On Tue, 28 Mar 2006 00:04:51 -0500, "Kevin Brooks"
wrote:


"B" wrote in message ...
Fred J. McCall wrote:
"Andrew Chaplin" wrote:

:"Harry Andreas" wrote in message
...
:
: Damn right.
:
: SLAMRAAM is a box launched AIM-120.
: As such, it has less range and a smaller engagement envelope than
: the airborne version, but still a bugger to go up against.
:
:Why the loss of performance?

Because you're not starting with a 600+ knot velocity when you light
the motor like you are when you launch from an aircraft and because
what you're shooting at is 'up' from where you're shooting from.

Ye kenna violate the laws o' physics, Captain! :-)


Altitude is probably more important.

I doubt that. Altitude alone yields increased range only in a look
down/shoot down scenario (yeah, decreased drag alone due to increased
altitude will have some effect regardless of the aspect of engagement, but
it will not be significant); OTOH, adding that 600 knots to the missile at
launch is imparting a heck of a lot of energy--you know, that whole
vee-squared part of the kinetic energy equation?

600 mph is about 880 fps 880 squared is 774,400

30,000 feet x 30 = 900,000

They're about equal on the back of my envelope

Peter Skelton