Science question

[Travis]

If you fire a bullet in a plane towards the front of a plane traveling at say 1400 mph (rough guess on a bullett???) the bullett would be going 2800 mph.

Now if you fire it towards the rear it may fall out of the barrell.

So if you are a tail gunner in a plane then the bullets move faster when they are shot toward the front of the plane??? I hope you aren't serious...

[Roostius_Maximus]

this is great, imagine how many back eyes thered be if the conversation was in person

[AlisoBob]

Now if you fire it towards the rear it may fall out of the barrell.

[britincali]

If the speed of the plane matched the speed of the bullet exactly it would happen, that bouncing ball mythbusters proved that.

The thing I dont know is the speed of a bullett and I doubt a plane with a tail gun is ever going to be close which is why the tail guns work.

[britincali]

If you fire a bullet in a plane towards the front of a plane traveling at say 1400 mph (rough guess on a bullett???) the bullett would be going 2800 mph.

Now if you fire it towards the rear it may fall out of the barrell.

So if you are a tail gunner in a plane then the bullets move faster when they are shot toward the front of the plane??? I hope you aren't serious...

Absolutely, faster relative to ground speed not to the planes speed.

Think about it if a bullet travels 1000mph and is fired forewards from a plane out of a barrel traveling at 1000mph does it stay with the plane ?? No so its obviously traveling faster than if the gun was stationary on the ground.

[AlisoBob]

Those dumbass's at Boeing built 5,000 B-52h's before they noticed that the bullets were just falling out onto the ground

[90cr500guy]

If the plane was traveling forward at 500mph and the bullet traveled at 500mph, yes it would fail straight down when it reached the end of the barrel.

[britincali]

[AlisoBob]

Steve, I'll take a .45 with me on the next flight to Phoenix.

You sit 10 rows behind me.

I'll stand up and take a shot at you.

The plane will be going 600mph forewards, the bullet will be going 840 feet per second ( or about 600mph backwards).

Lets see if it falls out of the barrel and lands on the floor, or splits your noggin' open.

[Rosco-Peeko]

A 7.62mm Minigun fires a round at 2800 FPS or 1909.090909090909 MPH. I doubt there would be an issue unless you were flying Habu.

[britincali]

Steve, I'll take a .45 with me on the next flight to Phoenix.

You sit 10 rows behind me.

I'll stand up and take a shot at you.

The plane will be going 600mph forewards, the bullet will be going 840 feet per second ( or about 600mph backwards).

Lets see if it falls out of the barrel and lands on the floor, or splits your noggin' open.

That argument doesnt work as everyone involved in the equation is going at the same speed.



RELATIVE TO GROUND SPEED is a different matter.

[AlisoBob]

That argument doesnt work as everyone involved in the equation is going at the same speed.



RELATIVE TO GROUND SPEED is a different matter.

I'll do it in a verticlal climb then, ground speed ZERO.

[JBaze]

If you have a gun that is loaded and you and it are travelling 500 mph, the bullet is already going 500 mph. When you pull the triggerthe bullet still leaves the gun just as fast as if you were stationary.

[Rosco-Peeko]

Interesting read and along the same subject...
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=107370

[Roostius_Maximus]

the real question is:
if brit hangs his ass out the indow of a plane, how long til he gets frostbite?

[britincali]

If you have a gun that is loaded and you and it are travelling 500 mph, the bullet is already going 500 mph. When you pull the triggerthe bullet still leaves the gun just as fast as if you were stationary.

Absolutely BUT because the gun is already travelling at 500 mph the bullet is leaving the barrel at 500 mph, 500+500 = 1000mph at the tip of the muzzle. Aerodynamics and terminal velocity takes its toll and that obviously drops off.

[britincali]

the real question is:
if brit hangs his ass out the indow of a plane, how long til he gets frostbite?

Is the plane going forwards backwards or vertical?

[britincali]

Interesting read and along the same subject...
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=107370

Good find rob


"Velocities add up at such low speeds << speed of light. The bullet out of the airplane would have been ejected at the speed of the aircraft in addition to the normal ejection speed of the bullet. "

[Roostius_Maximus]

Is the plane going forwards backwards or vertical?

its going back to england!

[Roostius_Maximus]

[CR500R7]

[90cr500guy]

Steve, I'll take a .45 with me on the next flight to Phoenix.

You sit 10 rows behind me.

I'll stand up and take a shot at you.

The plane will be going 600mph forewards, the bullet will be going 840 feet per second ( or about 600mph backwards).

Lets see if it falls out of the barrel and lands on the floor, or splits your noggin' open.

Bob, you need to fire it out of the back of the plane.
(Bob just had a Chumly moment)

[danjerman]

About this bullet thing...

I think about half of the people posting on this subject may be confused with what is commonly known as a "frame of reference". AlisoBob is correct...as if he didn't already know.

[AlisoBob]

I'm just trying to add to the confusion.....

In real life the correct answer is to fly around the world backwards, like Superman, turn back time, and pistol whip the dude before he even draws on you.

[britincali]