*******Cross Posting from hindustan-varsity-offer-defence-tech-courses thread**************
(This not a book but Info on Weapon Design Course. Hope its appropriate here)
Cranfield University, Shrivenham in the UK offer Gun Design And Engg. Courses (MSc. Engg) as well as short duration courses (5 days).
Few DRDO personnel are known to have been sent by the Indian Govt. for training here.
India should also make her own version of Shrivenham, for Design and Engineering of Modern Armaments.
Just like IA Instructors were earlier trained in UK in Explosives, Demolitions, etc. and now are teaching it to IA personnel without any support,in places like CME, Poona, this should also be looked into.
Brief Description of Short Courses Offered are:
> Gun Systems Technology - Introduction (5 days/ cost 1600 Pounds)
Course contents:
Description of the Target and Threat
Build up of a Gun
Penetration of Target Armour
Explosives and Propellants
External Ballistics
Internal Ballistics
Ammunition Design
Barrel Design
Autofrettage and Fatigue
Breeches
Liquid Propellant and Electromagnetic Guns
Recoil Systems and Gun Mountings
Ammunition Handling
Control
Tank Guns
Self-Propelled Guns
Light Weapons
> Gun Systems Design (GSD) 1 (1 week/ cost 1600 Pounds)
Course description
This is a two week module; the first week will cover in-depth analysis, design and manufacture of a gun system, integration and the integrity of various sub-systems based upon the ammunition, gun, propellants, ballistics and the thermodynamics, while during the second week attendees will practise and experience the design on an ordnance.
Week 1:
The following topics will be covered:
Design Pressure and Maximum Safe Pressure (STANAG pressure terms)
Barrel Material and Heat Treatment
Ordnance Design (strength and fatigue)
Barrel Thermodynamics
Weapon Dynamics
Breech Design
Recoil System Design
Muzzle Brake Design
> Gun Systems Design (GSD) 2 (5 days / 1600 pounds)
Course description
This is a two week module; the first week will cover in-depth analysis, design and manufacture of a gun system, integration and the integrity of various sub-systems based upon the ammunition, gun, propellants, ballistics and the thermodynamics, while during the second week attendees will practise and experience the design on an ordnance.
Week 1: Gun Systems Design 1
Week 2: Gun Systems Design 2
During this week attendees will experience ordnance design by undertaking the following tasks:
Evaluation of Gun Barrel Design Pressure Curve (Load Analysis)
Evaluation of Safe Maximum Pressure (SMP)
Ordnance Design; autofrettage requirement, fatigue life
Barrel life (fatigue, wear and erosion)
Breech Design
Recoil System Design
Super Structure Design (cradle and saddle)
Rate of fire and Operating Temperature
CAD Modelling and Engineering Drawings
Material and Manufacturing specifications
This is good start , IMHO, to building engineering base for weapons design in India.
Also, the course content seems good, but not all efforts in this direction from the UK are good.
Their SA-80 bull pup assault rifle is a hoary piece of crap, another well known c**k up from the UK.
About the SA-80, the Brits themselves say, " Even the Germans couldn't fix it."
