WT> I doubt if you can get a ball bearing moving that fast ou
WT> of a sling.  A Civil War rifled musket with a heavy charge
WT> of "patent" black powder could get a .54 to .58 caliber
WT> Minie bullet well into the 2,000+ fps range which is
WT> somewhere around twice the speed of sound.
TE> Would you believe 9,500 rpm?  A 4 ft. cord with the pouch in
TE> the middle means a 2 ft. radius and a 12.6 ft circumference.
TE>  (2 * pi * R) That means you have to spin the sucker at
TE> 9,500 rpm to reach 2,000 fps at the end of the cord.
TE> Actually the service load (70 gr. of FF) was closer to 1,20
TE> fps. or less, even in the long barreled muskets of the day.
TE> That would require *only* 5,730 rpm to duplicate.
TE> How's about it, is you arm up to the task?
        Hmmm.  Muskets were muzzle loaders as I recall.  The ones that were
rifled were beech loaders.  I've a friend near Oak Ridge that has an
authentic, operational Springfield.  According to him, it wasn't a very good
rifle and couldn't achieve the velocity your speaking of.  At 100 yards, he
couldn't hit a man sized target 8 0f 10 shots.  It had a great bayonet 
hough.
        I think I have what your hinting.  Goliath died of shock!  Right? ;-)
But.  Even as a 14 year old, I could break a shiplap siding board on a house
at a hundred yards.  Of note, the sling - shot is not a thing you just start
spinning and let-er-rip somewhere on the diameter.  It is that final
centrifugal snap wherein the power is generated. That is roughly 1/3 of the
arc. (or zip..)
        That's where this darned Capissi Spacecraft is so spooky.  It will
almost re-enter the earths atmosphere for that `snap'.  That is why so many
are a bit concerned about using earth as the source of power to shoot that
contraption off to who knows where.  Let's compute 73 pounds of plutonium
loosed in the atmosphere. (Grumble. Perfectly good segue built up and we got
Goliath dropping dead of shock!  You know he was a Palestinian didn't you?)
        So?  What can a good heavy sling deliver for 50 yards besides a rock
or ball-bearing?  A San Diego Gang Grenade?  Rotten eggs?  It will launch a
toy parachute to about 200 ft up.
T
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