Hypersonic pneumatic gun

A pneumatic gun configured to fire a projectile, comprising:

• multiple cylinders storing gas at high pressure;
• a barrel having a first end and a second end;
• a pre-chamber storage vessel aligned with a bore axis of the barrel in fluid communication with the multiple cylinders;
• an annular slot sleeve valve comprising a first body portion, a second body portion, a sleeve slidably engaged about the second body portion, a first valve seat between the sleeve and the first body portion, and a second valve seat between the sleeve and the second body portion, wherein:
• the sleeve is configured to slide along the second body portion from a closed-valve position where the sleeve is seated upon both the first and second valve seats to an open-valve position where the sleeve is unseated from each of the first and second valve seats, and
• the sleeve valve is in fluid communication with the pre-chamber storage vessel and configured to mechanically control the flow of gas from the pre-chamber storage vessel;
• a De Laval nozzle immediately adjacent the sleeve valve and upstream of the barrel, wherein the nozzle is shaped to accelerate the gas to supersonic velocity across an axial length of the nozzle;
• the first end of the barrel being disposed adjacent to the nozzle such that the first end of the barrel abuts an opening of the nozzle;
• and
• a mechanical control mechanism configured to mechanically open the sleeve valve upon actuation of the control mechanism, wherein the sleeve valve is configured to remain open until a projectile exits the barrel.

A pneumatic gun configured to fire a projectile, comprising:

• multiple-cylinder gas storage system configured to store gas at high pressure;
• a barrel having a first end and a second end;
• a pre-chamber storage vessel aligned with a bore axis of the barrel in fluid communication with the multiple-cylinder gas storage system;
• an annular slot sleeve valve comprising a first body portion, a second body portion, a sleeve slidably engaged about the second body portion, a first valve seat between the sleeve and the first body portion, and a second valve seat between the sleeve and the second body portion, wherein:
• the sleeve is configured to slide along the second body portion from a closed-valve position, where the sleeve is seated upon both the first and second valve seats, to an open-valve position, where the sleeve is unseated from each of the first and second valve seats, and
• the sleeve valve is in fluid communication with the pre-chamber storage vessel and configured to mechanically control the flow of gas from the pre-chamber storage vessel;
• a De Laval nozzle immediately adjacent the sleeve valve and upstream of the barrel, wherein the nozzle is shaped to accelerate the gas to supersonic velocity across an axial length of the nozzle;
• the first end of the barrel being disposed adjacent to the nozzle such that the first end of the barrel abuts an opening of the nozzle;
• and
• a mechanical trigger configured to mechanically open the sleeve valve upon actuation of the trigger, wherein the sleeve valve is configured to remain open until at least a portion of a projectile exits the barrel.