• hanke@feddit.nu
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      4 days ago

      He considered the test firings a success! Can’t help but feel happy for him.

    • Agent641@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      If you made this today, but with precision ignition system and lightweight ultra high tensile wire rope, it would be catastrophic for that cow.

      • ☭SaltyIcetea☭@lemmy.ml
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        4 days ago

        i had this idea: maybe one could achieve simultaneous firing by using only one combustion chamber with pressure valves that open channels to the cannon balls

        • Phineaz@feddit.org
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          3 days ago

          Thing is, the cannon ball IS the pressure valve. And since one of them will invariably go faster than the other one, the whole thing will be even less unpredictable with one half of the chain still in the barrel

          • qualia@lemmy.world
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            3 days ago

            Or why not load them linearly into a single barrel. It’d shoot out straight but would likely develop asymmetries and build up a moment of inertia eventually resulting in the bolas motion they’re likely intending.

          • ☭SaltyIcetea☭@lemmy.ml
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            3 days ago

            then just make it so the canonball is NOT the pressure valve. tge way i see it is you just gotta let tge explosion build up for a bit so the pressure equalizes

    • edinbruh@feddit.it
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      4 days ago

      This looks like a success to me. Just imagine this: replace the thicket with the enemy army, you fire one shot and the rest of the army retreats.

    • hector@lemmy.today
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      3 days ago

      I’m pretty sure they fired chain shot from single barreled cannon. On ships, they have two cannonballs connected with a chain and they powder the barrel and load them both in the barrel, then when they fire it the balls spread out and it takes down rigging and masts on ships.

        • hector@lemmy.today
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          3 days ago

          I never even knew about it thanks for the link will have to check it out. Seems if you didn’t fire at exactly the same time the gunner crew would get wasted, which was not uncommon back then in any case. Being a cannon gunner was not a great job. Early exploding shot was really dangerous too.

          • MeThisGuy@feddit.nl
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            3 days ago

            i would have been a great cannon gunner, as I’m not a stranger to early exploding shot meself.