Again, this following as well, is with reference to John A. Tuttle's
article of 20.11.03 (Ref. 1, below).

The therein referenced AMICA Bulletin article can be read sans
trouble or expense by simply submitting to Google Search its title
in quotes thus: "A Contribution to the Theory of Striker Pneumatics",
and voila! its link will be found directly showing, at the top of that
page. Click it, and a pdf download will ensue. Save it, and read.

It is a fortunate thing for the lower echelons of ones interested
in mecha-musicana, that some at Stanford have made such wonderful
reference material become available, to they who cannot be members
(for whatever the reason) of that most august associative body.

I read over Peter Brown's fine opus found on their pages, and found
it useful and interesting. Well, at least so until encountering the
equations section beginning at "APPENDIX -- The following theory was
developed by the author in 1978, to explain Dr. Hickman's experimental
results showing the force generated by a pneumatic as it collapses
from wide open to closed."

Upon encountering it, the "above your pay grade, James!" alarm
buzzer went off. As usual, most impressive to see there but, of not
much use here.

I do recall gandering Dave Saul's like-opus too, in that same
Bulletin a while back, and it also was impressive indeed! Knowing
Dave Saul as once I did, why, I'd take anything he stated as near-
gospel! (Any utterance as relating to our area of interest made by
Wayne Stahnke likewise but, sans the "near" part.)

In both works though, I find it peculiar that only the very first
configuration for "striker" pneumatics has ever been considered for
analyses, to say nothing of tangible use. No way that to get any
pneumatic to behave in a constant rather than wild hare way. No siree!
(There exist two others that in combination will allow for
materialization of that 'holy grail'. The precise timing and
distribution of energy being everything; all the rest, not much.)

This same applies equally to non-constant force/stroke solenoids. In
this particular defective regard, they are champs! But here, digital
fix-ups and like-effective trickery come to the rescue regardless.
(They work but, at an exactment that really should not be necessary.)

Ah! If only there were existing an ordinary slug-in-the-hole solenoid
that featured constant force and displacement/constant current in! What
a miracle that would be! Unfortunately for all, the equationeers do not
know how to make one. (More's the pity, no?)

Yes, it is all in knowing how to do things to an understood, settled
purpose; the theorizing and predictive equations all about them, coming
after dragging. Fine!

What is necessary to the final perfection of pneumatic play in that
reproductive way, has not yet even begun! Still, very much work lays
ahead. After, the results proving will astound the very smartest of the
smart sets!

Jim Miller
Las Vegas, Nevada

Ref. 1: https://www.mmdigest.com/Archives/Digests/202011/2020.11.03.01.html 

 [ It appears that Stanford incorporated the entire referenced Amica journal
 [ in their research citation.   They really aren't supposed to do that
 [ so don't count on it staying there.

 [ I'd like to put a plug in here to encourage our readers to subscribe
 [ to AMICA (and MBSI) as their research, printed journals, websites, and (post
 [ Covid) social activites provide value and we would all be worse off
 [ if either of them fail because of low subscribership.  Robbie, Matthew,
 [ and I are members of both organizations, and Robbie and I are also members
 [ of the local chapters of both organizations in Southern California.   --Jody