So tonight I was at a social mixer for a professional conference talking to a guy, the topic turned to VERA and....
....Sadly, it sounds like there's yet another gun that makes VERA look small. This gun has a barrel of approximately 50' with a 24" bore. It's on the top of a mountain so even though the gun itself is level it can give it's payload some good free-flight time.
Google Earth even shows it.
Sadly, the guy said that nobody seems to know what the gun was built for.
By that I mean, he's been aware of it's existence for many years but it's been abandoned for all the time he's aware of it and none of the old timers he's talked to remember it ever being used. It's time to call your Congressmen! This beast needs to be resurrected!
Another gun that makes VERA look small.
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D_Hall
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Been thinking about it. It's interesting that it's pointed to the SE. If it were pointed to the NW it could probably give a projectile more free flight time (presumably good). So why SE? Obvious answer is concealment. Shoot to the NW and a lot of folks will be able to see your test. Shoot to the SE and only people in that little valley will be able to see it. Given such considerations despite it already on a military base near the Manzano complex (Cold War nuclear weapons storage site)....
....I'm guessing it was used to test aerodynmic characteristics of nuclear weapons back in the day.
....I'm guessing it was used to test aerodynmic characteristics of nuclear weapons back in the day.