[Sergio]

I read in a SciFi novel, (can't remember which) that the projectiles used were just cubes of Lexan. The speed to which the cubes were accelerated, caused the Lexan to turn to plasma.

I don't know if there is any hard science to the above scenario, but it leaves me thinking of the scene in Terminator where Arnold asks the gun store owner for a "phased plasma rifle".

To the engineers and other big brained folks on this forum, what would a projectile have to be made of to stay together at Mach 8 plus?

[ASOC]

David Drake (Hammers Slammers) had copper ion guns where the ammo was held in a plastic matrix.... could that be it?

Big part of the story was fusion powered, air-cushioned battle tanks.

Also featured air-cushioned Hogs, CAV (combat cars) and Jeeps. BR>

[GSlob]

"what would a projectile have to be made of to stay together at Mach 8 plus?"
While moving through what medium? In 1 atm air any high melting alloy would do.

[TalonDJ]

In real life a rail gun Some experimental railguns fire plasma. Ones that use conductive rails instead of magnetic coils tend to vaporize the projectil because all that power is going through it. They have discovered that so much energy in a moving ball of plasma forms a magnetic field and the plasma tends to become a moving toroid shape.

[El Laton Caliente]

Would that be the "Hammer's Slammers" series of military sci-fi novels/short stories... I can't recall the author right now.