Author Topic: Proximity Shells (Read 496 times)

BenDover · « **on:** June 07, 2003, 10:50:35 PM »

Exactly how the heck did these things work?

Pei · « **Reply #1 on:** June 07, 2003, 11:47:54 PM »

Allies were suing radar proxmity fuzes on large calibre AA in the latter part of WWII. Nowadays laser fuzes are someimtes used.

Staga · « **Reply #2 on:** June 08, 2003, 08:22:07 AM »

http://www.ggw.org/~cac/Proximity_Fuze.html

BenDover · « **Reply #3 on:** June 08, 2003, 08:57:07 AM »

thanks

rshubert · « **Reply #4 on:** June 09, 2003, 12:47:04 PM »

The radar proximity fuse actually sets the round off when the signal from the radar begins to down-doppler as the shell passes the target. The radar used continuous-wave emission, basically as simple as a microwave oven combined with a radar detector. The British invention of the cavity magnetron tube (which has no glass in it, btw) made the whole thing possible, as earlier radar tubes couldn't stand the acceleration of the shell being fired, and were way too big.

Otto · « **Reply #5 on:** June 10, 2003, 05:11:53 PM »

I'm not sure it used 'radar'. I think it was a radio wave and I'm not sure the British had much to do with it. Unlike their contribution to radar (they developed it).

Tony Williams · « **Reply #6 on:** June 10, 2003, 09:38:40 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Otto
I'm not sure it used 'radar'. I think it was a radio wave and I'm not sure the British had much to do with it. Unlike their contribution to radar (they developed it).

You are right about the radar - the (British) cavity magnetron permitted centimetre-wave radars which were invaluable in air-to-air (and anti-sub) operations, but the prox fuzes used a simpler system.

The design concept of the prox fuze seems to have originated in the UK, but there were insufficient technical resources to develop it into a working piece of kit, so their theoretical work was passed over to the USA in 1940. They handed it over to the USN who developed and produced it. There may have been parallel research along similar lines going on in the USA, but the timing is unclear.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and Discussion forum

Pei · « **Reply #7 on:** June 11, 2003, 07:31:21 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Otto
I'm not sure it used 'radar'. I think it was a radio wave and I'm not sure the British had much to do with it. Unlike their contribution to radar (they developed it).

Range detection with radio waves IS radar.

Otto · « **Reply #8 on:** June 11, 2003, 08:37:05 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Pei
Range detection with radio waves IS radar.

You are correct. The last category is Astronomy for $500.

And the question is "What is the closest star to our Sun..?"

tick.. tock.. tick.. tock....

BenDover · « **Reply #9 on:** June 11, 2003, 08:53:14 AM »

Alpha Centuri?

Although that is a binary star system.

Otto · « **Reply #10 on:** June 11, 2003, 02:40:49 PM »

Alpha Centauri is correct!! While I knew this I was unaware it was a Binary star!

So Ben, we're going to give you an extra $500 dollars in cash and that makes you our new Champion...! (lights flash, band plays loud theme music and girl runs on stage and kisses Ben (ugh!)

BenDover · « **Reply #11 on:** June 11, 2003, 03:15:37 PM »

I'll hold you to that statement.

I ment to say "Although I think that is a binary star system" though, I'll have to look it up.