OK, they claim in a laboratory setting 10,000 cycles. Of course a defective battery would be excluded from the results. And nothing gets damaged in the lab, if it were it would be repaired before the actual test. The grunt pinned down in the third world shithole will understand, when his scope is rendered useless.

isn't that on par with the same risk for the batteries in other equipment? radios come to mind. even so, in the video, they say that the scope is functional even with zero battery power, likely at a fixed field of view. a radio with a dead battery is not functional as a radio at all. I don't see this as a big drawback. as an addtional point of failure, meh, ok. It looks like a net positive to me.

Because 7 Achilles' heels are better than 8 Achilles' heels. Eliminate as many weak points as possible.

Gotta eliminate iron sights then...they can be bent.

Gotta eliminate bullets then...ya can run outta them.

Gotta make the guns out of titanium then...plastic can be broken.

If ya worst-case everything...:rolleyes:

If that grunt is worth his salt, he'll have two spare AAs.

And anyway, where were you hollering about batteries when all them dadgummed $700-and-up 1x (no magnification) Aimpoint red dot sights were getting slapped on ARs all over the dang place?:eyebrow:

[/ikid]

That's why you should have more than one system, for back-up.
That's why you get a bayonet too.
Titanium gets bent, plastic is tougher.

Then you see the value of simplicity and redundancy.

Sure, grabbed 'em at the last 7-11 a couple of clicks back.
Red dot? I like the red dot. I'mma catch that red dot! Look, it's on the curtain... no, the china closet... wait, the wall!! :bolt:

Nah, the other kind.

Even used, they ain't cheap.

Yeah, I'm familiar with them. I like 'em, but my ass ain't on the line.

In 1620s the Swedes decided to build a warship, named VASA. Not just any warship, but a kick ass and take names, 64 gun pride of the fleet. Unfortunately they had it designed by a committee, and if I remember correctly it was top heavy, so in 1628, 1 mile into it's maiden voyage it rolled over and sank. Well this was pretty embarrassing to the committee so they just left it on the bottom until 1961, when the raised and restored it.

A year ago someone decided they should make a 3 copies of one of the 24 pounder cannons and fire one.
That sounds like the bullshit needed to get a green light and funding, but we know they're doing this for fun. ;)

http://cellar.org/2014/swedecannon.jpg
So this is a major project, and they detailed at a website.

Lj has a short commute, but after a long day of bullshit, and even shorter fuse. :haha:

Yes! I need that

Yikes...Are...are those actually...turbochargers?

They look kinda turbo-ish.

I thought they were Gatling Guns.

Brian Shul talks about his time with the SR-71 Blackbird.

Attachment 49609

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Blackbird's first flight.

Awesome.

I remember the first time I saw that plane. It was at an airshow at Norton AFB in Southern California. It made a couple passes over the field, so loud, so dramatic, what an EPIC aircraft. The last pass was a real surprise. For some reason we were all looking to the west (or whatever, to the right, I don't know for sure.. .thataway) and waiting for the speck and the sound to arrive and swell and overwhelm us. Then everyone's heads turned to the east and there she was coasting (relatively speaking) in, silently. Then when she got over the field the pilot put the hammer aaaaalll the way down, double rainbow afterburner baby. BLAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMM and gone. just ... gone.

Absolutely epic.

I got another look at one close up, close enough to steal a touch at the Museum of Flight here in the Seattle area. It is every inch the badass up close that every other representation shows. This machine radiates untouchable invincibility.