lb3 said:I've viewed that video 30 times if I've watched it once but only on my phone and it's well done if it's a fake. But like you, I couldn't wrap my head around the g forces needed to turn that missile like that.agent-maroon said:
That's an incredibly tight turning radius to make it back to the launchpad that quickly at speed. Are we sure that isn't shopped?
It appears to decelerate at the start of the turn which seems non sensical. But that's when it turns towards the camera so it's angular movement relative to the observer would be expected to diminish a bit.
At first I was also thinking the control fins would be too small, the rocket too heavy, and the velocity too slow early in the flight to make that turn.
Then I looked up the S-300 and at first glance, it appears to have no fins and seems to rely on thrust vectoring for maneuvering. That, accounts for all those anomalies.
The explosion fireworks aren't from the small warhead, it's the solid rocket motor coming apart at impact/detonation and fragments burning on their way back to the ground.
I think it's real.
Further in that thread was a second video from a different angle.
