So, Would This Be a NFA Item?

[ShotgunBlast]

Might be worth getting the tax stamp.

Lasers have staggering range, can attack land or air-based targets and are dirt-cheap to fire, making them ideal for a military with one eye on the budget. Now, Lockheed Martin has worked out that the technology could also be used for stopping a car without resorting to lethal force. The company has been testing out a new fiber-optic laser, called ATHENA, which was able to burn through the engine manifold of a truck that was over a mile away.

http://www.engadget.com/2015/03/04/lock ... hena-test/

[OakRidgeStars]

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to burn a hole in an engine manifold from a mile away.

Then again, it might be fun with tailgaters.

[MarcSpaz]

I* love how they leave out that it took almost 15 minutes for the engine to finally stop running. Turn up the juice sparky. We don't have that kind of time.

[AlanM]

I* love how they leave out that it took almost 15 minutes for the engine to finally stop running. Turn up the juice sparky. We don't have that kind of time.

Not that I doubt you, actually knowing the physics involved I suspected as much, but do you have a link for that information?

[MarcSpaz]

Nope. I saw it an another video several months ago. Plus I heard some LM guys talking about it at a work site.

I was being a little misleading though... I want to say the real time was 7 or 8 minutes. I had to spice it up a bit for the entertainment factor. LoL

If I can find the other video, I wil post it. Heading to bed now, but if someone else doesn't find it before I get home tomorrow, I'll see if I can hunt it down.

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[SHMIV]

That WOULD be fun with tailgaters. Probably wouldn't take near as long to burn a hole in a radiator. Those are made out of relatively thin aluminum. (Compared to burning through a steel hood, and a steel intake manifold )

Actually, that probably would have been the better place to aim. If they hit it it right, they could have knocked out the cooling system for the transmission, as well as the engine. Probably could have taken out the fan, too.

May as well aim for a weak point.

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[AlanM]

I could be wrong but I suspect it's pretty difficult to melt an aluminum object that's filled with water.
There's a "Mister Wizard" trick where you boil water in a paper container on an electric stove top burner.

[dorminWS]

Wait a minute..... something that will burn a hole in an engine manifold isn't lethal?

[SHMIV]

@Alan: I don't know. I've burnt a paper cup of coffee in a microwave. Maybe I'll hold a torch to an aluminum container filled with water, next time I'm home. I'd try it with a laser, but I don't have one strong enough.

@Dorm: Not if you refrain from standing between the laser and the engine.

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[dorminWS]

Wait a minute..... something that will burn a hole in an engine manifold isn't lethal?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If you say so, but that hole they burned in the hood of the pickup truck is only about 2 feet from the driver. That would be about 20 feet too dang close to suit me. Pretty sure a pickup hood is a right smart tougher than the crotch of my britches.

[Reverenddel]

How about just lobbing a freakin' grenade with a strong magnet?

Less money, less trouble, and just as lethal.