A Random Blurb of (Science) Fiction
An entry in the unofficial type M starship pilot's manual:
Ramming Speed
Every ship has a theoretical ideal ramming speed, the speed (relative to your target) which (so the engineers tell us) will maximize the ratio of damage done to the target vessel versus the damage done to the ramming vessel. Hit too slow and you will end up at point blank with an enemy you haven't disabled, probably thrown into a spin by the impact (considering that ramming is usually a last resort against an overpowering opponent, this is not a desirable situation). Hit too fast and both ships will be destroyed (see: Full Acceleration Ram). Hit at just the right speed, and the target will sustain major damage while the ramming ship's vital systems remain, if not undamaged, at least functional.
That's all well and good, but just remember, it's entirely theoretical. Sure, it's been tested in computer simulations, and the maneuver has been used successfully in a few notable battles (the engineers have all the details memorized and love to recite them to skeptics), but in practice, the actual ideal ramming speed changes from one minute to the next, depending on how much damage has already been done to each ship, the exact points of impact (sure, there's an ideal impact point too, but good luck hitting it), the state of each ship's grav-armor, and of course the relative sizes of the vessels. And don't even get me started about the effects of traversing another ship's gravity drive field!
Ramming Speed
Every ship has a theoretical ideal ramming speed, the speed (relative to your target) which (so the engineers tell us) will maximize the ratio of damage done to the target vessel versus the damage done to the ramming vessel. Hit too slow and you will end up at point blank with an enemy you haven't disabled, probably thrown into a spin by the impact (considering that ramming is usually a last resort against an overpowering opponent, this is not a desirable situation). Hit too fast and both ships will be destroyed (see: Full Acceleration Ram). Hit at just the right speed, and the target will sustain major damage while the ramming ship's vital systems remain, if not undamaged, at least functional.
That's all well and good, but just remember, it's entirely theoretical. Sure, it's been tested in computer simulations, and the maneuver has been used successfully in a few notable battles (the engineers have all the details memorized and love to recite them to skeptics), but in practice, the actual ideal ramming speed changes from one minute to the next, depending on how much damage has already been done to each ship, the exact points of impact (sure, there's an ideal impact point too, but good luck hitting it), the state of each ship's grav-armor, and of course the relative sizes of the vessels. And don't even get me started about the effects of traversing another ship's gravity drive field!