Approved Tech MDCW Hyperlance Cannon

[Nyxie]

Intent: To make a gun with the single intent of being singularly used on a Unique-grade fighter I am making for myself on the sidelines.
Development Thread: None (but I'd love to do one on this if necessary!)
Manufacturer: Ri'ess Regal Drives
Model: MDCW Hyperlance Fuel Rod Cannon
Affiliation: Stargoddess Project
Modularity: None Whatsoever
Production: Unique
Material: Durasteel Frame, Kalestat Beam Core, Duranium Accelerator Rails
Description: The Hyperlance is simply a long Lorentz mass driver capable of firing its projectiles at a rate of ~6 km/s. It is completely incapable of firing anything but the designated heads, and extreme care should be taken even when loading them. Because of the high energy used and displaced during each firing sequence, it has an optimal rate of fire of approximately .2 shots per second, though this limit can be manually removed if sliced/reprogrammed to reach up to .9 shots per second, though the heat and energy displacement this causes after successive use risks the potential to misfire the weapon, utterly destroying it and its carrier without fail. Because of the energy required to power the rails and the significant weight of each round, the fighter carrying it will generally dedicate all of its resources and extra space to its power supply, thus eliminating the ability to carry any other local weapons but the Hyperlance.
The Hyperlance fires a small 60x360mm Iridium-Lead alloy-shelled rod which contains a poly-nitrogen chemical compound. When a millisecond-timer goes off, set by the onboard firing computer of its carrier vessel when fired, the compound is detonated, causing a large gas cloud explosion that covers an approximate 90 meter radius and reaches peak core temperatures of up to 2,400°C (-300°C/15m). This flash-burn and liquid metal shrapnel can overwhelm shields and potentially boil surface metals of much, much lighter and thinner spaceframes (less than alusteel), damaging the components below or melting transparisteel cockpits. The concussive force behind each blast is also quite considerable, but short-ranged.
Why isn't the Hyperlance OP: The rods are too heavy for devastating quantities to be carried, it isn't effective on or against capital ships and it is simply very hard to hit any kind of mobile target with. There is also a huge risk of self-harm if not fired with caution and maintained with the utmost delicacy. The explosion may reach high temperatures, but in space it still travels 6km/s until it dissipates. In space, the explosion will not surround targets for any kind of duration.
Classification: Mass Driver, Chemical, Flak
Size: Ship-Mounted
Status: Military (Stargoddess Project)
Length: 17.3 m.
Weight: Cannon: 545 kg., Rod: 24.5 kg.
Ammunition Type: Poly-Nitrogen Fuel Rods
Ammunition Capacity: 20 per Payload
Effective Range: 1 km. ±200 m. Max Range for Timed Detonation, (theoretically infinite flight range/~12 km. post-det range in space)
Capital Equivalent: 6 laser cannons

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Deira"]

A couple of issues for the concept.

Neuranium is a restricted substance requiring a dev thread (and judging by the quantity you're suggesting, it'd have to be a large dev thread). Cladding your frag shells in neuranium would almost certainly make for non-fragmenting shells. It would be slightly cheaper, but only slightly, to fire solid gold bullets.

The rod's shell was designed to be able to shift its weight to one side during flight, using the dense metal neuranium to curve its trajectory slightly in the direction its firing platform is heading even at such high speeds.

This violates the law of conservation of momentum.

A railgun whose projectile travels 6km/s, with a maximum range of 1km? Going to need some serious clarification there. Railguns in space don't have maximum ranges. Maximum EFFECTIVE ranges, sure, but even then, even with the flak property...yeah, I require enlightenment.

A 90-metre kill radius on each rod in a twenty-rod mag in a starfighter gun?

Also, you'll need to establish a numerical equivalency for this (e.g. two warhead launchers, three laser cannons, whatever) in order to get it approved.

 

[Nyxie]

Neuranium is a restricted substance requiring a dev thread (and judging by the quantity you're suggesting, it'd have to be a large dev thread). Cladding your frag shells in neuranium would almost certainly make for non-fragmenting shells. It would be slightly cheaper, but only slightly, to fire solid gold bullets.

They're not frag shells, they're chemical munitions. Liquid metal otherwise known as "steel rain."
Gold, it is! I forgot that neuranium was a restricted material.

This violates the law of conservation of momentum.

It's mechanical. It was my failure to elaborate the mechanism that is the shell casing. It's a rail gun round, so there is no absolute need for rotation or rifling.

A railgun whose projectile travels 6km/s, with a maximum range of 1km? Going to need some serious clarification there. Railguns in space don't have maximum ranges. Maximum EFFECTIVE ranges, sure, but even then, even with the flak property...yeah, I require enlightenment.

They never travel further because they detonate at a range within that width. Theoretically its possible to leave their det-timer unarmed, but that would defeat the purpose of the round.

A 90-metre kill radius on each rod in a twenty-rod mag in a starfighter gun?

It's a total blast radius, not a kill radius. I can see the need for a slight reduction but with the speed of a small craft coupled with room to maneuver and the outer layers being cooler and cooler the further from the core it is, a one-shot kill would actually take extreme precision and perhaps even a bit of luck.

Also, you'll need to establish a numerical equivalency for this (e.g. two warhead launchers, three laser cannons, whatever) in order to get it approved.

I do not understand what you mean. If you mean "Heavy Turbolaser is 2," this thing is described as being the ONLY weapon system that can be available on the craft, and is external. It's literally being made for a single type of Unique fighter. In theory, it's number is ∞.

@[member="Rasho the Hutt"] - Edits and elaboration will be made accordingly.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

and reaches peak core temperatures of up to 2,400°C (-300°C/15m). This flash-burn and liquid metal shrapnel can overwhelm shields and potentially boil surface metals of a spaceframe, damaging the components below or melting through transparisteel cockpits.

Plasma, as from turbolasers, can reach millions of degrees. Shields and Star Wars hull metals are designed to handle temperatures on a very high scale, so there'll be no boiling hulls. If you're looking for a fireball gun, though, this isn't too bad.

One thing to understand, though, is that momentum will be conserved regardless of the explosion. Your high muzzle velocity doesn't work in your favor: The explosion may reach high temperatures, but that ball of ouch is still going to be travelling 6km/s until it dissipates, meaning it'll only have a tiny fraction of a second to work against shields and hulls. It won't surround targets for any kind of duration.

I was joking about the gold, by the way.

 

[Nyxie]

Plasma, as from turbolasers, can reach millions of degrees. Shields and Star Wars hull metals are designed to handle temperatures on a very high scale, so there'll be no boiling hulls. If you're looking for a fireball gun, though, this isn't too bad.

That's physically impossible! All metals have a critical boiling point. Millions of degrees? Whaaa?! They don't even smelt the stuff nearly that high to build the darned things! xD

Put it this way, say... Durasteel. Common enough, right? Kind of like steel on crack. Duranium and Steel, maybe? Maybe just an acronym for "durable?" Both of those metals have boiling points in the thousands celsius, not tens of thousands or millions.

Sorry, I'm just all sorts of confused and dumbstruck by all that Star Wars logic. x.X

One thing to understand, though, is that momentum will be conserved regardless of the explosion. Your high muzzle velocity doesn't work in your favor: The explosion may reach high temperatures, but that ball of ouch is still going to be travelling 6km/s until it dissipates, meaning it'll only have a tiny fraction of a second to work against shields and hulls. It won't surround targets for any kind of duration.

It burns so hot and so fast, it doesn't have time or can sustain a substantial mass for long enough to have a significant rate of travel upon explosion. I can't say we have rail guns in real life (yet) so I can't claim to be an expert, but I'm pretty sure even a gas cloud with a high rate of deconstruction on the molecular level would bleed off kinetic energy relatively quick if any. It would probably trail, like a bulb. Best way I can describe it is a flaming pear of death.

Even comparing it to a sort of fireball shotgun, that effect would still have to travel through an obstacle on its path as different matter can't occupy the same space at the same time.

I was joking about the gold, by the way.

But but but it works too. ;n;

[member="Rasho the Hutt"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Ashe the Reaper"]

And laser cannons boil holes in hulls - but laser cannons are plasma. If a starship's armor can handle that, it can handle this without boiling away.

Kinetic energy doesn't bleed away in space. Those individual atoms of explosion will keep travelling, on average, 6 km/s until they run into something. Plz make the edit as requested.

And no, the gold doesn't work.

 

[Nyxie]

[member="Rasho the Hutt"] - Done. That sound about right?

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Deira"]
Since you're aware of the limitations of this gun, and since it's for a specific starship's only weapon mount, I think the existing edits are sufficient. Abuse and suffer. Approved pending secondary.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Abuse and suffer.

You know, it used to be me saying that. Have my little Hutts... *sniff* ...grown up? I need a hug.

Anyway. Nasty anti-startfighter weapon, pretty lamesauce against big threats. Approved.