th, 2008 at 4:01 am
The big question is, of course, ‘Does it come with an Ominous Hummmmmm?’
December 27th, 2008 at 5:48 am
Doc - Awesome work. *standing ovation* Not only is it flat-out perty, it’s a very very good replica of both Schlock’s preferred sidearm, it’s also a great replica of the artist! (see pictures, above…. )
OK, ok, that’s envy talking… *grin*
-John
December 27th, 2008 at 7:04 am
I’m glad you like it Howard!
For anyone interested in seeing the technical, dirty-tools side of how it was done (a frequent question) I put together a full writeup here:
http://www.docsmachine.com/projects/
And yes, it was, at one time, intended to have an ominous hummmm…
And it may still.
Doc.
December 27th, 2008 at 7:18 am
Doc, that looks a LOT better than the AP-130 I made for my General Xinchub costume (scroll down a ways). Great work!
As for allowing a software type to have a soldering iron, I actually had a legitimate reason to walk into the machine room with a soldering iron in my hand once in my mainframe systems programmer days…gave the operations manager a nasty shock.
December 27th, 2008 at 7:24 am
I have been a fan of the Whiteboard for almost as long as I’ve been a Schlock fan. It tickles me that Doc made such a perfect gift for you. It serves to remind me that this season is really about the giving. I envy the fact that your circle of friends has people with such raw talent and insight that they can make for you such an amazing gift. Friends of this quality are a treasure :)
December 27th, 2008 at 7:27 am
Wow.
Just… WOW. Doc, those screw heads you welded and polished are invisible. I had no idea they were there. I assumed you welded attachment points to the inside of the sphere rather than piercing it and then covering your tracks.
Everybody, you MUST go read the construction notes. This is too much!
(I linked it to the words “hand crafted” in the text of the post, but I may have to post again and plug that sucker.)
Doc… I’m going to have to work pretty hard to come up with an appropriate gift for you for next year. I’ve already got a couple of ideas, but they require professional help (which, it can be argued, both you and I stand in need of.)
December 27th, 2008 at 7:33 am
Sweet holy chupaquesos, that’s awesome.
December 27th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Doc is made of Win. I hope to be that good with my machines some day.
You, Mr. Taylor, are possessed of that win! Congratulations on an excellent gift!
December 27th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Oooohhhhhhh my.
“Sir, I’m picking up a strong incoming hyperwave signature. Characteristics are consistent with a happy cartoonist.”
“A happy cartoonist? How happy are we talking about, here?”
“…Signature looks like VERY happy, sir. I’ve taken the liberty of raising shields.”
December 27th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Looks like the construction notes server got wanged.
As a side note, I had considered this year getting odds and ends, such as those old-lady-sits-underneath hair dryers, to build a plastic BH-209.
I’m soooo glad I didn’t do that.
I also considered just buying Howard a Nerf Maverick and letting him mod it himself. Googling for images of “Nerf Maverick mod” lets you see the nifty stuff you can create with a plastic gun and some attention to detail.
Machine shop. Pfft. Way to ruin the curve, Doc.
December 27th, 2008 at 9:48 am
That is beyond any human description of awesome. The only way it could be any more awesome is if someone actually figured out how to mount the necessary fusion plant in there.
December 27th, 2008 at 9:59 am
As I have never seen “The Whiteboard” before today, I have spent about 2 hours perusing his collection of paintball comics. I have had many a chuckle over them until around number 250, and then the server would no longer load for me.
Mr Taylor sir, I believe you caused a server meltdown. Either that or Doc was messing around again and blew up the building housing the server.
Excellent Christmas gift. Doc, it looks like beautiful work.
December 27th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Ummm…Wow.
Having seen Doc’s metal work online before, still Wow.
Doc-R-Genius
A pity shipping him a case of bowling balls would be slightly un-practical.
(and btw, when I was in Ops, the VMS systems gut used to do hardware work as well. Well, until he grounded out something on the one disk rack of the one Alpha. We tried to keep the scorch mark for as long as poss, but the Ops manager has a hissy fit.
December 27th, 2008 at 11:17 am
I just now stood on a scale with it: between 10.5 and 11 pounds, or around 4.8 kilos.
It seems heavier because when you hold it at arm’s length much of the weight is past the end of your hand. I have no trouble with a 10 pound dumbell at full-arm extension, but this makes me wobble a bit.
December 27th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Wow. Sgt. Schlock must have an amazing grip.
10.5 lbs. is a heck of a weight for a pistol. The Desert Eagle .50 AE weighs just under four pounds empty and it is a handful.
December 27th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
P.S. don’t ever try and fire one one handed. There are plenty of YouTube videos of stupid people who have done so and now bear scars on their foreheads.
December 27th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Here is the question: is it a BH-209m, or a BH-209i?
December 27th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Unfortunately the server issue is a repeat of an outage that occurred Christmas Eve. There’s a hardware problem that they’re trying to fix- it’s not a slashdotting or “wanging”, the host is a pro data farm and telco. Fat pipes and big servers, no problems there.
But, they have no ETA on the fix- the previous one had me down 12 to 14 hours.
Doc.
December 27th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Ah, it’s back up now. Sorry about that.
I did choose these guys for their reliability- these two are about the only outages I’ve had in two or three years.
Fax? It’s the i model. And dishwasher-safe. :)
Well, the front grilles might rust a bit, they’re the only parts on the whole thing that aren’t aluminum or stainless steel.
Doc.
December 27th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Fax,
Read DocN’s notes they imply that it is a BH-209i…….
December 27th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
FaxCelestis: Howard said it’s a BH-209i, right next to the first picture.
But it’s not necessary to take Howard’s or Doc’s word for it. You know the difference right? A BH-209m explodes if you pour alcohol into it. That doesn’t, therefore it’s a BH-209i. `_^
December 27th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
The Desert Eagle .50 AE weighs just under four pounds empty and it is a handful.
The beauty of a BH-209i is that it is a low-recoil (no recoil?) weapon.
However a 10 pound weapon would be a bit much for a person - maybe put a grip on the front …
December 27th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
The site is back up by now.
December 27th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Idea for your display plaque: “Ommminous Hummmmm”
December 27th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
bdunbar: I wouldn’t want my hands anywhere near that stream of hot plasma, thank you very much. As for low to no recoil, just what do you think it’s doing when Schlock uses it as a rocket motor?
December 27th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Wow. Much nicer than a submacopter.
December 27th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Jay: I remember when he first did that, he had to tweak the settings so it would *produce* recoil/thrust. Normally it doesn’t.
December 27th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
I wouldn’t want my hands anywhere near that stream of hot plasma,
I suppose they could issue you an asbestos glove …
ust what do you think it’s doing when Schlock uses it as a rocket motor?
D’oh!
December 27th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Ooooooh!
My hubby is green with envy.
December 28th, 2008 at 1:19 am
Clearly, it’s not a genuine Strohl Munitions product, but instead a knockoff.
See, no logo.
December 28th, 2008 at 2:22 am
Actually, Jay, bdunbar is right. But so are you. To refer to the definitive reference on this subject (The strip):
http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20010118.html
Explains the theory and
http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20010119.html
Shows the implementation.
Either way, you wouldn’t want any appendages anywhere near the aperture.
December 28th, 2008 at 3:41 am
As I said on Doc’s forum (click on “the Guild” at http://www.the-whiteboard.com ) , now I have to ask you, Howard –
Have you put that thing *down* yet? ^.~
December 28th, 2008 at 5:31 am
Given how heavy Howard said it is, I’m pretty sure he has put it down.
Howard: Have you taken your hand off of it?
December 28th, 2008 at 5:46 am
a) I too have been in the position of “programmer with a soldering iron”, when a boss told me to try to repair a computer that cost more than a few months of my salary (because as sysop and tech support I was the closest thing we had to a hardware guy despite really being a programmer and only having mediocre soldering skills). I was nervous, and I had that bit about the only thing more dangerous than a programmer with a soldering iron being an engineer with an algorithm cycling through my head the whole time. (I successfully completed the repair, BTW.)
b) That is one [expletive]ing cool Christmas gift there, and beautiful.
c) The how-he-made-it pages were a fun read too! And though I on’t do paintball (maybe someday) I’m yet another reader enjoying chewing through the archives of The Whiteboard, as well.
d) While I do feel a certain amount of envy regarding the womdigiously cool plasgun (like many other readers), just knowing that it exists gives me great pleasure — a sense of the world having been made more ‘right’ somehow, something I hadn’t realized was out of adjustment about reality having been corrected by the creation of that and Howard’s enjoyment of it. It’s a feeling I like.
e) Yeah, it ought to have a sound effect. :-)
December 28th, 2008 at 6:18 am
When you mount it how about having two red visible laser beams in the base under the nozzle that mark the edge of the firing cone?
December 28th, 2008 at 6:53 am
“Just what do you think it’s doing when Schlock uses it as a rocket motor?”
Actually, that was explained in the strip, I believe. The plasma cannon actually has two modes, one of them being “rocket” mode. This turns off the automatic compensation for kickback. It IS a low-kickback weapon, unless Schlock turns OFF the compensation, at which point it becomes a turbo-charged engine of fiery destruction.
December 28th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Howard, that is just the coolest gift. And I have you to thank for introducing me to the Whiteboard long ago. You and Doc are my first two stops in the morning. :)
Doc, you simply rock!
Now, who out there knows enough electronics for an ominous hum generator? (that is unless someone has mad skills at creating an effective annie plant for it? :) )
December 28th, 2008 at 8:00 am
I got to lay hands on it at the Keep and I’m still all warm and fuzzy over it. I imagine that Howard had happy dreams last night.
Now to figure out how to get the Ommminous Hummmmm and the Glow of Doom in there.
http://www.schlockmercenary.com/d/20030315.html
December 28th, 2008 at 9:10 am
That is the coolest Xmas present! I’m trying not to be eaten up inside with envy. I’m consoling myself with the seconded coolest Xmas of the 2008 Xmas; the wife got me a copy of “The Teraport Wars” which Howard signed. Thanks Howard!
WEKM: May I suggest a simple way to add the “Ommminous Hummmmm” effect until the Techie guys can work up the proper sound effect hardware. There are recordable “Sound Buttons” available at craft stores like Michael’s and Jo Ann’s that can record a 60 or 90 second message. The sound buttons are about the size of a stack of 5 or 6 Quarters, maybe a bit smaller or a bit bigger, and record a 60 to 90 second message depending on which one you can get. They can play the message hundreds of times until the batteries run down. The Strohl BH209i’s “Ommminous Hummmmm” is a message in itself that says “Do you and your whole family back 4 generations feel lucky Punk?”
Thanks Howard for exposing us to Doc’s “Whiteboard” and website. So much cool stuff, the likes of which I don’t get to play with…..
December 28th, 2008 at 9:52 am
wow, and wow again after reading the “how i done it” page.
A properly mounted soundchip could maybe make the appropriate “ommminous Hummmm”…
Possibly put on the plaque under the “not a selection of fine cheeses”
December 28th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I think it’s agreed that it needs the Ominous Hummmmmm, but it just struck me: What exactly does an ominous hummmmm sound like? Is it high pitched or low pitched? Is it steady or rising, i.e. growing more ominous?
And Howard, just when are you actually going to let go of it long enough for Schlock to hold it? ;)
December 28th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Here’s another coin tossed in the bucket. WOW.
Also, I am a software engineer that has successfully used a soldering iron yet maintained data integrity.
Also duct tape.
HOLY WOW. Howard, you’re inspiring, and Doc is amazing.
December 28th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Oh, gosh. Thanks Doc @ Whiteboard!
You make awesome things and do a kickin’ webcomic too! Can’t wait to see more lower level action at Doc’s paintball shop. With the rebuild and roof mounted missiles, Roger and the rest are going to be having some fun. Hope the gals can keep ‘em in check!
December 28th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
A Sunon KD1208PTBX-6A would add a significant amount of Ominous Hummmmmm.
50.6cfm, 40.5dBA, 3900rpm, .36AMP, 4.3watts, it’s only a little 4″ computer fan but it’s bleeping LOUD. Add a wire grille on both sides for added turbulence and more noise.
Simple, rugged, all it’d need is a pushbutton and a beefy 12v wall wart power supply.
A friend gave me seven of them, brand new. He bought them for an extreme computer cooling project because of the 50.6cfm but he had no clue how LOUD 40.5 decibels was. :)
December 28th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
WANT !!!
December 28th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
I think I finally understand the reason why BH in BH-209i stands for Big Handgun.
Is that really to scale?
I wish I had one…
December 28th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
It is really to scale.
It illustrates just how LARGE Schlock is. Sure, he’s short, and sometimes seems “cute” in the comic. If they ever do a live-action adaptation and scale him appropriately the producers will scream “What happened to the cute little blob? Where did this monster come from?”
December 28th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Which suggests “Bad Trophy Stand Idea #1″–a lifesize Schlock to hold it. :D
December 28th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
OK, you can only start trying to write something so many times before you give up and admit that you aren’t up to the job. ;) And I just can’t find the words for how amazingly hoopy this is.
Wow.
December 29th, 2008 at 4:06 am
Just, WOW!
I knew Doc is good with the “tools”, but somehow I had missed the word “Artisan”.
December 29th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
To be repetitive WOW!!! and WANT!
Also a big WOW on ‘The Whiteboard’ two days and and 6.5 years of archives later need more Dew.
December 29th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
The resemblance of the guy who’s posing in those pictures with Schlock is uncanny! Where did Howard find that model?
December 29th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
I’m a software engineer, and I own a soldering iron. And a few machine tools, too. Now I need to build a home fusor to put inside that beauty. Howard, do you mind a 4/0 3-phase power cord? And do you need Plasma Rocket mode as well?
December 29th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
That is an extremely intimidating barrel to look down. Now I understand why Schlock didn’t want to trade it in for an AP-130.
One look at that thing glowing would be enough to make anyone soil his pants.
December 29th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
I just went trough Doc’s “How I made it.” He said “You don’t stash a BH-209i in an ankle holster.” Even Chisulo would have trouble hiding that thing in an ankle holster, unless he wore really flared pants.
December 30th, 2008 at 1:38 am
Ahem!
Before blathering on about how mega-cool this gift from Doc is, I’d like to point out that embedded systems guys such as myself sling a soldering iron with the best of them and can *still* bang out good code. Hmph. I came from an electronics background, there, sonny boy, so watch yersef.
Oh, and the Desert Eagle Mark XIX in .50 Action Express weighs 5.25 pounds with a full seven round magazine and one up the spout (350 grain Speer). By the way, I can shoot mine one handed with either hand, no problem. (Don’t ask me to hit anything.) A gun shop owner once asked me not to bring my DE back when I chased all his other range customers out by shooting two magazines full of rapid fire. That was with one hand, too. Don’t believe everything you see on YouTube.
And another thing: this idea that you can send a stream of charged particles excited to plasma energy level out a gun barrel at something like 70.7% of the speed of light and NOT experience recoil is less science and more fiction. Oy!
Doc and The Whiteboard have been entertaining paintballers and others for several years. Howard turned me on to that strip some years ago and added another comic to my reading list. But when Doc says “custom work” in reference to paintball markers I had no idea his skill and talent ran to such depth! Yee, hah!
December 30th, 2008 at 3:31 am
As I said, “empty” just under four. I remember my thought when I first held one of the rounds before loading it into the magazine, “God! You could just throw one of these at someone and kill them.” Then I loaded it up fired them off and had a perma-grin the rest of the weekend.
It is amazing what it will do to a full two liter bottle of soda. It blew the thing apart better than 12 gauge buck at the same range.
Just for kicks, the next time we were out together, I tried firing it without hearing protection. Josh advised against it, but I told him that you never have time to put on hearing protection in a real world defense situation and I wanted to see what it would be like.
My ears rang for three days.
While it would be cool to own one, I would never consider it for self defense unless it was all you had. And if that was the only gun you were to purchase, for the express purpose of self defense, you are one crazy mofo.
December 30th, 2008 at 4:30 am
Psychosomatic: The ratio of recoil (mv) to kinetic energy (½mv²) decreases as the velocity increases. Specifically, it’s 2/v – or even less at relativistic speeds.
For those who know what γ means in relativity: ρ/KE = mvγ / mc²(γ-1) = vγ/(γ-1)c². So at .6c (γ=1¼) this will be 3/c, at .8c (γ=1⅔) it’s 2/c, increasing to 1/c at the speed of light. At .707c (where did you pull that figure from?) γ≃√2. So ρ/KE is about (1+√2)/c.
What does that “/c” mean? Well, if you multiply by the energy of a kilo of TNT (~4.2MJ - way more than a normal gun), you get 14 mN.s = 14 g.m/s. Apply that to a 70 kg person, it’s about a fifth of a millimetre a second. Heck, if you apply it to a kilo of TNT it’s only 14 mm/s – so a relativistic particle stream delivers energy to a target with less recoil than lobbing chemical explosives at it, because it only takes a few nanograms.
So… how powerful is a BH-209? It’s variable, from probably less than a kilo of TNT up to enough to cremate a person. But if it cremated someone instantly, the steam explosion would be… disruptive, so it probably takes a few seconds to burn a body. Spreading the recoil out over time makes it much less noticeable.
December 30th, 2008 at 9:33 am
That’s one awesome present Doc gave you there, Howard. Now you’ve got people lusting after trying to get one, even if it’s only to partial scale.
@Psychosomatic: Heh…so many in the software field would fit that description doc gave. Moreover, many embedded software engineers aren’t like us crazies that like as much digging around in the silicon as coding for it. ;)
December 30th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Just read Doc’s wonderful step-by-step of the creation, and his brief little aside about a “presentation quality” BH-209 caught my imagination. Though it should probably be identified as a BH-209p (”p” as in “Prussian”)… still available directly from Strohl by special order only.
December 31st, 2008 at 2:10 am
If you’re using a desert eagle for self defence, I really want to know what you’re defending yourself from? Small Dinosaurs? Light armoured vehicles? Low flying attack helicopters?
January 1st, 2009 at 12:14 am
Well…that sure beats the pants off of my Lego model…thats for sure…
Nice metal work Doc. And happy new year one and all.
January 1st, 2009 at 5:04 pm
WEKM, Chris Barrett: No. I use a Remington 870 (or two) as a warm piece for home defense. Nothing like the sound of a 12 gauge being racked by a pissed-off homeowner at 03:00 to send the BG flying toward the nearest exit.
Svartalf: I was a hardware git long before I ever started fiddling bits. The whole industry just sorta headed that way and dragged me with it.
Sam: I can’t argue your physics because a) I don’t know the field well enough to know if you are jerking me or not, and b) my math sucketh. Presuming that you are not trying to be a phunny guy, my question then becomes what are we talking about? Because the net effect of live fire is not directly dependent on the impact energy as much as mass-on-target. Witness the difference in effect of ultra high velocity 9mm Parabellum vs .45 ACP against bowling pins, the (old) standard Practical target. If 31st Century weapons still need to produce mass-on-target effects then you still gotta send a bunch of mass, even if it is heated to plasma excitation.
By the way, the 70.7% is the square root of two over two, a number that keeps coming up again and again in engineering and physics. I just presumed that a plasma stream from a Tokamak fusion blast would probably be at that level.
January 1st, 2009 at 7:01 pm
Psychosomatic: A bullet can do a lot of damage with not a lot of energy because it’s concentrated, both in space and in time. That means that the point of impact is subjected to all of it, without enough time to distribute it as anything other than a damaging shock wave.
There are other ways to deliver concentrated energy. A laser delivers essentially no mass to the target – but a pulse laser can vaporise a little bit of the target suddenly enough that it explodes, damaging the rest of the target. It’s not as energy-efficient or as penetrating, because the explosion goes in all directions, whereas most of the energy of a bullet goes into the target.
But I think Schlock’s plasgun is less energy-efficient than that. (Well, assuming the goal is “hurting people and breaking things” rather than “dispose of the body by letting Schlock eat the ashes”.) The beam is (usually) fairly wide, and it vaporises large chunks of attorney drones without producing shock waves big enough to kill bystanders, which means it’s doing it fairly slowly.
I just looked up the heat of vaporisation of water – TNT has enough energy to vaporise a bit less than twice it’s weight of water. Humans are mostly water, so I’m gonna guess that cremating one takes a similar amount of energy (although a typical crematorium uses more, because not all of the energy goes into the corpse).
So for Schlock to vaporise someone of normal mass, he’s got to impart ~35 kg TNT equivalent of energy to their body, which at your presumed .707c muzzle velocity is 35×(1+√2)×14 mN.s = nearly 1.2 newton-seconds. Apply that recoil to a quarter-ton amorph, and you’ve given him a bit less then a 5 mm/s push. Possibly a bit more, because I’m sure there’s inefficiencies I haven’t taken into account. Anyway, it’s not a sharp shock to his hand, because he’s doing it slowly enough to not blast bystanders with a steam explosion.
As for the likelihood of the muzzle velocity being √2/2 c: It won’t if it fires all of the exhaust from its fusion reactor at the target. Fusion is energetic, but it’s not that energetic.
However, it could fire a small amount of its exhaust at such high velocity and dump the rest as a gentle breeze. This could be useful for minimising recoil, maximising penetration, etc. Conversely, “rocket mode” probably blasts out a lot of air, maximising reaction mass at the expense of velocity.
What were we talking about? Oh, yes, whether or not it’s possible for a plasma cannon not to have recoil. Well, it must have some recoil, but it doesn’t have to be much.
January 1st, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Oh, I should add an explanation to the bit about the bullet: For a given kinetic energy, a heavier, slower bullet will do more damage to an unarmoured target, because in an inelastic collision the greater momentum of the bullet will result in more of the energy being imparted as mechanical damage, whereas the lighter, faster bullet will impart more heat.
But that’s only important if the energy is low enough that you can’t achieve your goal by heating the target.
January 11th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Well, Sam, your math is dazzling as always. I would caution you about the effects of live fire, though — your math says “this effect should be such and such,” but the actual effect varies for a number of real world reasons. Perhaps a short Internet study of firearms projectile effects, the Thompson-LaGarde research, etc. If all else fails, try shooting a gun once or twice.
January 11th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Oh sure, there’s all sorts of complications I haven’t even tried to take into account. They’re relevant to projectile weapons, but mostly not to energy weapons, and a projectile that travels at relativistic speeds is more a particle beam than a projectile anyway.