Physics of Fighter Jets

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Missiles

f16

http://www.thelondoneveningpost.com/nato-warplanes-continue-to-pound-libyan-cities-despite-fall-of-gaddafi/an-f-16-jet-fighter-firing-an-amraam-air-to-ground-missile-over-libya/


    Missiles are a fighter jet's most fundamental armaments.  From anti-aircraft missiles to air-to-surface missiles, fighters utilize different missiles for their numerous objectives.  Missiles today are laser guided or GPS guided allowing them to have unprecedented accuracy.  They are able to hit targets miles away with an error of only a few inches making them formidable weapons.  To counter the deadliness of missiles, tanks have developed extremely thick armor.  With standard missiles, these tanks are impenetrable, but with high-explosive anti-tank warheads (HEAT), the impregnable tanks can be pierced. 

warhead

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-explosive_anti-tank_warhead


     HEAT missiles have an inverted cone on the head of the missile.  The inverted cone redirects the force of the blast towards the front, rather than exploding from all sides.  This force creates a super high velocity partial stream of metal in a state of super-plasticity, which is used to penetrate the vehicle's armor.  The stream of metal is not melted by heat however, but instead the metal has such high kinetic energy that it acts as a fluid.