niglch wrote:I guess the valve is the main reason why hybrids are named the way they are. From that perspective, a good hybrid must have a valve that opens as the chamber reaches peak pressure. The actual combustion is just a very fast way of reaching high pressure (the temperature also helps).
I agree - the principle of operation is mostly related to the combustion cannon, but the principles of construction, such as a valve and a chamber that holds pressure, as well as the need for compressed air, is more related to the pneumatic cannon.
I recall that at the time the hybrid was concieved, many spudders had a strong preference for either pneumatic or combustion cannons, and fuel metering was also quite new, so the construction of a hybrid introduced a lot of new principles for spudders from both camps.
We can have a lot of fun with acronyms, but replacing a simple word with a more complicated one will never catch on. Especially not with us old-timers
