Re: DS2 Moonbase Xi

After all this is Sci-fi...
>> Attackers:
>>
>>   Only Direct Fire weapons (RFAC, HVC, HKP, MDC, HEL, DFFG)
>>	 Most missiles still use fin stablilization and are therefore
too
>>	 unstable to be effective.
>>
>> Wouldn't the main concern with using missiles in a vacuum whether or
not
>> they use fins/lifting body/thrusters to maneuver?  (After all, since
>> there's no atmosphere, there's nothing to cause instabilities in the
>> flight path.)
>>
>> So, in other words, the missiles will fly normally, or they'll fly
like
>> big, fat, slow rockets.  (8-)
>>
>This is what I meant by unstable. Most missile launchers do not move to
>aim the missiles at the target in the same way that a direct fire
weapon
>does. This is especially true in Guided Missile Systems (GMS).
>  GMS' may swivel the launcher to face the direction of the target but
>usually don't have the fine motor control to place the missile on
target
>(horizontally and vertically). They may face the target, but relies on
>the missile to fine tune the aim and hit the target.

You would think that weapons would be developed specifically for vacuum
work. For instance, you could use maneouvering rockets and/or vectored
thrust to guide GMS systems. Also, they could be spherical, with the
control rockets gyroscopically stabilized. With this system, they could
be made _very_ maneouverable, even to the point of slowing and
speeding up again in order to avoid obstacles, curve over crater rims,
etc.
ranges might not be as good, but with the decreased horizon, this may
not
be much of a factor.

> Salvo Launched Missiles (SLAM) probably have this fine tunning but
rely
>on fin stabilization of the missile to keep it on course. The targeting
>program would also need to be adjusted for the lighter gravity (as
would
>any mass projecting weapon).
>
>--
>Brian Bell
>brian.bell@axom.com
>
>The Full Thrust Ship Registry
>http://www.axom.com/bkb/fthome.html
>Dirtside II Site
>http://www.axom.com/bkb/ds2main.html
>Stargrunt II Site
>http://www.axom.com/bkb/sg2.html
>Cygnus Eclipsers' Science Fiction Games Page
>http://www.axom.com/bkb/scifi_game.html

Tony Christney
acc@uvic.ca
/************************************************
*     "Good, Bad, I'm the one with the gun"	*
*				- Ash		*
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