As part of an ongoing project, which has recently spawned a batch of 1:2743 (9ft to the mm) FDM prints, which now need painting and masting, I have been looking at Smoothbore ordnance and the 'plausible' ballistic performance of the divers ordnance types in their various loading conditions (both from windage and from variation of powder charges).

I am currently using my own spreadsheet for the trajectory modelling, based on the NACA drag data as interpolated by Dr Collins, and with internal ballistics after the model presented in Lafay "Aide Memoire d'Artillerie Navale", which provides a common basis for the modelling both of well documented and rather less well described ordnance - based on bore length, diameter, windage and shot weight, allowing the variation in velocity and carry for all of the high gauge, middling gauge, found low gauge and service low gauge states, as well as for hollow shot or shell.

I do currently describe the displacement of the muzzle with elevation relative to a fixed trunnion (and trivial to extend to a joint, once I have calculated the geometry as it differs), as well as the trajectory which arises from a 'mean trajectory' at each of any of angle of fire, angle of fall, range, penetration or 'point of aiming'.

There are a great many questions I can ask of the dataset and model, and 'common input' results which are the outputs are interesting, but I am interested in what 'particular targets' might be considered as of especial value.

I see 'levelled ordnance' falling from a position mounted on a carriage on a nominal platform to the platform height, or perhaps down to the sea level, as being obvious, as well as the same, but pointed by line of metal to a horizontal sight line. For carronades, which from 1782 had dispart sights fitted with notches for several discrete angles, also intermediate angles from the levelled piece to elevated to the line of metal.

An elevated sight line of the LOM to the top of the main yard of a 74 is also something I have investigated.

Penetrations of "thick" targets by reduced, standard and distant charges, and the ranges at which they become marginal according to the Didion/Poncelet form are easy to derive, but I am uncertain what I should consider as "thick" especially as it relates to the lighter natures of ordnance.

The influence of motion/error in pointing relative to the ease of pointing/impact of errors in range is of interest.

Any questions/suggestions/observations are most welcome, and will help refine the questions I ask, and the usefulness of the answers the model can supply - though note it is more for producing a consistent set of data than strictly reproducing a singular firing range day. (Values are in the same 'scale' as those published from tests in the last decades of the C18th and first decades of the C19th though).