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| Sidewalls? | |
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by jdtinIA
» Tue Aug 23, 2016 4:54 pm
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jdtinIA
Posts: 49
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Used the search function, couldn't find the answer to this question.
Why don't warships generate double sidewalls? They have double wedges so it should be possible to double up the sidewalls and get more protection. Is it power requirements or maybe the geometry of the hull prevents it? I realize this isn't a query of earth shaking importance but if it can be done why don't they? Thanks. |
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by Joat42
» Tue Aug 23, 2016 4:58 pm
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Joat42
Posts: 2149
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See http://honorverse.wikia.com/wiki/Impeller_drive --- Jack of all trades and destructive tinkerer. Anyone who have simple solutions for complex problems is a fool. |
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by Duckk
» Tue Aug 23, 2016 5:06 pm
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Duckk
Posts: 4200
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If you're willing devote the power generation and hull volume for improved sidewall strength (both of which are fairly substantial), why not simply improve the sidewall generators you have? If you're already willing to devote that much to passive defenses, you can simply upsize the generators.
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Shields at 50%, taunting at 100%! - Tom Pope |
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by Relax
» Tue Aug 23, 2016 5:13 pm
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Relax
Posts: 3106
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1) Welcome 2) Duckk, it could make missiles trying to hit your ship much harder as they can't really "see" your ship? Otherwise, yes, just increasing sidewall generator strength is a better solution. Bigger ships effectively already do what he said via backup generators... 3) Hrmm possible rational reasons a) Sidewalls have to have ports to allow missiles, grasers, lasers through. The ports move. They are not in fixed positions. Maybe they are and the sidewall is the lens for the Grasers/lasers... b) Can't block sensors c) Maybe if you double sidewalls, it makes a) AND b) impossible or very difficult. d) We the peanut gallery have contemplated it may be possible to have DW's new found buckler as an additional layer. _________
Tally Ho! Relax |
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by Somtaaw
» Tue Aug 23, 2016 5:38 pm
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Somtaaw
Posts: 1184
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According to the index information at the end of Basilisk Station, or maybe it was Honor of the Queen, warships actually do generate a form of double sidewall.
One is the full up sidewall, and then they fill the space between the sidewall and the ship with particle screens, and I think a few other screens. The cumulative performance of those additional screens acts something like a very weak secondary sidewall; anything that pierces the primary full sidewall may still be absorbed or deflected by the numerous weaker screens inside the sidewall. But to have two, all-up sidewalls would require twice the tonnage alloted to sidewall generators of the strength you desire. And like Duckk pointed out, you could use that tonnage to simply build in more powerful sidewalls in the first place. A destroyer mounting heavy cruiser sidewalls, is going to be one helluva lot tougher to kill, than the same destroyer mounting twin destroyer sidewalls. Edit found the relevant info
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by Jonathan_S
» Tue Aug 23, 2016 5:42 pm
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Jonathan_S
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I was under the impression that a sidewall generator can't project a sidewall through another sidewall - that the first one would cut off attempts to project the 2nd. One of David Weber's archived posts tends to support that - though he's specifically talking about projecting a bubble sidewall beyond an inner bubble sidewall. (Note - I don't know how this squares with a warship being able to project a double wedge with a sidewall in between. "Civilian impeller drives generated a single stress band in each aspect; military impeller drives generated a double band and filled the space between them with a sidewall, for good measure. Hostile sensors might be able to analyze the outermost band, but they couldn't get accurate readings on the inner ones, and that was why no one could target something on their far side." [OBS]) |
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by jdtinIA
» Wed Aug 24, 2016 4:24 pm
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jdtinIA
Posts: 49
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Thanks to all who took time to answer.
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by munroburton
» Wed Aug 24, 2016 4:47 pm
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munroburton
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This thread makes me wonder what happens to hits that penetrate the, for example, port sidewall, but miss the ship. Would such a shot damage the starboard sidewall on its way out?
I'm thinking yes, as they have to open gunports to let their own missiles and beams through. |
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by crewdude48
» Wed Aug 24, 2016 4:52 pm
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crewdude48
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It might be possible if a sidewall is projected as a beam that flattens out at distance, ie;
| | |======ship | | Another possibility is that a sidewall is projected as a cone, and requires an unobstructed view from the generator to the wall. |\ |oo\ |oooo>ship |oo/ |/ In that case, it would require a "gun port" in the inner sidewall about 99+% of the entire sidewall. ________________
I'm the Dude...you know, that or His Dudeness, or Duder, or El Duderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing. |
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by Jonathan_S
» Wed Aug 24, 2016 5:50 pm
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Jonathan_S
Posts: 8317
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Hmm, temporarilty and locally weaken anyway. I'm not sure (without the kind of resonance an grav lance can make) that you are likely to physically damage the sidewall generator simply from a sidewall only hit. Anyway penetrating the port sidewall (in your example) should weaken and spread the beam. So whatever it then does to the starboard sidewall should be noticeably less impactful than its penetration of the port one. (Also, depending on angle, there's are a few other places a penetrating shot that misses the ship might go - like into the wedge or even, for a grazing shot, out the throat or kilt of the wedge) But interesting question |
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