City's worst laser attacks on aircraft

[luvduvs]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/laser-snipers-hit-planes/2008/03/29/1206207485440.html

I can understand why people throw rocks at buses or jump in front of trains (actually maybe I don't understand), but trying to blind the pilots and bring down a commercial aircraft with hundreds on board?

One of the pilots reported the laser beams appeared to be coming from the vicinity of a McDonald's restaurant near Bexley, about five kilometres south-west of the airport. Staff at the restaurant said they had not seen anything - too busy making fries

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

I mean where do they get these lazers?

 

[luvduvs]

They're actually quite readily available; lecturers use them in classes, my colleagues use them for presentations etc.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

What, they're just normal lazer pens? I've got loads.

 

[bulldog5046]

na they are called nexion (i think) lasers, they are on ebay for varing prices depending how powerful you want it, £50 will get you a balloon popper, a few hundred will get you something very dangeous.....

 

[arseofbox]

na they are called nexion (i think) lasers, they are on ebay for varing prices depending how powerful you want it, £50 will get you a balloon popper, a few hundred will get you something very dangeous.....

Thats still only mW rates. About 100W laser power is needed to cut through 3mm steel I think - those laser's are a good £10K new id suggest.

Scarily, the US Government has a plan to mount a MW power laser on the front of a Boeing 747 to intercept ICBM's from a silly distance (600 nautical miles+)

Boeing YAL-1

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Thats still only mW rates. About 100W laser power is needed to cut through 3mm steel I think - those laser's are a good £10K new id suggest.

Scarily, the US Government has a plan to mount a MW power laser on the front of a Boeing 747 to intercept ICBM's from a silly distance (600 nautical miles+)

Boeing YAL-1

Scary stuff! Showing my ignorance here. Whats a ICBM?

 

[arseofbox]

Scary stuff! Showing my ignorance here. Whats a ICBM?

InterContinental Ballistic Missile.

Fundamentallly a cruise missile. Used to deliver nuclear warheads to targets amongst other things