CONFED WEAPONS TEST FACILITY
KREIGER STARBASE
DUST CANNON OVERVIEW
 

THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF PROCESS AND FUNCTION OF THE "DUST CANNON". ALL INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR PILOT REVIEW PURPOSES AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED EYES ONLY.

AFTER REVIEW OF THE CORIOLIS REPORT FROM MIDWAY IT WAS DETERMINED THAT BARREL HOUSING REPLACEMENT, HEAT DAMAGE AND POWER CONSUMPTION PROBLEMS HAVE IMPROVED VERY LITTLE WITH CURRENT "MASS DRIVER" TECHNOLOGY. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT THE "DUST CANNON" WEAPON WAS DEVELOPED FOR USE IN CIS-VARIANT CRAFT.

THE NEW "DUST" HOUSING IS KNIT TOGETHER BY NANOBOTIC SURFACES THAT PREVENT HEAT-DAMAGE AND ARE SEMI-RESTORATIVE. ADDITIONALLY, DUE TO THE SMALL SIZE OF THE PROJECTILE, BARREL DAMAGE IS CUT TO A MINIMUM.

SHRIKE, WASP, AND VAMPIRE FIGHTER VARIANTS HAVE BEEN FITTED WITH THE "DUST-CULL" SYSTEM. ALTHOUGH THE SHRIKE'S EXHAUST SYSTEM PROVIDED AMPLE ROOM FOR THE SCRAPING MECHANISM, THE WASP AND VAPIRE POSED A TECHNICAL CHALLENGE OVERCOME BY THE JOINT BARTOK, HURSTON, AND CONFEDERATION RESEARCHERS.

WASTE PARTICLES ARE RECOVERED FROM THE EXHAUST FILTER OF THE SHIP'S CORE AND CYCLED TO A STANDARD MASS DRIVER HOUSING BY THE COMBINATION OF A "CULL" DEVICE AND MODIFIED FUEL-FEED. THE RESULT IS AN AMMUNITION SUPPLY THAT IS NOT LIMITED BY ANYTHING SAVE THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SHIP'S REACTOR.

THE DUST CANNON IS ABLE TO DELIVER MORE FIREPOWER THAN THE MASS DRIVER, WITH A FASTER RECHARGE RATE DURING CONTINUED USAGE.

BEING THAT THE DUST PARTICLE EJECTION UNIT IS BASED UPON THE SAME PRINCIPLES OF MASS DRIVER TECHNOLOGY THE DESIGN PROVIDES THE SAME SYSTEM FUNCTIONALITY FROM WITHIN COCKPIT TO ELIMINATE ANY ORIENTATION FIELD TRAINING. THE PRIMARY GAINS FROM THE WEAPON ARE INCREASED EFFICIENCY, SELF-SUFFICIENT GENERATION OF AMMUNITION, AND INCREASED DAMAGE POTENTIAL.

WE HOPE THAT THIS DOCUMENT HAS PROVIDED A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF THE DUST CANNON'S BASIC DEISGN AND FUNCTION. IF YOU REQUIRE FURTHER INFORMATION, REQUESTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED AT YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER.