quote:

Originally posted by stoic-one:

quote:

AFAIK, Phalanx has always been 20mm. And yes, used DU shells.

Oops, you're right. I have several of the original ammo boxes, and they're all labelled 20mm. My mistake.

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Originally posted by SgtGold:

quote:

Originally posted by stoic-one:

quote:

AFAIK, Phalanx has always been 20mm. And yes, used DU shells.

Oops, you're right. I have several of the original ammo boxes, and they're all labelled 20mm. My mistake.

I sincerely hope the ammo boxes you have didn't contain the DU rounds. They're mildly radio active.

quote:

Originally posted by stoic-one:

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Originally posted by SgtGold:

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Originally posted by stoic-one:

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AFAIK, Phalanx has always been 20mm. And yes, used DU shells.

Oops, you're right. I have several of the original ammo boxes, and they're all labelled 20mm. My mistake.

I sincerely hope the ammo boxes you have didn't contain the DU rounds. They're mildly radio active.

Yep, but no rounds, but the boxes are labelled as such. I keep them in my shed and don't use them as stools/benches

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Originally posted by corsair:
Problem with the Phalanx is it's good for 3, maybe 4 engagements before its needs to be reloaded. Something to think about when dealing with a swarm of inbound vampires or, a small boat attack.

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Originally posted by Tommydogg:

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Originally posted by stoic-one:

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Originally posted by SgtGold:

quote:

Originally posted by stoic-one:

quote:

AFAIK, Phalanx has always been 20mm. And yes, used DU shells.

Oops, you're right. I have several of the original ammo boxes, and they're all labelled 20mm. My mistake.

I sincerely hope the ammo boxes you have didn't contain the DU rounds. They're mildly radio active.

Yep, but no rounds, but the boxes are labelled as such. I keep them in my shed and don't use them as stools/benches

the box should have a stencil. You may have boxes from dumm rounds, or tungsten. The DU rounds were encased in a nylon sabot so DU would not normally touch the box. DU has bot been used since mid 90s.

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Originally posted by Tommydogg:
I was a Phalanx tech for 20 years in the Navy. I was in the second class that was taught in Great Lakes in 1980. I even made it one of the ships that was in the first batch in Norfolk to Get CIWS. I served on the USS Savannah as the CIWs Work Center Sup then the USS Iowa as the Work center sup for the 2 forward mounts. After that I went back to Great Lakes as a CIWS instructor for 4 years then Off to 2 more ships. The first version of CIWS had a hydraulic drive system for the M61A1 gatlin gun that cycled for a firing rate of 3000 rounds a minute (50 rds per second). Block 1, the second version had a Pneumatic drive that cycled the gun to shoot 4500 Rounds a minute (75 Rds Sec). Block zero had a rotating search radar that had a limited search beam height. Block 0 the second version had a rotating phase array antenna that had closer to 90 degrees elevation coverage. Both versions had the same tracking system. The rounds used for target practice were of a ball type 20 mm round which tended to swiss chees a towed target which tended to take more rounds to destroy targets because they were towed. Battle ammo in the begging was DU, latter we used tungsten. Both tungsten and DU 20 mm was sub caliber and covered by a nylon sabot. When firing at a live target, the radar would detect with the search radar and track with a tracking radar, both located in the white radome. A few mileseconds after opening fire, the tracking radar would multiplex between the target and the space in front and behind the target looking for outbound rounds. The computer would use this to correct the aim of the gun to place ordnance on target. A self propelled target such as a missle would take less ammo to destroy than a towed target due to the ammo used and the action of destroying the airframe vice poking holes in a towed target with ball ammo. Some folks tended to freak out when it took 3 or 4 hundred rounds to destroy a towed target. It was a lot of fun! Being there in the begging of the program was a great honor and learning experience. When I taught it, specialized in the radar, gun, radar servo interface and mount movement subsystems.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommydogg:
I was a Phalanx tech for 20 years in the Navy. I was in the second class that was taught in Great Lakes in 1980. I even made it one of the ships that was in the first batch in Norfolk to Get CIWS. <snip>

quote:

Originally posted by Tommydogg:
I was a Phalanx tech for 20 years in the Navy. I was in the second class that was taught in Great Lakes in 1980. I even made it one of the ships that was in the first batch in Norfolk to Get CIWS. I served on the USS Savannah as the CIWs Work Center Sup then the USS Iowa as the Work center sup for the 2 forward mounts. After that I went back to Great Lakes as a CIWS instructor for 4 years then Off to 2 more ships. The first version of CIWS had a hydraulic drive system for the M61A1 gatlin gun that cycled for a firing rate of 3000 rounds a minute (50 rds per second). Block 1, the second version had a Pneumatic drive that cycled the gun to shoot 4500 Rounds a minute (75 Rds Sec). Block zero had a rotating search radar that had a limited search beam height. Block 0 the second version had a rotating phase array antenna that had closer to 90 degrees elevation coverage. Both versions had the same tracking system. The rounds used for target practice were of a ball type 20 mm round which tended to swiss chees a towed target which tended to take more rounds to destroy targets because they were towed. Battle ammo in the begging was DU, latter we used tungsten. Both tungsten and DU 20 mm was sub caliber and covered by a nylon sabot. When firing at a live target, the radar would detect with the search radar and track with a tracking radar, both located in the white radome. A few mileseconds after opening fire, the tracking radar would multiplex between the target and the space in front and behind the target looking for outbound rounds. The computer would use this to correct the aim of the gun to place ordnance on target. A self propelled target such as a missle would take less ammo to destroy than a towed target due to the ammo used and the action of destroying the airframe vice poking holes in a towed target with ball ammo. Some folks tended to freak out when it took 3 or 4 hundred rounds to destroy a towed target. It was a lot of fun! Being there in the begging of the program was a great honor and learning experience. When I taught it, specialized in the radar, gun, radar servo interface and mount movement subsystems.

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Originally posted by OMCHamlin:

quote:

Originally posted by Tommydogg:
I was a Phalanx tech for 20 years in the Navy. I was in the second class that was taught in Great Lakes in 1980. ... After that I went back to Great Lakes as a CIWS instructor for 4 years ...

Oh yeah, we went to Opticalman "A" and "C" school on the floors above your glass CIWS room at GLAKES, in the building right above the beach.

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Originally posted by SpinZone:
I still have a small dent in my skull from where a few pounds of dummy rounds fell on me when a link broke while we were downloading DU rounds and replacing them with dummy rounds for the weight.

Medical told me that if the link that broke had been 6 inches higher I would not be here today to talk about it.