High-Mass Launch Capability Development for the U.S. Army Research Laboratory's5O-mm High-Pressure Powder Gun (Range 3O9A)

摘要

Documented here are improvements to the 50-mm high-pressure powder gun system inthe U.S. Army Research Laboratory's (ARL's) terminal ballistic Range 309A. It was designed for high velocity, achieved by large charge-to-mass (C-M) ratios and a long navel (120 calibers). The goal here was to maximize performance with C-M ratios near 1. This was achieved by a series of incremental improvements to gun and sabot hardware and to priming and propelling charge design. A novel vented sabot described here reduces the incidence of high yaw shots caused by blowby in a badly worn barrel pushing the sabot forward on a smooth cylindrical projectile. The use of custom-produced propellant has been an integral part of maximizing performance. Achieving optimum performance involved recognizing that even small deviations from the (unknown) optimum configuration of the priming and propelling charge will result in significantly increased pressure, significant to unsafe pressure fluctuations, and significant degradation of velocity. A carefully executed program to optimize the priming and the propelling charge will pay off when maximum performance is desired. Also discussed are good and bad experiences with the hardware as it evolved.