SpudFiles

One noise source not to overlook is the motion of the high current components. Due to the magnetic fields involved, they do move in spite of heavy construction to limit their movement. In reality any high current conductor is a speaker.

Here is an example. Some wires are subject to a high current test. This is not nearly as high of a current in a rail gun. There are several noises in this shot. One is the breaker closing, the next is the wires responding to the magnetic fields generated, next is the arc as one of the whipped wires parts company, and last is the response of a car alarm to this silent test.
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Flipping heck.

Is there a reason they use that shape of projectile? It doesn't seem to be very stable in flight.

I think with rail guns its more towards the efficiency of it accelerating in the gun. Using other shapes would make it much less efficient energy wise

Might be a mock-up of what the sabot will be shaped like, just not designed to separate. It would make sense from an analytical point of view. A sabot failure could potentially ruin the gun, so for initial testing you would want to eliminate that variable.

Edit;

"The rounds we are firing currently are non-aerodynamic slugs," Ellis said of the testing. "They match the interior ballistics of what the launcher is expected to see but are intended to slow down quickly."

...From the news article.
Guess they weren't actually shooting anything with it yet. They probably wanted to examine the projectile afterwards.

Fnord wrote:Might be a mock-up of what the sabot will be shaped like, just not designed to separate. It would make sense from an analytical point of view. A sabot failure could potentially ruin the gun, so for initial testing you would want to eliminate that variable.

Pretty much. Check out the sabot for this General Atomics mini-A4 style projectile: http://www.military.com/video/guns/nava ... 431955001/

The sabot round went seven kilometers downrange after punching through a 1/8-inch thick steel plate

Bloody hell...

Guess they weren't actually shooting anything with it yet. They probably wanted to examine the projectile afterwards.

... or avoid accidentally hitting France

Yes , yes please avoid hitting france!!!