Technology

evilauthor wrote:Everyone talks about rockets like they don't exist in Safehold. Has everyone forgotten that Charis already has rockets for both signal work and illumination flares?

Yep, mentioned it.

But there is a very big difference between signal rocket and for example V2. Signal one must get up to let's say 1500 ft and fall to the earth using parachute. V2 must travel distance between operator and target and have sufficient energy left to inflict a lot of damage. Because e=mv^2, when we have more speed, we have more energy is better.
Seamount is really close to inventing howitzer, angle gun is Crider version of it, but now he should have everything invented. Is there any way of getting sulfuric acid in big quantities? If yes we could create few nice toys for soldiers and we should be able to get more advanced alloys without using electricity. Tungsten in big quantities will be blessing for our guns, I'm thinking about similar ammunition which is now used by M1 tanks. Did RFC tell us something about aluminium mining? If they have sufficient technology to mine it, creation of very fast and very light Zeppelins and ships is possible. Use composit made of aluminium, steel and other materials as armor and steel for structure of hull.

Joat42 wrote:

Captain Igloo wrote:Diglycol - worked fine with the german WW2 rockets. The payload however is another matter. Right now the only source for Toluene is coal, so Amonal is possible but in low quantities. IMHO RDX is out of question.

If my memory serves me right, they used potassium permanganate and ethylene(?) glycol to start the fuel pumps on the V2 rockets.

The Nebelwerfer rockets, not the V2. The V2 utilizes a steam turbine for driving the fuel and oxidizer pumps, and the steam was produced by concentrated hydrogen peroxide with sodium permanganate catalyst. BTW hydrogen peroxide is really really nasty stuff

What about using other things in place of hydrogen?

Draken wrote:What about using other things in place of hydrogen?

Um, you mean like the six other options people have already mentioned upthread as alternatives to hydrogen?

Draken wrote:But there is a very big difference between signal rocket and for example V2. Signal one must get up to let's say 1500 ft and fall to the earth using parachute. V2 must travel distance between operator and target and have sufficient energy left to inflict a lot of damage. Because e=mv^2, when we have more speed, we have more energy is better.
Seamount is really close to inventing howitzer, angle gun is Crider version of it, but now he should have everything invented. Is there any way of getting sulfuric acid in big quantities? If yes we could create few nice toys for soldiers and we should be able to get more advanced alloys without using electricity. Tungsten in big quantities will be blessing for our guns, I'm thinking about similar ammunition which is now used by M1 tanks. Did RFC tell us something about aluminium mining? If they have sufficient technology to mine it, creation of very fast and very light Zeppelins and ships is possible. Use composit made of aluminium, steel and other materials as armor and steel for structure of hull.

I am pretty sure that you use a lot of energy refining bauxite into aluminum, in our world that energy is usually supplied by electricity which is kinda banned right now.

Draken wrote:But there is a very big difference between signal rocket and for example V2. Signal one must get up to let's say 1500 ft and fall to the earth using parachute. V2 must travel distance between operator and target and have sufficient energy left to inflict a lot of damage. Because e=mv^2, when we have more speed, we have more energy is better.

The V2 was NOT a kinetic energy weapon. The damage was done by the 1 ton high explosive warhead. Therefore the speed of the V2 is in fact largely irrelevant.

Draken wrote:snip Did RFC tell us something about aluminium mining? If they have sufficient technology to mine it, creation of very fast and very light Zeppelins and ships is possible. Use composit made of aluminium, steel and other materials as armor and steel for structure of hull.

Aluminum is something that is going to have to wait. Without fairly large quantities of electricity, aluminum is incredibly difficult to produce. Queen Victoria used to have a set of aluminum dinnerware that was considerably more valuable than platinum, simply because the production of aluminum was so very difficult and expensive.

V2 Rocketry is absolutely an illusory target, I think. Eventuell with their precision, Charis can't build such a thing. Their current materials are too heavy and not sturdy enough. They completely lack any ability to guide this thing, too.
(How hard it is to rebuild such "simple" rockets today can be seen at the Copenhagen Suborbitals. They basically rebuild the V2 with modern technology to shoot a man into space on a budget and face huge problems.)

As to the V1: The V1 used a Pulsejet, no rocket engine. This actually "is" in the range of Charisian technology. (Look at YouTube, countless people build these in their backyards , e.g. Colin Furze)
Doesn't eliminate the guiding and fundamental aerodynamics problem with that technology.

Something much simpler than rocketry as an "Artillery" tuning is the development of a Base Bleed Shell. Even though it's a very modern concept, nothing speaks technically against using it, as it's fairly simple.

Also, I Don't remember Time-on-Target being used, although I may be wrong. That might prove an additional psychological effect on Warfare.

The V1 and V2 were terror weapons, pure and simple. There is no way that Charis is going to build terror weapons designed to kill civilians, and they would be useless against the Temple itself, which is armored in battle steel. This is a BAD idea, and I can't see Merlin providing any support for and attempt to build such weapons.