🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Dec26.083859.15101@klic.rain.com> keithl@klic.rain.com (Keith Lofstrom) writes:

>I saw one article about some Navy experiments, dropping some 2 meter
>metal rods from airplanes into China Lake.  They penetrated 40 feet.

And don't forget the bombs we dropped in Iraq on the 'bomb proof'
shelters...  They were kinetic penetrators (something like 100+ feet
of dirt, PLUS the concrete bomb shield, PLUS the concrete bunker walls...

This were 'only' doing about Mach 1 or 2 on impact ...  It was only after all
the penetration that they set off their explosives ...

>Lastly, consider the humble hypervelocity depleted uranium antitank
>shell.  Blows right inside Mr. Tank, and fills the inside of the tank
>with flaming liquid uranium drops.   As well as fragments of the inside
>wall of the tank - this is called "spalling".  The antitank shell 
>does not penetrate 99.9% of the tank.  

There are also anti-tank weapons that use 'fluff' ... they set of
a shaped charge of explosive and let the plasma jet cut a hole inside...

Nothing but hot gas ... lighter than 'fluff' ...

(The rest of a very good posting deleted.) 

>Well, guys'n'gals, thanks for the fun.  Engineering is the process of
>tearing things apart in our minds.  Those things we can't tear apart
>in our minds we have to go ahead and build.  Too much work.  Flywheel
>powered cars are so beguiling that it takes a good bit of effort to tear
>the concept apart, but it can be done.  If you feel more like defending
>ideas than trashing them, you have the wrong temperment for engineering.
>Try management or sales.

Now here we part company.  Engineering is the art of compromise.  It is
the art of finding how to construct something useful from the  available
materials (and laws of science).  Management is the art trashing things!!
And don't you forget it ;-)  Managers are always looking for perfectly
good engineering projects to tear appart and distroy (usually just to
save a few bucks and best done just before the project is about to 
ship! ;-)

-- 

E. Michael Smith  ems@apple.COM

'Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has
 genius, power and magic in it.'  -  Goethe

I am not responsible nor is anyone else.  Everything is disclaimed.