How heavy is a railgun?

Traditional missile projectile systems on U.S. ships can range in costs from $500,000 to $1.5 million. The railgun projectile, weighing at roughly 23 lbs, costs $25,000, and can be fired at speeds of Mach 7 or 5,000 miles per hour.

How big is a railgun?

The entire railgun measures roughly 65 feet from turret rear to barrel muzzle, with the barrel itself about 33 feet long, and 12-20 feet in diameter. Such a wide barrel provides room for the parallel magnetic rails that propel metal projectiles to speeds of over Mach 7.

How heavy was Navy railgun?

The United States Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division demonstrated an 8 MJ railgun firing 3.2 kg (7.1 lb) projectiles in October 2006 as a prototype of a 64 MJ weapon to be deployed aboard Navy warships.

How much does a handheld railgun weigh?

The railgun uses electromagnetic force to drive a projectile to phenomenal speeds impossible with gunpowder-style propulsion, but even a small one weighs 250 pounds.

How fast is a railgun in mph?

The electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) is a weapon that uses electricity instead of gunpowder to send projectiles downrange. Railguns use magnetic fields created by high electrical currents to accelerate a projectile to Mach 6, or 5,400 miles an hour.

US Navy Electromagnetic Railgun Cannon - Their Most Powerful Cannon

How loud is railgun?

At 100 yards, railguns sound no louder than a . 30-06 rifle firing. What little "smoke" they create is actually plasma particulates or dust."

How much steel can a railgun penetrate?

The 38-foot railgun, though, has a range of 125 miles, five times the impact, and can shoot through seven steel plates. Even in smaller weapons, using a railgun has been able to successfully extend the range.

Do railguns have recoil?

Recoil forces in EM railguns appear wherever the breech of the railgun i s closed electromagnetically. This means recoil forces may appear on power supply leads, switches, or power supply components them- selves.

How fast can a railgun fire?

The US Department of Defense has been showcasing a new experimental railgun capable developed by the U.S. Navy. It is capable of rapidly firing projectiles at staggering velocities without the need for explosives. The gun can fire projectiles at a target at speeds approaching 4,500 MPH, up to 10 times per minute.

How much is a railgun cost?

A startup called Arcflash Labs is selling a $3,750 handheld railgun — and it's officially available for preorder now.

Can a railgun fire into space?

Yes, but the energy required to launch an object from the ground does not depend on whether you impart that energy all at once as in this scenario, or over time as with a rocket.

How far can a railgun fire?

A rail gun is a kinetic energy weapon that can fire a projectile at seven times the speed of sound with electromagnetic force and hit a target over 200km (125 miles) away – more than 10 times the typical range of a cannon.

Can I build a railgun?

Yes, you actually can build a railgun - but it's dangerous. This site has some instructions how how to do it. Notice that the first railgun they build uses magnets. This is a simple demonstration, but it is not actually a railgun.

How lethal is a railgun?

“This is a serious weapon,” McCollum says. “Yes, in terms of energy numbers, the muzzle energy is wimpy compared to a firearm, but this is absolutely potentially lethal, so it does need to be treated with the respect that one accords a proper firearm,” he says.

Would a railgun be quiet?

“A lot of people think a railgun is not going to make a lot of noise,” Garnett says. “It's electrically fired, and they expect a whoosh and no sound.” In reality, when the bullet emerges, it lets out a crack as electricity arcs through the air like lightning.

Can a railgun break orbit?

The Railgun system suggested by McNab could speed up the projectile of weight about 400 kg to 7.5 km/s using a track of 1.6 km. Since this speed is not sufficient to take the projectile into its orbit.

Why railguns failed?

The project faced two major complications. The weapon takes a colossal amount of power to fire, and it tears itself apart with use. To date railgun demonstrations, while impressive, have not demonstrated an ability to fire multiple full power shots from the same set of rails.

How many times can a railgun be fired?

A normal gun can be fired about 600 times before the barrel has to be refurbished. But the barrel on tested railguns, Clark said, had to be replaced after about 12 to 24 shots were fired.

What is the disadvantage of railgun?

Railguns have several disadvantages, however. Due to the large electrical currents required, railguns produce huge quantities of heat. This heat increases friction and has the capacity to destroy vital components. Currently, heat is the main hindrance to railgun technology advancement.

Can a nuclear reactor power a railgun?

One of the main challenges of railguns is finding a power source that can generate the massive amount of electricity required for each shot. As such, nuclear power is a feasible option as a railgun power source.

What is the PSI of a railgun?

The railgun bore environment is a harsh one. Bore pressures can be as high as 414 MPa (60,000 psi) with plasma temperatures as high as 30,000° K [2].

How much electricity does it take to fire a railgun?

Rail Gun Power

A good figure to start with is 25 megajoules. Since a joule is equivalent to one watt for one second, that means that for a railgun to shoot a projectile, it needs power equivalent to 25 megawatts for one second.

Can a railgun shoot plasma?

It's actually designed to fire rounds filled with ionized plasma, which in turn should, at least in theory, explode on impact. If you're unfamiliar, a railgun is a type of weapon that uses electricity instead of gunpowder to fire a projectile.