Crystaliron Invented For Real?

[alex_greene]

Just spotted this news article on the BBC's website today:-

Could this be the real Crystaliron armour?

"Scientists from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) have devised an ultra-hard vehicle armour to protect military personnel.

Details of the steel armour, called Super Bainite, were outlined during a seminar at the University of Cambridge ..."

More on their website.

 

[alexhawman]

More likely it would be something like this

http://www.oerlikonbalzerscoating.c...ces/02-balinit-coatings/indexW3DnavidW261.php

but through the entire material instead of on the surface. The diamond version I expect.

Or possibly the sapphire armors being used today will be refined further.

 

[kristof65]

The material didn't fascinate me nearly as much as the holes.

Unexpectedly, the MoD team has given the armour a protective advantage by introducing holes into it.

According to scientist Professor Peter Brown, these perforations help deflect incoming projectiles.

"I wouldn't like to have been the first person to have suggested that," said Professor Brown, from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down in Wiltshire.

He explained: "You shouldn't think of them as holes, you should think of them as edges. When a bullet hits an edge, it gets deflected, and turns from a sharp projectile into a blunt fragment - which is much easier to stop. It doubles the ballistic performance and halves the weight."

If that winds up being a "better" way to make armour, it kind of gives things a different look than before.

 

[rust]

The material didn't fascinate me nearly as much as the holes.

I may well be wrong, but I seem to remember an article on helmets
made of a kind of "foam" with many small "holes" in it, which both
made the helmet lighter and gave additional protection, for exactly
the reasons mentioned in the article discussed here.

 

[cbrunish]

Yeah but I don't know if I want any holes in my star ship. That might cause problems.

 

[Gee4orce]

...and isn't this about 2 and a bit TL too early ?

 

[alex_greene]

Yeah but I don't know if I want any holes in my star ship. That might cause problems.

I could see the UK's Royal Navy also running into difficulties ...

 

[Jame Rowe]

...and isn't this about 2 and a bit TL too early ?

Sure, but our computers are about 5 or so TLs too early!

 

[rust]

...and isn't this about 2 and a bit TL too early ?

The tailored Vacc Suit also seems to come a bit early:
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/biosuit-0716.html

 

[kristof65]

I prefer to think that it isn't the vacc suits and computers that are coming too early, but that fusion and j-drives are arriving too late

 

[Shiloh]

The material didn't fascinate me nearly as much as the holes.

Unexpectedly, the MoD team has given the armour a protective advantage by introducing holes into it.

According to scientist Professor Peter Brown, these perforations help deflect incoming projectiles.

"I wouldn't like to have been the first person to have suggested that," said Professor Brown, from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down in Wiltshire.

He explained: "You shouldn't think of them as holes, you should think of them as edges. When a bullet hits an edge, it gets deflected, and turns from a sharp projectile into a blunt fragment - which is much easier to stop. It doubles the ballistic performance and halves the weight."

If that winds up being a "better" way to make armour, it kind of gives things a different look than before.

Hence why film heroes' string vests (yes, I'm looking at you, Mr Willis) seem to be bulletproof!

 

[alex_greene]

I don't recommend that Travellers of any species or gender acquire a preference for wearing string vests in battle zones, regardless.

 

[cbrunish]

I don't recommend that Travellers of any species or gender acquire a preference for wearing string vests in battle zones, regardless.

I think it's like when women just wear chainmail bikinis in fantasy settings.

 

[alex_greene]

Anyone care to sign up for a tour of duty aboard the INV Ral Partha?