Technology VS. Magic 2,661 members · 782 stories
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Which one of these do you think will be most effective on taking down Rainbow Dash? 9K22 Tunguska, ZSU-23-4 Shilka, ZSU-57-2, Patriot Missile, Buk Missile, HAWK missile, Mistral missile, ZSU-23-2, Stinger missile, Javelin missile, or a Chaingun?

3826343
A shotgun loaded with birdshot or buckshot. Anything else is overkill.

3826343 chaingun. FILL THE SKY WITH LEAD!

3826349 but that's the best kind of kill!

3826366
Yeah, but we're on a tight budget. I mean, have you SEEN the cost of ammo?

3826343
What altitude is she flying at? A shotgun would work at a reasonably close range, but if she's 5000' in the air, it won't do squat. Not sure what the range on a chaingun is; you might run into the same difficulty if she's too high.

Missiles generally use radar or infra-red sensors to detect their targets. It's doubtful she's a warm enough target (compared to the background) for the missile to track her. Radar may or may not work: she'd probably show up as a target, but she might be ignored by the missiles' logic, since she isn't moving fast enough for the missile to consider her one . . . however, some of the anti-helicopter missiles might do the job. I'm not sure how specific their guidance packages are. I'm no expert in modern arms; how many of the weapons that you listed are meant to be used against helicopters and have a radar guidance package?

You might be able to target her with a drone and a guided missile, but she could probably outsteer the missile, if she knew it was coming. It would be much like trying to hit a Jetski with a torpedo.

Also worth considering is the potential density of Equestrian clouds. They could potentially stop a missile, or slow down gunfire.

Another option would be to dust off some good, old-fashioned WWII-era flack. Kind of like a shotgun, but longer range.

3826343 Better use it all, just in case.

I know this is all in the name of lolz, but... *sigh* lemme state something from the 'problem solving' perspective. :facehoof:
I do not have enough information about Dashie (her max. speed, max. altitude, maneuvering abilities etc.) that would allow me to choose well.

If I can think outside of the list, that would be my weapon of choice:

3826343 Tactical belly rubs! Strategic ear scratch manoeuvres! Remember maggots, you're most invaluable weapon against ponies is your fingers! Use them wisely! :flutterrage:

3826343
I vote the Goalkeeper CIWS.

Rainbow Dash? What Rainbow Dash?

...
Is it raining blood?

3826370 COD logic (or lack there of)

3826365
Chain gun is a type of machine gun or autocannon (which is merely a larger machine gun that fires rounds of at least 20mm size) that uses an external source of power and a continuous loop of chain similar to those used on a bicycle to cycle the weapon—hence the name "chain gun"—rather than diverting energy from the cartridge like most small arms. Common chain guns would include the Hughes EX-34/H&K L94A1 7.62mm machine gun installed on British vehicles, ATK M242 Bushmaster 25mm autocannon installed on the US Bradley IFV and various naval ships, and the Hughes M230 30mm autocannon installed on the US Apache attack helicopter. Notice how they all have one barrel and none of them have a rate of fire greater than 625 rounds per minute (125 rounds every five seconds).
You are probably thinking of the gatling gun—such as the well known "M134 minigun"—which do not use motor-driven chains to operate the weapon, instead relying on either an external electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic power source.

3826380

Not sure what the range on a chaingun is; you might run into the same difficulty if she's too high.

As you can read above, "chain gun" is a broad class of weapon, not a specific weapon, so it would depend on what chain gun we were referring to here. The 7.62mm L94A1 machine gun should be effective out to 5000 feet, but it would take three seconds to reach the target altitude (firing at a 60 degree angle) and will have lost 70% of its velocity and 91% of its energy. Meanwhile, the 25mm M242 autocannon (firing high explosive incendiary tracer rounds, let's say) should be effective out to 10,000 feet, would take less than 1.8 seconds to reach the target altitude, and will have lost 66% of its velocity and 88% of its energy (not counting the energy of the HEI–T warhead).

Missiles generally use radar or infra-red sensors to detect their targets.

True—however, only passive guidance use infrared homing. Semi-active radar homing is a common type of missile guidance system, perhaps the most common type for longer-range air-to-air and surface-to-air missile systems. In SARH, the missile itself is only a passive detector of a radar signal reflecting off the target provided by an external source. For air-launched systems, it has the disadvantage that the launch aircraft must keep moving towards the target in order to maintain radar and guidance lock. Semi-active laser homing is similar to SARH but uses a laser as a signal, obviously. Another difference is that most laser-guided weapons employ a turret-mounted laser designator which increases the launching aircraft's ability to maneuver after launch. Furthermore, active homing guidance and command guidance also exist.

You might be able to target her with a drone and a guided missile, but she could probably outsteer the missile, if she knew it was coming. It would be much like trying to hit a Jetski with a torpedo.

Most anti-air missiles are considerably faster than Rainbow Dash, who is about Mach 1 (yes, she's intended to be Mach 1+, deal with it everyone). The infrared guided FIM-92 Stinger MANPADS reaches a speed of Mach 2.6 in only 2 seconds (45 g); the semi-automatic command to line of sight and semi-active laser homing Starstreak HVM reaches a speed of Mach 3.5 in 0.67 seconds (181 g); the the infrared homing AIM-9 Sidewinder reaches a speed of Mach 3 in 2.2 seconds (47 g); the imaging infra-red homing AIM-132 ASRAAM reaches a speed of Mach 3.5 in about 2 seconds (61 g); the inertial and active radar homing AIM-120 AMRAAM is still partially classified, but it is assumed to reach a speed of Mach 6 in about 2 seconds (69 g). Also, with aircraft-launched missiles, the speed of the aircraft adds significant velocity to the missile. Also to note is that most of the missiles don't have to hit her directly since most of them have blast-fragmentation warheads and proximity fuses.

Also worth considering is the potential density of Equestrian clouds. They could potentially stop a missile, or slow down gunfire.

I seriously doubt they'll make much of a difference, given that even .50 caliber/12.7mm armor piercing rounds can penetrate half an inch of steel at distances of over 2000 feet. So if these clouds are so dense that they seriously impede projectiles that can pierce through hardened steel at supersonic speeds, that would really imply that some really strange conditions would need to be involved—such as an absurdly thick atmosphere. Or you could just say it was "magic", but that's always such a stupid cop-out.

Another option would be to dust off some good, old-fashioned WWII-era flack. Kind of like a shotgun, but longer range.

It's a time-delay burst rather than a shotgun-like scatter shot pattern, since it relies on single projectiles containing explosives with self-destruct fuses that create clouds of shrapnel at a certain altitude.

:fluttershyouch:ummm, can you not just use a butterfly net?

3827464

Meanwhile, the 25mm M242 autocannon (firing high explosive incendiary tracer rounds, let's say) should be effective out to 10,000 feet, would take less than 1.8 seconds to reach the target altitude, and will have lost 66% of its velocity and 88% of its energy (not counting the energy of the HEI–T warhead).

So that would probably work--granted, we don't know how high pegasi can fly, but in canon they're generally at a fairly low altitude. On the other hand, apparently Canadian Geese can fly at up to 35,000 feet, so maybe pegasi can, too.

Most anti-air missiles are considerably faster than Rainbow Dash, who is about Mach 1 (yes, she's intended to be Mach 1+, deal with it everyone).

Yeah, I know (they wouldn't be much use if a fighter jet could just outrun them)--but most of them can't turn all that sharply. Theoretically, she could change course fast enough that she could dodge the missile until it ran out of fuel. Even ignoring the implausibly of her pull-out in Sonic Rainboom, she's lighter and therefore more maneuverable than any manned aircraft. Obviously, her odds improve the farther she is from the launch point of the missile, because one mistake and it's all over for her (barring cartoon physics, like plowing into a barn at mach 1 and surviving).

Also to note is that most of the missiles don't have to hit her directly since most of them have blast-fragmentation warheads and proximity fuses.

So close also counts in anti-aircraft missiles. Good to know.

I seriously doubt they'll make much of a difference. Also, if they're so dense that they seriously impede projectiles that can pierce through hardened steel at supersonic speeds, that would imply that some strange physics would have to be involved—such as an absurdly thick atmosphere.

They might mess up the guidance system (maybe the radar can't 'see' through them like it presumably can with Earth clouds), or make the proximity fuse trigger. They could deflect bullets, perhaps, or even shatter them. Based on some experiments by Mythbusters, high-velocity projectiles come apart when they hit water, while low-velocity projectiles continue on . . . so I'd say it's a possibility. Not a certainty, of course, but I think it's undeniable that Equestrian clouds are more solid than Earth clouds.

It's more like air-burst rather than shotgun, since it relies on a self-destruct fuse to create a cloud of shrapnel at a certain altitude.

Fair enough--I probably would have been more accurate to say they were like fragmentation grenades that exploded as a specific altitude.

Quick question, if we're discussing various missiles.
Wouldn't we need to get a radar return on RD before we'd be able to use said missiles, apart from the wire/laser guided specimens.

3827464
Actually, US Navy AA guns used EZ fuzes, which were the precursor to modern missile fuzing systems.

I'd use lasers... but given the choices... Ummm... I would pick all of them?

3826380 Yeah, like she knows what a missile is!

4155788
She'd probably think it was a rocket, and in canon they do know what those are.

Whether she thought it was being used against her, or in celebration of her awesome flying skills, would probably depend a lot on context.

My weapon of choice:

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