Technical explanation for Vera

POSTED BY: oct0gen
UPDATED: Thursday, January 19, 2006 07:56
VIEWED: 6787
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OCT0GEN

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 9:53 PM

as an engineer and a firearm enthusiast, i was bothered with jayne’s comment that vera needed oxygen around her to fire. to me is seemed like a glaring technical inaccuracy since real firearms don’t need an oxygen rich atmosphere to function. in fact, other than dealing with recoil in 0g and re-zeroing the sight, firearms would work fine in a vacuum. i know... its sci-fi and i should get over it. but to me, the sci in sci-fi implies that there should be some reasonable explanation for the function of a futuristic device. anyway, it got me thinking: what type of projectile propulsion would require an atmosphere? first thought was something similar to the wwii german rocket rounds or gyrojet guns but with an air breathing engine like a ramjet. a few internet searches later and i was satisfied with the conclusion that vera must be a “solid fuel ramrocket accelerator”. ive pasted a few links that show background on a possible means of operation.

http://www.aa.washington.edu/aerp/ramac/ramstats.html

http://www.sover.net/~sbjohn/chemistry/chemx/ramjet.html

http://www.nas.nasa.gov/about/education/spacesettlement/nowicki/spbi10
4.htm

the ramrocket cartridge is accelerated normally with a fuel/oxidizer mix to m1 at the back of the barrel. @ m1 the non-oxidized fuel begins to combust with the atmo in the barrel and the round functions as a ramjet for the remaining portion on the barrel. to work well in space, it is assumed that all non-oxidized fuel would be consumed before the projectile leaves the barrel.

if you are an anal-retentive-technical-detail-oriented-geek like me and was uncomfortable with jayne's description, hopefully this made you feel better.

BAPTISMO

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 9:59 PM

Is Firefly really a "scifi"?

I would class it as a "space opera" myself.

CARTOON

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:09 PM

Let's not forget, oct0gen, that Jayne isn't particularly the shiniest bulb in the socket.

Maybe, he meant that he needed oxygen to operate Vera.

Okay, okay!! I admit it!! I'm just making excuses for Jayne!!

I'd still prefer to have Mr. Cobb next to me in a firefight -- assuming that fictious characters could really be there and fight -- and that I never turned my back on him -- and had nothing of value on my person -- and there were no particularly hot babes in the vicinity to distract him (or me, for that matter).

"The girl's a problem."

BWARE42

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:09 PM

Plus, Jayne was not blessed with an abundance of schoolin'...Maybe he just didn't know.

That's what I love about sci-fi - you can justify anything!

GUNRUNNER

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:10 PM

My theory has always been that there is some government reg requiring all large caliber bullets not to work in vacuum (or thin atmo) to make it difficult to forcibly board a ship. A large ship (like an Alliance or Corporate ship) could vent the atmo in sections overrun by boarders (assuming their security personnel don protective suits like real life OABs) either killing the boarders or disabling their guns (at least restricting them to smaller sidearms). Now most pirates could modify their weapons to fire in vacuum but its probably expensive and prevents people from getting in to the pirating business easily.

EV Nova Firefly mod Message Board:
http://s4.invisionfree.com/GunRunner/index.php?act=idx

RIVER6213

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:14 PM

How would YOU like to be SHOT by a gun named "VerA?"

CARTOON

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:16 PM

Don't frankly think I'd like to be shot by any gun -- whatever it's name was.

"You asked me what a man like me would kill for. And she's it."

N0SKILLZ

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:29 PM

I'm to lazy to read all the posts. But doesn't a bullet shoot because of a explosion of gun powder? so wouldn't a explosion need air to happen?

-------------------------------

RAF Lakenheath

OCT0GEN

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:43 PM

gunpowder is mix of nitrocellulose, nitroglycerine and/or nitroguanadine. the oxygen comes from the no3 nitro group and reacts with the carbons and hydrogens in the cellulose or glycerin (although i think cellulose has some oxygen already in it) to form gasses and heat to propel the bullet. also a lot of energy comes from the triple bonding of the nitrogen to from n2. so, like a rocket engine, bullets need no atmospheric oxygen to function.

QUIXOTIC

Thursday, January 19, 2006 1:38 AM

Perhaps Vera is a matchlock, and we've just all missed it?

In all seriousness, I should have seen this technicallity, but Firefly's dramatic choices tend to blind my otherwise decent common sense. This is no small point, and means that the show was worthy of my attention. Case in point: during National Treasure's climactic scene I was more concerned that the set was built using out of date nails than I was for any of the heroes.

Perhaps this is just the definitive proof that Joss can wipe the floor with the likes of Jerry Bruckheimer.

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