VERA Super Spud Gun

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By Daniel Spangler
Posted 2012/04/06 @ 3:10 pm
Category Science

VERA is a low cost, low acceleration, compressed charge combustion gun featuring a 40 foot (12.2 m) barrel and a 19 inch (483 mm) bore. VERA was designed to minimize payload acceleration forces, accommodate large and/or oddly shaped projectiles, and allow for in-barrel instrumentation and control of energetic or inert payloads.

And yes, VERA, can best be described as a “potato gun on steroids.” Quite probably the world’s largest and most powerful, but no research to back up such a claim has been made.

In the Maker Shed

8 Responses to VERA Super Spud Gun

Xaq Circle A Fixx on April 6th, 2012 at 3:23 pm said:

I bet dollars to donuts that the guy who made this is a Browncoat. I mean it is called VERA

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- Inigo93 on April 7th, 2012 at 11:02 am said:
  
  You would win that bet.
  
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DBoone on April 6th, 2012 at 4:15 pm said:

Sure looks like ‘punkin chunkin’ to me. They ever watch the Discovery Channel?

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- clide on April 7th, 2012 at 11:14 am said:
  
  There are Pumpkin Chunckers that are bigger, but they aren’t necessarily more powerful. Pumpkin Chunkers are usually limited by the rules of the game which means they can only use compressed air, and are specifically designed to keep the pumpkin from smashing. Which usually involves not opening the valve too quickly and limiting the pressure.
  
  This one uses the combustion of fuel in a pressurized environment which means it can generate high pressure and high temperature gasses that are able to accelerate the projectile past Mach 1. Also the 19 inch bore and sabot really help with the heavier projectiles. Most pumpkin chunkers have a 10 inch bore.
  
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homefreedomunlimited on April 11th, 2012 at 1:59 pm said:

Who noticed the almost invisible compression front that emits from the muzzle at 2:28 (before the projectile appears)? It explodes at 2:36, in mid-air, still in front of the projectile!
If you think that effect is interesting, you might like the ‘Flame Challenge’ (flamechallenge.org).

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Jeff Baird DO on April 11th, 2012 at 7:16 pm said:

yep, there is a lot of volume in the bore that gets pushed out as the projectile goes down the barrel. It didn’t appear to be much in the way of locking down the platform, and I didn’t see much recoil. given the energy of the projectile, I would think there would be a quite a bit of recoil, yes?
As for punkin chunkin, I’m waiting for the first punkin chunkin rail gun. Bet that one will be pricey.

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- Inigo93 on April 15th, 2012 at 8:51 pm said:
  
  There *is* quite a bit of recoil. What isn’t necessarily obvious is that the trailer in question is *heavy*.
  
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Cameron on May 7th, 2012 at 8:52 pm said:

My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle

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