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Written by Firearrow 31
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Sunday, 18 June 2006 |
Myths Reopened
Episode # 51
Original Air Date: April 26, 2006
Responding to voluminous e-mails from fans, Adam and Jamie decide to do yet another retest episode, but this time they give two of the tested myths their own twist.
Myth #1: Splitting an Arrow
The Myth: That an arrow can be split from knock to tip by another arrow, as seen in the Errol Flynn movie Robin Hood.
The Expert: Jim Long, champion archer
Memorable/Quotable Moments:
Kari (walking across the archery range): "Do you have déjà vu?"
Tory (following Kari): "Yeah, I feel like I've done this before."
The Action/Results: Having dismantled the Arrow Bot to save space in the shop, Tory and Grant construct a new arrow-firing rig using steel tubing and a traditional longbow, and the target arrow is made using methods described in historical texts.
Test #1: After firing a projectile from a 90 lb. draw weight bow, both the fired arrow and the target arrow break.
Test #2: Test 2 called for an aluminum arrow to be fired at the target arrow, because the team decided that a modern arrow might have a better chance of splitting the target arrow than one that was made using traditional methods would. However, this test was not a success, as the aluminum arrow bent in half and the target arrow was only slightly damaged. The build team tests in the same manner an additional eighteen times, but they can only score glancing blows on the target arrow. For tests eleven through twenty, the reinforcement piece in the nock of the arrow, which is made of goat's horn, is removed in an effort to make splitting the arrow easier, but this is done to no avail. The build team finally moves the target arrow to a target range and calls upon expert archer Jim Long for help, but although he hits the arrow, it only splits ten inches down the shaft. In order to duplicate the result shown in the movie, the build team fashions an arrow out of a hollow piece of bamboo. Amazingly, Jim hits the arrow right in the center the first time and it splits all the way down!
Result: Upon further examination of the video evidence taken from Errol Flynn's "Robin Hood" movie, the build team concludes that the arrow is in fact a prop fashioned in a way similar to their bamboo arrow. This myth is BUSTED. (again)
Myth # 2: Meat Missile
The Myth: That salamis are in fact a fuel that is suitable for use in hybrid rockets.
The Experts: Eric Gates, Honorary Mythbuster and amateur rocketry expert
Pyrotechnician Jack Morocco, on hand because he has a license to pack black powder
Memorable Quotes/Moments:
Adam: "I'm lightin' salamis, man!"
The Action/Results: Because they aren't aiming for historical accuracy, Adam and Jamie decide to use a vacuum-fill system and a paintball tank to serve as their oxidizer tank. They also build the rocket body out of lighter materials than they used for the Confederate Rocket test in order to maximize the rocket’s efficiency. They also use black powder as a fuel igniter.
Test # 1: The gang travel to their old stomping grounds, Alameda Air Force base, to test-fire their rocket. The rocket over pressurizes and the fuselage bursts, so the test-fire ends in a CATO, but the fuel lights, so they know their setup works.
Test # 2: Adam and Jamie travel out to the Mojave Desert to perform their second test. Eric suggests that they swap out the black powder igniter for one made of AP, or ammonium perchlorate. Adam and Jamie agree, and on their second test firing the rocket flies to an altitude of twenty feet.
The Result: This myth is CONFIRMED. You can use salami as a fuel base in a hybrid rocket, but your rocket probably isn't going to fly very high.
Myth # 3: Bullets fired under water
The Myth: If you fire the gun underwater, you will not have the problem with the bullets coming apart, as seen in the Bulletproof Water myth.
The Experts: Kari, Grant and Tory
Memorable Quotes/Moments:
Tory (inspecting a ballistics gelatin block for holes): "Oh, it's the magic bullet! It disappeared!"
The Action/Results: The build team travels to a firing range, builds a water trough and uses a remote firing mechanism to see whether or not a gun can fire under water and deliver a "lethal" shot into a block of ballistics gelatin. The weapons used in this test are a twelve-gauge shotgun, a .357 magnum revolver, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, and the M-1 Garand military rifle.
Science Content: To be fired underwater, a gun's barrel must first be air-free, or the resulting spike in pressure that occurs when a round is fired could cause the gun to explode.
Test # 1: 9mm semi-automatic pistol fired at ten feet.
Result: The gun fires, but it doesn't penetrate the block of gel, meaning that at this distance the weapon is non-lethal.
Test # 2: 9mm semi-automatic pistol fired at two feet.
Result: The weapon fires again, but the bullet is not found, and mysteriously there are no holes in the ballistics gel, leading Tory to joke about a "magic bullet".
Test #3: .357 magnum revolver fired at two feet.
Result: The result from the test with the revolver are the same as with the semi-automatic pistol; the weapon fires but no bullet is found inside the trough, and neither are any bullet holes found in the ballistics gelatin.
Test # 4: Twelve-gauge shotgun fired at a distance of ten feet.
Result: The weapon fires, sort of. The shotgun actually explodes, cracking the barrel and stock of the weapon, meaning that none of the shot would actually enter the victim.
Test # 5: The M-1 Garand military rifle fired at a distance of ten feet.
Result: The projectile exits the barrel of the high-powered weapon, but drops after traveling only six feet, meaning that despite its high level of firepower in normal conditions, this weapon is actually non-lethal when used underwater.
Having finished all the tests, the build team packs up and goes back to the shop to analyze the ballistics gelatin blocks. They make one inch slices of the blocks, and the two missing rounds are found buried inside the gel at distances that would be lethal if they were to enter a human being.
This myth is CONFIRMED. You can fire a weapon underwater, but it is not desirable, because your victim is much more likely to survive than if you were to target him while you were both on land.
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Episode Descriptions 
