Talk:Multi-cannon/@comment-34004391-20180105120619/@comment-2600:387:6:80E:0:0:0:88-20180326210609
I suspect the biggest reason for the lower rate of fire (besides game balancing) is heat management. Here on Earth aircraft-mounted cannons enjoy exceptional air cooling as a result of wind passing rapidly over the gun barrels. On top of that they usually fire in relatively short bursts.
Guns in Elite Dangerous do not have the ability to transfer heat via convection due to being in the vacuum of space and must rely on heat conduction, both through the ship’s liquid cooling system (which Mmust be shared through the entire ship) and direct conduction with a contacting surface. The latter may be a reason for the substantial weight of the gun systems - more mass equals better heat control, so barrels and carrier drive housings could be intentionally beefed up.
Since heat is such an issue in space, the guns having slow rates of fire makes sense. Each barrel only needs to handle about 100 rounds per minute, and due to the nature of space combat long bursts are frequently needed.
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