Centrifugal weapon could deliver stealth firepower

New Scientist ^ | 5/11/05 | Will Knight

[garyhope]

Better watch out, you could probably put your eye out with one of these.

[dandelion]

Yes, please... I would like one. I'm going to ask my husband to get me this for my birthday - I'd bet I'd be the only mom on my block to have a DREAD!

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

LOL!

[MeanWestTexan]

"Nothing in the centrifugal concept would allow them to violate f=ma."

I would think the more accurrate discription would be the recoil would be more of a steady "push" vs. bang!(recoil); bang!(recoil).

Helps with post-first-shot aiming, I suppose, as you are really firing a stream of rounds.

[Buford T. Justice]

I'm gonna' need some pliers, and a set of 30 weight ball bearings. ping

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

Will it fit in a purse?

Is it hard to start on cold mornings?

[tarawa]

actually, I think you hit the nail on the head with that...

[pgyanke]

Gus Gustoffson?

[isthisnickcool]

What do they call a malfunction? Dreadlocks?

[js1138]

A former co-worker of mine who is a brilliant engineer described a similar idea to me a number of times. I guess he should have gone for a patent.

No problem with the physics. The details are where it works or fails. If someone described a gatlin gun as a new invention, I'd be skeptical.

[Steely Tom]

Well, there is recoil, it's true, but it happens when the projectile is dropped into the center of the spinning mechanism and slides out along whatever guide or tube takes it to the outer radius. There would be no recoil at the moment of release.

The recoil would, I imagine, show up as vibration, as the rotor mechanism would intermittently be out of balance. Of course, this could be compensated by some sort of movable counterweight.

My point is, the recoil would not necessarily be in a direction opposite to that of the projectile. A fine point.

(steely)

[mnehring]

I'd like to go duck hunting with this.. They wouldn't be scared away by the sound, they would just see their buddies start to fall..

[Billthedrill]

I need one.

[Lee Heggy]

120,000 rounds per minute! Yikes!

[SlowBoat407]

The video at the site says there's no recoil. That must mean that mass leaves in at least two directions. If the recoil is very small then there is very little mass projected, the exit velocity is small, the weapon mass is great, or some combination of the above.

I'm not a physics whiz, but it seems all you'd need is something to absorb the counter-rotational reaction. A flywheel maybe?

[P8riot]

bump for later

[tfecw]

"Total target saturation."

My super Soaker can do that too.

I'll have to check the movie out when i get home. i just can't envision this one.

[Darksheare]

Not my fault, but if I could have one...

I know a few woodchucks I'd love to centrifuge..