RE: Dirtside Question: Zero or low G combat

>>Is that formula correct? Using it, the average turret height of a AFV
>>would be 5.5m (6378000m earth radius, * 5.5m, sqrt = 5923 close
>>to 60" or 6km).
>>I did not think that AFVs were that tall (that's almost a 2 story
building)
>
>5.5m tall? I'm not the most metric guy around (hey, I'm an 
>American), but that isn't too far off. My M-1A1 from the old army 
>days was a pretty tall machine (despite the low profile it 
>presents). I could stand next to the track and only my head and 
>chest (or shoulders- memory kinda fades with age ;) were above the 
>track.... and I am 6'1" tall... a meter and some change in the 
>metric system. The turrent was easily another 5 or so feet taller 
>than me... and you can add another foot to that because of the TC's 
>position. I believe that is pretty close to 4 or 5 meters, so that 
>guess shouldn't too far off.
>
>And before you say it, the Bradley IFV was almost as tall as the
Abrams...

6'1" is damn near two metres. Also, when determining if you can see
something over the horizon, you have to calculate the distance from
you to the horizon, and the distance of the target to its horizon,
and then sum the two together. In the extreme, all you have is two
commanders looking at each other and arcing shots over the horizon.
So a 60" earth horizon is quite a good choice for all but two groups
of infantry looking at each other.

Cheers,
Tony C.
-- 

Tony Christney