I was thinking more along the lines of "sh" than "ll",
but the saga of Mr. Bull certainly deserves contemplation.



On 2/15/08, Apptech <apptech@paradise.net.nz> wrote:
> Engineers in general will find the page references below of
> interest.
> Rocket geeks the more so.
>
> >> It was claimed that at one stage Iraq was attempting to
> >> achieve this, but that was a load of Bull.
>
> > Well, you got the first two letters right.
>
> No, I got all 4 right - but that too was a joke of sorts.
> Gargoyling
>
>                     Gerald Bull HARP
>
> will tell much.
>
> Good HARP writeup.
> Impressive picture of HARP 16" gun firing.
>
>     http://www.astronautix.com/articles/abroject.htm
>
>
> Bull was attempting to develop high altitude projectiles
> using converted ex US Navy guns, with a long term aim of
> building a satellite launcher.  Barbados was the unlikely
> site of much of the HARP work. When he had problem with
> general interest in funding he acquired a patron from a
> country whose name begins with Ir and which doesn't end with
> an.
>
> They were building several immense and long "guns" fixed on
> hillsides. The larger one whose sections were found in
> storage after a storm in a desert had AFAIR internal
> diamters of about 2 feet (I have photos here somewhere and
> no doubt My Gargoyle does too).
>
> There were various claims about what they were trying to do.
> Some said the aim was a low tech way of launching
> satellites. I think (for various reasons) that they would
> not have easily succeeded at that. (Note that a gun launched
> projectile must also have an inbuilt  rocket stage to
> achieve orbit - without it only a ballistic trajectory is
> achievable.). To me a more likely aim
> was a "Paris Gun" type device which would have allows Iraq
> (ah, that's the name) to have shelled Israel directly.
>
> Whatever was planned, Israel didn't like the idea and Bull
> was murdered by Israeli agents.
>
>
>
>                 Russell
>
> =================================
>
> In the 1950's Bull pioneered the use of gun-fired models as
> an economical approach to study supersonic aerodynamics. The
> model was fitted with a wooden shell, or sabot, that matched
> the diameter of the gun barrel. After leaving the barrel the
> sabot would fall away and the model would continue, with
> high-speed cameras recording its behaviour in flight.
>
> By 1961 Bull had expanded his concept and obtained a $10
> million joint contract from the US and Canadian Defence
> Departments for a High Altitude Research Program (HARP).
> This was to prove the feasibility of using large guns for
> launch of scientific and military payloads on sub-orbital
> and orbital trajectories.
>
> For long range shots a range was established at Barbados,
> where the payloads could be sent eastward over the Atlantic.
> A surplus 125 tonne US Navy 16 inch gun was used as the
> launcher. The standard 20 m barrel was extended to 36 m, and
> converted to a smooth-bore. In 1962 - 1967 Bull launched
> over 200 atmospheric probes to altitudes of up to 180 km.
>
> By this time relations between Canada and the United States
> were strained because of the Viet Nam war. Canada terminated
> the project. Bull managed to retain title to the assets of
> HARP, and became a consultant to artillery manufacturers and
> users. This included work with South Africa, supported by
> the American CIA. This landed him in jail in 1980 for
> illegal arms dealing.
>
> After release from prison he moved to Europe and continued
> to help the world's combatants to modify their artillery to
> out-range their opponents. This eventually led to a contract
> with Iraq to build the 'Project Babylon' supergun, designed
> for launch of payloads into orbit or warheads over extreme
> ranges. Israel did not consider this a threatening weapon,
> but Bull's work to assist the Iraqi's in a multistage
> missile using clusters of Scud rockets was another matter.
> After refusing to break contact with the Iraqis despite
> repeated warnings, Bull was assassinated in March 1990. The
> gun was never completed and was disassembled by the United
> Nations after Iraq's defeat in the Gulf War.
>
>
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