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Re: DARPA patent application
Okay, scrawled on a napkin at dinner, I figured that for a fifty foot launch, neglecting extra oomph to counter air resistance, a "launchee" would encounter ~ 4 g's. Really, not as bad as I expected, but the onset of the force is in ~ 1/3 of a second. I think the major obstacle in the design, which I'm sure has been taken care of by now, is to secure the launchee to the launcher, to get him going, and dissipate force, and then to release him. Dave, do you know how they did that?
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