Mk16G = 12" / 50 mark 8 naval gun or 8"/55 RF Mark 16

Relax wrote:

TFLYTSNBN wrote:You can dramatically increase the AVERAGE density of a rocky planet simply by making the very dense core larger relative to the diameter of the planet. The thicknes, composition snd density of the crust and mantle could remain unchanged.

Of course this rather ignores how we think planets are formed to begin with. Its rather miraculous, according to our guesstimate of planet formation if you think about it, that there is ANY element floating around a solar system denser than IRON to begin with.

Or, it just shows we don't know what the Hell we are talking about regarding solar systems and planet formation. <<Highly likely>>

Actually, once a protostar begins radiating serious energy, the solar wind will blow away hydrogen and helium increasing the metalicity of the nearby space.

Back to the discussion on ordinance, a question I'd like answered is how would missiles like Exocet or Harpoon go against BB armour?

Daryl wrote:Back to the discussion on ordinance, a question I'd like answered is how would missiles like Exocet or Harpoon go against BB armour?

They are not designed to penetrate this type of armor.

TFLYTSNBN wrote:

Relax wrote:Of course this rather ignores how we think planets are formed to begin with. Its rather miraculous, according to our guesstimate of planet formation if you think about it, that there is ANY element floating around a solar system denser than IRON to begin with.

Or, it just shows we don't know what the Hell we are talking about regarding solar systems and planet formation. <<Highly likely>>

Actually, once a protostar begins radiating serious energy, the solar wind will blow away hydrogen and helium increasing the metalicity of the nearby space.

You missed my point. There shouldn't be heavier elements than iron to begin with... Should be Hydrogen through Iron.

Relax wrote:
You missed my point. There shouldn't be heavier elements than iron to begin with... Should be Hydrogen through Iron.

Oh yes you should have elements heavier than iron even though Iron is at the top of the binding energy curve. The trick is that fusing iron into heavier elements is endothermic. The process consumes energy. However, there is an abundance of energy in the core of a supernova.

Astrophysicists have actually calculated the equilibrium proportions of elements and isotopes given known fusion reaction rates and fission cross sections. They use these calculations to work backwards from current isotope ratios to estimate how long ago the elements that make up the Earth were created.

kzt wrote:

Daryl wrote:Back to the discussion on ordinance, a question I'd like answered is how would missiles like Exocet or Harpoon go against BB armour?

They are not designed to penetrate this type of armor.

Yep. You could build an anti-ship missile designed to penetrate 12" inches of armor, but Harpoon and Exocet are built to go after post-war ships which are largely unarmored. Instead of "wasting" mass on a heavy armor piercing warhead they instead use their payload to carry significantly more explosives. That makes their hits far more deadly to their likely targets.[1]

But hitting the armored belt on a battleship would likely cause them to disintegrate; quite possibly badly enough the warhead fusing would fail. (There was certainly a joke going around after the Iowa were reactivated that damage control after a Exocet hit would be to sent a paint crew over the side to touch up to scorch mark)

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[1] For comparison see the difference is mass and explosive power between the Iowa's Mark 8 AP shell and it's Mark 13 high explosive one.
Mark 8 AP - 2,700 lb, 40.9 lbs explosive filler (1.5% explosive by mass)
Mark 13 HC - 1,900 lbs, 153.6 lbs explosive filler (8% explosive by mass)
So, even having to survive the same firing conditions, omitting the armor piercing capabilities allowed for nearly 4 times as powerful an explosive warhead.

Thanks for that folks. Possibly the proposed hypervelocity missiles might have more effect. Not that anyone has BBs anymore.

When you get the huge Russian missiles that are moving above Mach 2, well they are not an Exocet missile...

kzt wrote:When you get the huge Russian missiles that are moving above Mach 2, well they are not an Exocet missile...

Even without AP projectile they can be equipped with shaped charges. Just for comparison, when slope is factored in modern tank is equivalent to about 4 FEET of steel.

TFLYTSNBN wrote:

Relax wrote:
You missed my point. There shouldn't be heavier elements than iron to begin with... Should be Hydrogen through Iron.

Suerpnove...

Astrophysicists have actually calculated the equilibrium proportions of elements and isotopes given known fusion reaction rates and fission cross sections. They use these calculations to work backwards from current isotope ratios to estimate how long ago the elements that make up the Earth were created.

Supernovae... thanks, helped point me in right direction. FYI: It appears Supernova are way out of date with little to back up said claim. What we do have is lots of other evidence. We now have much evidence by the emissions from AGB stars and colliding neutron starts or AGB stars which we think ate a neutron star. Seems large stars and neutron stars colliding are how most are formed if not all. They are not saying Supernova don't make heavy elements but getting observed factual evidence is rather ..... uh, impractical.

Now back to big GUNS that go BOOM! Personally, I would have loved to see Saddam Hussein's 4ft bore gun! None of this wimpy limp wristed 16", 12", or 8" popsqueekers...