China developing 180,000-ton catamaran aircraft carrier

[Viking]

the crappy little warheads on the modern things are designed to fuck up high rpm finely machined turbine engines as you find in helicopters and jet planes. Trying to take down a WW2 bomber would probably require multiple hits with missiles.. in more than one engine.

Not so.  A modern missile warhead would rip open fuel tanks and the plane would go down in flames.  WW2 bombers were able to survive small bullets holes, but not massive shaped-charge-type holes.

AA missiles use massive shaped charges? I'd use high explosive fragmentation explosives imho.

[DGuller]

I'd use shaped charge with a proximity fuse.

[sbr]

the crappy little warheads on the modern things are designed to fuck up high rpm finely machined turbine engines as you find in helicopters and jet planes. Trying to take down a WW2 bomber would probably require multiple hits with missiles.. in more than one engine.

Not so.  A modern missile warhead would rip open fuel tanks and the plane would go down in flames.  WW2 bombers were able to survive small bullets holes, but not massive shaped-charge-type holes.

AA missiles use massive shaped charges? I'd use high explosive fragmentation explosives imho.

Hopefully someone passes your expert opinion on to the hacks who design these things.

[Tonitrus]

The discussion about whether a WW2 strategic bomber could survive a modern-day missile weapon is about as interesting as whether or not swarms of Incan torpedo boats could sink the USS New Jersey.  Only dumber.

I think Patton's Third Army could have taken modern day Iraq.

And probably would have had far better RoE too.  Heck, he'd have the Iraqi army invading Iran in no time.

[Viking]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaped_charge

The thing about shaped charges is that they do not have any form of useful radius of effect. They are specifically shaped to provide maximum penetration to a depth of a few inches and need to be a specific (and very short) distance from the target. They are anti-tank armor penetrating munitions which are also used in the oil industry to punch thin holes in rocks. The shaped charge is all about concentrating as much of the explosives penetrative power at one specific point.

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIM-92_Stinger)

has the stinger using an "Annular blast fragmentation" warhead, which I believe to be the technical term for a cylinder of high explosives surrounded by small metal fragments. 

[Razgovory]

That's what I like about viking.  All short term memory.

[grumbler]

AA missiles use massive shaped charges? I'd use high explosive fragmentation explosives imho.

Larger ones use an expanding rod (ring, really) to create a buzzsaw effect.  Smaller ones use a shaped charge with a radar fuse that sets off the charge in the direction of the target, with frag effects.  Stinger uses a hit-to-kill warhead, so I don't know how directional the blast is.

At least, that's how it was a dozen or so years ago. 

[Ed Anger]

A warhead filled with those tiny bibles they gave away in elementary school.

[grumbler]

A warhead filled with those tiny bibles they gave away in elementary school.

Smite them with the force of Jaaaaysus!