Laser Guns: A Query.

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Bickle_Fan

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Hi there, this is my first post so please be friendly! Or something.

I was watching the movie "The Terminator" (1984) yesterday evening. Besides from it being a riveting example of thrilling 80s sci-fi action, I was amazed by the futuristic laser guns wielded by the killer robot antagonists of the picture.

However, the part that intrigued me most is that the human "Resistance" also wield these laser guns! Considering this film was produced in the mid-80s, I am interested to know if laser gun technology has advanced since then. I mean, they were able to blow up a robot in 1984, imagine what they could do now!

Can anyone clear this up for me?
 
http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/24/laser-guns-becoming-a-reality/

Laser guns becoming a reality

by Dave Freeman on March 24, 2009

Well, we’re getting closer to having laser weaponry. Northrop Grumman announced recently that they were able to get a laser to fire at 105.5 kilowatts for a sustained amount of time, suggesting that a vehicle mounted or stationary weapon can’t be far behind.

Interestingly, this level of power was achieved by using a scalable system, combing multiple lasers into one high powered beam. To put the power level into perspective, most industrial lasers use a maximum 1.5 kilowatt beam to cut metal with. This suggests that a weapons grade 105.5kw beam would potentially have the power to destroy aircraft and vehicles, not to mention what it could do to a human body.
Click to expand...
 
Yes, they can make the weapon powerful enough to shoot down aircraft & missiles and destroy tanks.

But until someone figures out a man portable power source small enough to move without a C5A cargo plane, you won't be seeing any Terminator handguns at Walmart.

rc
 
not available yet, but you can get a .45 long-slide with laser sighting.



...there, i think we just milked most of the possible terminator jokes in the first few posts...
 
One of the biggest misconceptions about lasers comes from Star Wars and other movies like Terminator.

A laser is going to work (i.e. cut) by applying heat to a very concentrated area. A pulsed weapon like the blasters used in Star Wars would not apply enough energy to an area unless it were a very powerful pulse.

A more realistic example of lasers would be in Star Trek where the phasers were continuous beams. In the case of a weapons system, you would need a guidance system to keep the laser on target long enough for it to cause damage. (Think Wrath of Khan where Khan has the long-duration shot on the Enterprise and causes massive damage to the hull.)

However, it would take very little power to hurt a target that sees, such as a person or optical sensor. That is why you should wear goggles when using lasers, especially green ones that can put out a lot of IR and damage your eyes without your realizing it.
 
There has been some theoretics in plasma that are promising. Already plasma has been used in a long distance space probe as an engine. And NASA had been working on a project to create plasma engine space shuttles for the Mars mission, but then it got killed. Plasma can work as a gas able to hold a great deal of heat or electrical charge for a long period of time. Essentially the ideas behind the engine for the space shuttle was to hold a great deal of heat and energy for a long period of time and accomplish a slow burn of thrust. In space, vehicles move by momentum and inertia with burn corrections on occassion. Plasma engines would hold a great deal of energy and cut the travel time to Mars in half.

In a weapons application, in theory it would be a dispensed focus gas in the form of a projectile absent the metal. So a focused gas containing a high voltage or extreme heat dispensed in the form of a singular projectile. From there it gets a great deal more complicated. Some have postulated that a single shot of ammunition would be no larger than a grain of sand. Granted this is entirely theoretical and would be incredibly expensive to pursue. That's why the 'Rail Gun' has become a more tested and pursued platform. Already they are coming up with models that could be one day, yeah that whole 'one day' thing, mounted on warships that could be used to take out ICBMs and low orbital space crafts and satellites. Again it's a matter of dollars and time.

On a sidenote, if you are 'Terminator' Geek like me (comic books, movies, TV, and yes video games, and Robocop crossover, and 'Aliens' and Predator crossover) and played the video game. The resistance had laser guns and the terminators carried Plasma rifles.

For taking out terminators I'll stick to the dream of an RPG with thermite rounds, or strange fantasy Sabot rounds like the ones the Abrams tank uses but with steel rings instead of depleted uranium rings. After that it's a matter of picking up their dropped Plasma rifle. LMAOF
 
In the early Terminator movies they used laser guns agaisnt the machines but in the recent movie the resistance used modern weaponry. :confused:
 
The early terminator movie showed Kyle Reese as an adult. The recent movie showed him as a boy. The early movie futuristic scenes were from a later portion of the future.....

(what the #%!! did I just type?):scrutiny:
 
The early movies were directed by James Cameron. One of the best mainstream film directors to have ever lived.

The new one was directed by McG, a second-rate hack who makes Michael Bay look like an giant of intellectual think flicks by comparison.
 
Hi there, this is my first post so please be friendly! Or something.

I was watching the movie "The Terminator" (1984) yesterday evening. Besides from it being a riveting example of thrilling 80s sci-fi action, I was amazed by the futuristic laser guns wielded by the killer robot antagonists of the picture.

However, the part that intrigued me most is that the human "Resistance" also wield these laser guns! Considering this film was produced in the mid-80s, I am interested to know if laser gun technology has advanced since then. I mean, they were able to blow up a robot in 1984, imagine what they could do now!

Can anyone clear this up for me?
Click to expand...

Some fun speculation and theorizing on laser small arms can be found here.

http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/rocket3l.html#laserpistol
 
But until someone figures out a man portable power source small enough to move without a C5A cargo plane, you won't be seeing any Terminator handguns at Walmart.
Click to expand...

No true. The airforce has an expiremental sodium laser capable of shooting down missels in a handy-sized C-130.
 
yup... I have one, I ride my unicorn around behind all the other farmyard animals and blast robot zombies..... the wife then makes me take these pills and... and... I don't know but my laser rifle is always gone after that.....
:neener:


But it comes back.....

Hey, welcome to THR-:D

Just funnin' t'nite, it would not suprise me if these type weapons, if that is truely what they are, do exist... but those mean a$$ bots.....:D
 
Boeing YAL-1 ABL

Actually, the USAF's aircraft based laser weapon system fits in a 747, not a C-5 or C-130.
The laser uses a chemical mix to generate power for the laser and the aircraft holds enought chemicals to generate 20 "kill" shots.

concept drawings of the Boeing YAL-1 ABL
cutaway.jpg

wing2wing.jpg




actual pics of the Boeing YAL-1 ABL
MSF06-1488-1.jpg

SMF07146_SPEN_ABL_055.jpg

MSF07-1765-04_CLRD_07-MDA-2410_lg.jpg


Currently, there are two Boeing YAL-1 ABL flying around Edwards and White Sands.
 
...there, i think we just milked most of the possible terminator jokes in the first few posts...
Click to expand...

Since the OP is new to THR, I need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle.
 
IMMA CHARGIN MAH LAZER!

Just kidding, I'm locking the thread. THR deals in realities and right now, the personal laser weapon is still the realm of sci-fi.
 
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