View Single Post
  #5  
Old February 17th 06, 03:49 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Concorde Vs Bullet

In article .com,
"rick_little99" wrote:

A friend and I were having a debate on a rumour that we once heard.
The rumour went along the lines, If concorde (or and other supersonic
aircraft for that matter) was fitted with guns then the bullets would
not be able to leave the muzzle or it would shoot itself if it fired
them while cruising. Assuming that the bullets velocity and the speed
of the aircraft are the same, what are your thoughts on what would
happen?



It could happen, but not in the way described. The bullets will have an
initial velocity (in air) of aircraft velocity + muzzle velocity.

The problem arises after they leave the gun barrel and are exposed to
drag. The bullets will slow down, due to high supersonic drag and fall
downward. At some time, the aircraft velocity will exceed the bullets'
velocity. There was a case of a Grumman F-11F Tiger shooting itself
down when it fired at a target and dived into its own rounds.