XPost: rec.arts.movies.current-films   
   From: YourName@YourISP.com   
      
   On 2017-12-31 17:46:42 +0000, RichA said:   
      
   > On Sunday, 31 December 2017 00:09:32 UTC-5, Your Name  wrote:   
   >> On 2017-12-31 04:21:46 +0000, RichA said:   
   >>> On Saturday, 30 December 2017 15:47:12 UTC-5, Your Name  wrote:   
   >>>>   
   >>>> I can't find it now, but someone recently complained about the new Star   
   >>>> Wars movie using bombers in space where there is "no gravity" (despite   
   >>>> bombers also being in 'The Empire Strikes back').   
   >>>>   
   >>>> According to 'The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary' book:   
   >>>>   
   >>>> "Resistance Bombers   
   >>>> Bombs don't technically "drop" in microgravity,   
   >>>> but are impelled from their racks by sequenced   
   >>>> electromagnetic plates in the clip. The bombs   
   >>>> are then drawn magnetically to their unfortunate   
   >>>> targets."   
   >>>   
   >>> Still B.S.  You'd need incredible magnetic power to do that, enough to>   
   >>> > disrupt any other electronic systems in-use.   
   >>   
   >> No you don't.   
   >>   
   >> The "impelling" is the same technique as maglev trains use, and the   
   >> bombs are smaller. The intial ejection gives them enough momentum to   
   >> (hopefully) get close enough to the target to then be magnetically   
   >> attract towards the target object, and then explode.   
   >   
   > Then why would they need magnetism at all?  Once you set something in   
   > motion, in a particular direct in space, it keeps going that way, there   
   > is basically zero drag, unless they are near a body like a planet or   
   > star.  If you say the magnetism was strong enough to allow the bombs to   
   > make course-corrections then my old argument stands.   
      
   Once the bombs hit a target they would mostly just bounce off and do   
   less damage. Better to have them stick to the hull when they explode,   
   especially in space combat where there is no atmosphere to allow   
   concussion waves to more easily reach the separated target.   
      
   There is no "course correction", other than the minor magentic   
   attraction pulling the bomb slightly. They're bombs, not some sort of   
   guided torpedoes or missles.   
      
   There's no great mystery or magic to it. Earth based military have been   
   doing basically the same thing for decades with some of their explosive   
   devices. They even (supposedly) trained dolphins to swim to an enemy   
   vessel and had the bombs magnetically attach.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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