XPost: rec.arts.comics.strips   
   From: petertrei@gmail.com   
      
   On 10/17/2025 2:20 PM, Ted Nolan  wrote:   
   > In article <10cu15t$19nk5$1@dont-email.me>,   
   > Cryptoengineer   wrote:   
   >> 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   
   >   
   > Yes:   
   >   
   > 	The Arrow and the Song   
   > 	By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow   
   > 	   
   > 	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 breathed a song into the air,   
   > 	It fell to earth, I knew not where;   
   > 	For who has sight so keen and strong,   
   > 	That it can follow the flight of song?   
   > 	   
   > 	Long, long afterward, in an oak   
   > 	I found the arrow, still unbroke;   
   > 	And the song, from beginning to end,   
   > 	I found again in the heart of a friend.   
   >   
   > Bullwinkle the Moose also did a memorable version of it.   
   >   
   > 	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfj744oqB0g   
      
   Excellent! Thankyou.   
      
   pt   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)