Fire Control and Ballistics Flashcards
What is the primary challenge in fire control?
How to fire a weapon at a stationary or moving target from a launcher that is also stationary or moving
How does gas pressure affect a projectile in a gun barrel?
Pressurized gas accelerates the projectile, and as it moves, the gas expands, causing the pressure to drop.
What is the purpose of rifling in a gun barrel?
To induce spin on the projectile for aerodynamic stability and accuracy.
How does gravity affect the trajectory of a projectile?
It causes the projectile to follow a parabolic trajectory, leading to a predictable drop over distance.
What are three types of drag that affect a projectile in flight?
Skin drag, shape drag, and wave drag.
What is the Coriolis effect in ballistics?
A force caused by the Earth’s rotation that affects the trajectory of long-range projectiles.
Why must fire control systems predict a target’s future position?
Because the projectile’s trajectory and time of flight depend on where the target will be at impact, requiring real-time calculations.
