Very Complete Ballistic Data on a 14-Inch Gun and Two Attempts at Its Analysis: Observations Made at Dahlgren Proving Ground by Personnel of National Bureau of Standards in 1923 (Classic Reprint)

Explore the science of ballistics in a 1923 official study of a 14-inch gun. This edition lays out observed forces, drag models, and how rotation shapes trajectory.

This report presents a structured look at the forces acting on a shell during flight. It covers gravity, air resistance, and the effects of rotation, with practical discussion of how these factors are treated in trajectory calculations. The text compares different resistance formulas and notes where high-velocity behavior may differ from simple cross‑section scaling.

• How air resistance is expressed and how the form factor changes with velocity
• The influence of tilt and rotation on drag, center of pressure, and the resulting forces at the shell’s center of gravity
• How the velocity function f(v) is treated at different ranges and speeds
• Comparisons of Mallock, Cranz, and Krupp data and their impact on trajectory predictions