Slide gun

A slide gun is a gun that fires gliders or other spaceships sideways from an extending arm. The arm consists of a salvo of spaceships which are continually pushing a still life or small constellation, releasing a glider in the process. This releases a wave of spaceships rather than a stream, as each spaceship is on a different path. The first slide gun was constructed by Dietrich Leithner in July 1994, and was based on a diagonal block-pushing reaction.

A simple slide gun
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Tethered rake
A switch engine-based tethered rake
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A tethered rake is similar to a slide gun in that it has an extending arm, but the end of the arm is in constant motion. This may mean that it has a spaceship or a volatile reaction at its front. Due to the precise timing of gliders or other spaceships required to support such reactions, tethered rakes are often more period-dependent than slide guns.

A simple example of a tethered rake is a Simkin glider gun aimed at one of the duoplet sparks of a 58P5H1V1 spaceship.

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See also
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