Tiny Computers's Guide to External Ballistics

Welcome to Tiny Computers's Guide to External Ballistics

This comprehensive guide will teach you the fundamental physics and mathematics behind external ballistics. Whether you're an engineer, developer, competitive shooter, or simply curious about the science of projectile motion, these lessons will provide you with a solid foundation.

What You'll Learn: From basic projectile motion to advanced 6-DOF modeling, including drag forces, environmental effects, spin drift, and computational methods used in modern ballistics solvers.

Course Lessons

Lesson 1

Fundamentals of Projectile Motion

Learn the basic physics of projectile motion, including gravity, initial velocity components, and the parabolic trajectory equation. Introduction to coordinate systems and basic assumptions.

Lesson 2

Drag Forces and Ballistic Coefficients

Understand aerodynamic drag, the drag equation, standard drag functions (G1, G7), and the concept of ballistic coefficient. Learn how BC affects trajectory.

Lesson 3

Environmental Effects

Explore how temperature, pressure, humidity, altitude, and wind affect bullet flight. Learn about density altitude and atmospheric modeling.

Lesson 4

Spin Drift and Magnus Effect

Dive into gyroscopic effects, spin drift, Magnus force, and yaw of repose. Understand how bullet spin affects long-range trajectory.

Lesson 5

Advanced Trajectory Modeling

Learn about 4-DOF and 6-DOF models, numerical integration methods (Runge-Kutta), and computational approaches to solving ballistic equations.

Prerequisites

Basic understanding of physics (mechanics)
Algebra and trigonometry
Some calculus helpful but not required (we'll explain as needed)
Interest in understanding how projectiles fly!

How to Use This Guide

Each lesson builds on the previous one, so it's recommended to go through them in order. Mathematical equations are presented with explanations and practical examples. Take your time with each concept before moving on.

Note: This guide focuses on external ballistics (flight after leaving the barrel). Internal ballistics (inside the barrel) and terminal ballistics (impact effects) are separate topics not covered here.