Re: HKP's (was....]

>PsyWraith wrote in reply to djwj:
>
>> >  We know the Kra'Vak use HKPs (railgins) but do they
>> >  use guided missiles or only magnetic accellerators (HKP, MDC, > >
>DFFG)?
>>
>> Actually, the DSII hyper-kinetic penetrators (HKPs) are not railguns
>but
>> chemical slug throwers, but firing "small caliber" rounds at
>hypersonic
>> velocities.
>
>In other words, the HKP is the ultimate development of today's
>discarding sabot rod penetrators. Most modern tanks use them for
>anti-tank work; we make smaller ones for the Bofors 40mm guns, etc.
>They're not exactly experimental any longer - no more than any
>relatively new weapon is, that is :-/
>
>Later,
>
>Oerjan Ohlson
>oerjan.ohlson@telia.com
>
>"Life is like a sewer.
>  What you get out of it, depends on what you put into it."
>- Hen3ry

Just to set the record straight, the HKP was "inspired" by the
hypervelocity antitank guns in one of the Slammers books (The Warrior,
IIRC); in the book they used a tiny plasma burst rather than a chem
explosive, to propel a small calibre osmium round that penetrated and
killed with KE alone. Don't know how practical this is/would be, but it
sounded a cool idea so it went into the game!!	:-)

Jon (GZG)