New U.S. Navy SiFi Weapon

[Fire$torm]

Yahoo News: New Navy Railgun Tests (link (http://news.yahoo.com/navy-railgun-tests-leading-ship-superweapon-2020-201003095.html))

[zombie67]

Too cool! But what's up with the flames coming out of the barrel? There is no gunpowder, after all.

[Fire$torm]

Too cool! But what's up with the flames coming out of the barrel? There is no gunpowder, after all.

Yeah, the thing that comes to mind is that the projectile is igniting the oxygen as it punches through the the air at hyper velocities. Or it could be the electromagnetic coils burning up from the huge spike in current passing through them. Best guesses anyway.

[spingadus]

Here is a direct quote from http://www.innovationnewsdaily.com/912-navy-railgun-tests-leading-ship-superweapon-2020.html


The flames that appear in the new video of the test firing come from a combination of electricity arcing across the launcher, shavings of aluminum reacting with the air, and the bullet's hypersonic flight, said Tom Boucher, test director for the railgun at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virg.

Pretty much what Fire$torm said.

[Justgeo1]

But it's still really cool to watch! :D