XPost: rec.arts.comics.strips   
   From: petertrei@gmail.com   
      
   On 10/17/2025 12:09 PM, Ted Nolan  wrote:   
   > In article ,   
   > Paul S Person   wrote:   
   >> On Thu, 16 Oct 2025 20:18:07 -0400 (EDT), kludge@panix.com (Scott   
   >> Dorsey) wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> Mark Jackson   wrote:   
   >>>> On 10/15/2025 5:04 PM, Scott Dorsey wrote:   
   >>>>> But time of arrival is more difficult since the projectile velocity   
   >>>>> isn't constant at every point along that parabola.  Vectors and the   
   >>>>> calculus make these simple problems but they would be difficult to   
   >>>>> solve without them.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Again, why would you need calculus?  The time to arrival depends on the   
   >>>> distance to target and the horizontal component of the muzzle velocity,   
   >>>> both of which are constant.  Only the vertical component of the shell's   
   >>>> velocity varies, and that doesn't enter into things.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> (For negligible air resistance, of course, and - to be precise - firing   
   >>>> at a target at the same height as the cannon.  Firing uphill the shell   
   >>>> will land a bit earlier, downhill a bit later.)   
   >>>   
   >>> That's the point of indirect fire!  You're firing upward and the shell   
   >>> travels often higher vertically than it travels horizontally.  The enemy   
   >>> may not be very far away but they are on the other side of a barrier.   
   >>> You can shoot over the barrier with artillery, while you are protected   
   >> >from small arms fire.  Angles of 75 to 85 degrees are not uncommon.   
   >>   
   >> Modern indirect fire, which does indeed require some form of spotting.   
   >>   
   >> But the ancients shot arrows up and over the enemy, not because they   
   >> could not see them, but because they wanted to wound/kill /all/ of   
   >> them, not just those in the front line. The ones behind the front line   
   >> were, not hidden, but covered.   
   >>   
   >> The Roman testudo    
   >> was used to protect the troops against indirect arrow fire. (And also   
   >> to protect them from items falling off the walls of besieged cities --   
   >> things like stones, burning oil, and other nasties).   
   >>   
   >   
   > 	I shot an arrow into the air,   
   > 	It fell to earth, I knew not where;   
   > 	For, so swiftly it flew, the sight   
   > 	Could not follow it in its flight.   
   >   
      
   I've heard the first two lines many times.   
   Is it a quote from a longer poem?   
      
   pt   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)