🚀 go-pugleaf

On Thu, 1 Feb 1996 18:17:05 GMT, ga...@netcom.com (Gary Hladik) wrote:

>Sean Bradshaw <sean...@best.com> writes:
>
>>Anyonw know how fast the space shuttle accelerates when it launches?
>
>I seem to recall reading that it hits about 6 G on the way up.  Don't
>quote me. :-)
>
>>I don't think a light fighter can push you as hard as the shuttle, I could
>>be wrong... Any official word?
>
>Well, unofficially, if you assume the Confed Arrow accelerates from 0 to
>500 kps (km/sec) in 5 seconds, it works out to 10,000 G.  Crushes the pilot
>into instant neutronium. :-)
>  
>Gary
>
Yeah, except if you measure the distance traveled by using the size of
the ships as a guide, you realize the numbers on the speedometers are
off by a factor of about 1,000.

So you're flying in WC3 at WWI - WWII dogfighting speeds - 200 to 300
miles per hour.  Sort of like the cinematics for Star Wars.  WC, XWing
and Tie, Renegade - they're all taking place in slo-mo compared to
what 'real' space combat would be like, even without imaginary
acceleration dampeners.

You'd need not just acceleration shields if you were flying combat at
100's of kilometers per second.  You'd need to have your nervous
system souped way way up too.  You're approaching a target the size of
a Dralthi, from behind, going 5 kps faster than the Dralthi (that's
5000 meters or a little over 3 miles a second).  You could barely just
see a  28 meter Dralthi at 5000 meters.  An approach, you in an Arrow
vs. a Dralthi, you've got a combined closing speed of over 1000 kps -
one million meters per second!  Note also that with the pathetic YPR
of these beasties, you'd not be able to line up your target in the
infintesimal fraction of a millisecond that you could actually SEE
your opponent that's coming at you at over 620 miles a second!

Most of y'all know this, I realize, including Gary whose post I'm
replying to, and gladly practice willing supension of disbelief in
order to have fun.  I'm just venting.  The only thing even remotely
real about these games is the moola you plunk down to buy 'em.  But
they are a blast!
--
Craig Lambert
Predestination: its not just dogma, its the law.
Or will be, someday.