jkh@jade.BERKELEY.EDU (Jordan K. Hubbard) (11/18/86)
Article: 11:17
Thought the firearms groups might like to see this short item.
>From DEFENSE ELECTRONICS, Nov. '86, p. 18, "Focus" column:
KAMAN'S COIL GUNS PORTEND HEAVY-LOAD LAUNCH ROLE
Kaman Corp. of Bloomfield, Conn., plans to build and demonstrate an
electromagnetic coil gun under an $8.5-million Army/DARPA anti-armor
contract. Using coils instead of rails, Kaman expects to achieve muzzle
velocities of 13,000 feet per second and rates of fire of three
projectiles per minute. Dr. Henry Kolm, president of Kaman's
Electromagnetic Launch Research subsidiary, believes that the coil, not
the rail, has the greatest technological potential. He predicts that
electromagnetic coils will someday launch aircraft from carriers and
spacecraft from launch pads. Aboard cariers, the coils would save space
and weight by replacing steam catapults. At the launch pad, according
to Kaman's Kolm, electromagnetic coils would initially eliminate
first-stage boosters and eventually permit the direct launching of
payloads into space.
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