Electromagnetic Railguns

In this lecture, former research engineer Derek Putley will review UK experimental work from the 1980s and 1990s, including the origin story of a wooden railgun model now held at the Royal Armouries.

‘Enough of this. Bring up the railguns, let’s finish this and go home.’ - MCRN Captain Theresa Yao, The Expanse, 2015

Electromagnetic railguns are guns powered by electricity instead of chemical propellants. Most will be familiar with railguns as futuristic weapons featured in science fiction. To date, many countries have carried out experimental and theoretical studies of railguns but none has yet developed them into practical weapons.

The lecture will explore the scientific principles of railgun operation and some of the engineering challenges involved. Derek will also explore some of his experiences from UK experimental work from the 1980s and 1990s, when railguns were seen as potential future anti-tank weapons.

This will include the design and patenting of a railswitch breech for the RARDE experimental programme. He will shed light on the full size wooden model of the patented railswitch breech, now held in the Royal Armouries collection at Fort Nelson (object number XIX.852). He will also talk about his work on the Hyperlocity Test Facility railgun at Culham Laboratory.