Qev wrote:Why would anyone want a railgun/coilgun to fire underwater? The whole advantage of a railgun is, apparently, being able to accelerate a projectile up to ridiculous velocities. This cannot happen underwater. Unlike air, water can't be compressed. It's not going to get out of the way of a hyper-velocity projectile; you might as well cap the end of your railgun barrel with a solid steel ingot ten inches thick.
I guess you refer to the fact, that the water will not compress
ie. the projectile cannot exit the barrel since the bullets are
the same size as the barrel?
Well, see the underwater guns above for one, and the fact, that
railgun ammo does not have to "fill" the barrel, since there are
rings used as "slugs", for second.
And supercavity, for third.
Finally: who want to fire a kinetic weapons (railgun) underwater?
Those, who are about to be eaten by a monster, which is impervious
to energy.
Adios
KLM
ps.: Yeah, I was referring to railguns, thought I was the one, who
pointed, that railguns are short circuited by water (and coilguns
are not).