Re: sort of OT: range of guns

Dave Smith wrote:

I wonder how that calculation works for a mortar round. It goes up at a high
angle until it runs out of momentum. It takes roughly the same time to fall
back to earth that it took to get to the top of its trajectory arc, but it
comes almost straight [d]own.

Have you seen a mortar round land? (I haven't.)

In a vacuum, the trajectory would be a parabola. The round would land at the same angle it was launched. However, the air reduces its forward speed and the shape of the projectile makes it orient itself in the direction of motion.

It would have to have zero forward velocity to be coming straight down.

This page contains a nice drawing: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/23-91/ch2.htm

- Jim
.

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