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Old 09-03-2019, 08:35 PM   #21
Anaraxes
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Default Re: The Utility of Bombs [Spaceships]

Which is true even when you're not in orbit.

Bombs are smaller than shells because they just have the warhead, but not the propellent. So the only way to throw them at an enemy is to move the whole ship that way and then eject them. Guns at least impart some delta-V to the warhead. Missiles have more, and can apply it other than just at the point of launch.
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Old 09-03-2019, 08:51 PM   #22
acrosome
 
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Default Re: The Utility of Bombs [Spaceships]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rupert View Post
Also, the Apollo and other such systems had a reasonable amount of delta-vee compared to what these bombs appear to have, so they're not using slow aero-braking. Note that the bombs in Spaceships have no 'minimum velocity', and thus the only velocity they have is from their launching ship. Thus if you want a fast deorbit you need to set that up using the launching ship, and then deploy the bombs (and presumably the launching ship then changes course so as to not de-orbit as well). If this is done, then the problems go away.
You sort of re-created Trump's ladder/rope gaff, there. Just sayin. :)

Yes, that's the way these bombs would work. Once deorbited, they go ballistic just like Apollo as the launching ship burns to re-orbit away. That's the only difference- the deorbit drives are on the launching ship instead of a disposable service module. The bombs can maneuver even while in the plasma envelope- not much but at those altitudes and velocities it doesn't take much- and then they start guidance as soon as the plasma resolves a few miles high.

Without a warhead these are Thor, a.k.a. Rods from God. But there is no reason their mass can't be warhead, obviously. This is all meant to emulate Traveller's ortillery.

Last edited by acrosome; 09-03-2019 at 08:59 PM.
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Old 09-05-2019, 03:27 AM   #23
The Colonel
 
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Default Re: The Utility of Bombs [Spaceships]

The webcomic Crimson Dark retains bombs as a feature of space combat - unguided bombs delivered by ballistic plot. Their main benefit, apparently, is that they tend to be more or less at ambient by the point they are released and have no electronic signature, which makes them very hard to detect and shoot down on their run in. In universe they are said to be hard to use effectively but nasty when used well.
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