![]() 10/01/2015 at 15:12 • Filed to: Planelopnik | ![]() | ![]() |
From the video description: “4th Special Operations Squadron Airmen conduct a live-fire training exercise mission in an AC-130U Gunship during Emerald Warrior 2015 at Hurlburt Field, Florida.”
![]() 10/01/2015 at 16:56 |
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A howitzer in an airplane. How crazy/cool is that? Which gets me wondering, how do they aim it?
![]() 10/01/2015 at 17:01 |
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Wikipedia to the rescue, sort of:
Mission systems:
Raytheon AN/APQ-180 multimode attack radar – enhanced version of AN/APG-70 radar (used on F-15E Strike Eagle ) incorporating several enhanced air-to-ground modes such as fixed target track, ground moving target indication and track, projectile impact point position, beacon track, and a weather detection [71] [73] [74]
Raytheon AN/AAQ-26 IDS – LWIR FLIR (mounted on port side of the nose landing gear door) [71] [72]
Lockheed Martin AN/AAQ-39 Gunship Multispectral Sensor System (GMS2) – EO/IR fire control system consists of mid-wave infrared (MWIR) FLIR, two Image-Intensified Television (I2TV) cameras ( CCD-TV ), laser target designator/rangefinder with eyesafe mode (1064 and 1570 nm dual mode laser emitter), and near-infrared (NIR) laser pointer/marker (860 nm laser emitter) (mounted under the nose of port landing gear sponson) [75]
![]() 10/01/2015 at 17:03 |
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Sort of indeed. With the plane orbiting a fixed point over the ground, I imagine it’s probably a pretty simple solution to come up with barrel angel and all that. But I cannot into math.
![]() 10/01/2015 at 17:04 |
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They probably have multiple abacuses (abacii?) and sextants.
![]() 10/01/2015 at 17:09 |
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abacus (n.)
late 14c., “sand table for drawing, calculating, etc.,” from Latin
abacus
, from Greek
abax
(genitive
abakos
) “counting table,” from Hebrew
abaq
“dust,” from root
a-b-q
“to fly off.” Originally a drawing board covered with dust or sand that could be written on to do mathematical equations. Specific reference to a counting frame is 17c. or later. (
etymonline
)
Since the meaning of
abacus
as a counting frame only dates back to the 17th century, I would wager that the plural is
abacuses
.
![]() 10/01/2015 at 17:12 |
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Only on Oppo can a video of a deadly war machine turn into an analysis of the etymology of the word abacus. :)
![]() 10/01/2015 at 17:13 |
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Once a teacher, always a teacher.....
![]() 10/02/2015 at 10:30 |
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Everyone loves the A10s, but these are even more terifying