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Episode: Bulletproof Water Original Air Date: July 13, 2005 Myths: Bulletproof Water, 360 Swing
"Bulletproof Water"
Well, here's an episode of Mythbusters that's of top caliber. One could say the guys really set their sights on a myth that's been the smoking gun of many a Hollywood movie. Not one to be the target of another impossible myth, Adam and Jamie lock and load another test, and see if they can shoot holes in yet another Hollywood work of fiction.
Scene 1 - The Tank
Adam builds a water-test tank from iron, acrylic, water, and a block of ballistics gel. He then proceeds to explain how the rig is going to be set up for their test.
Jamie, not to be outdone, picks out several weapons with which to test the myth of avoiding being shot while submerged in water. He runs the gamut of common (and not-so-common!) weapons of nearly every kind that is most common in the movies, ranging from a simple 9mm Beretta pistol to a portable missile launcher...err...make that a .50 caliber Browning sniper rifle.
Scene 2 - The Test
The tank is topped off with water, and the block of ballistics gel lowered into place. Jamie scrambles to the top of the rig, cocks the 9mm, and fires it through the top of the tank. The bullet shoots through the water, the ballistics gel, and lands at the bottom of the tank. The test is repeated until the ballistics gel finally does stop the 9mm bullet.
One: They're firing vertically (straight down) into the water.
Two: They have a variety of weapons, ranging from light caliber to heavy artillery.
Next up, the shotgun with a 'deer slug'. Okay, let me ask...who *really* goes deer hunting with a shotgun? People from California? Um, excuse me...I'm an Idaho hunter. I hunt deer with an SKS semi-auto (7.62X39 soft point, 123-grain bullets), or my granddad's .30-06. 'Deer slugs' are 12-gauge solid lead projectiles that you normally see launched from a muzzleloader...normally used to bring down grizzlies. Had they used double-ought buckshot (like what the police use), the test would have been a bit more realistic.
Okay, Jamie's got his 'deer slug' ready to go...and "BOOM!" Water! Water everywhere!
Unsurprisingly to me, the tank ruptures. Good going, guys...you killed your tank!
Turns out, it was the shock from the muzzle blast that caused Adam's tank to crack. From personal experience, I have seen car windshields crack from the muzzle blasts of several rifles. I could have told the Mythbusters their tank was going to break, but, since yelling at my TV would get the looney squad called on me, I successfully restrained myself.
And, not so surprising...Adam explains the ballistics gel has a 'cone-sized chunk' taken out of it. Well, of course. It's called an EXIT WOUND!
Scene 3 - At The Swimming Pool
The guys have gone off the deep end this time! Adam recycles the broken tank into a rig to move the ballistics gel up and down a track, while Jamie gets to handle the heavy artillery again. Are we having fun, Mr. Hyneman?
(insert patented 'Jamie Hyneman' chuckles here)
And, the repeat of the test...this time, from a more common viewpoint...at an angle. I mean, really...who shoots into the water vertically? It would be poor drama if the bad guy kills the hero by doing it the easy way.
Jamie starts the test with a muzzleloader, then the AR-15, the M-1 Garand, all the way up through the calibers toward the big kahuna...the Browning .50 cal sniper rifle.
(insert obligatory drool here)
In between shots, Adam plays Navy frogman and dives to the bottom of the pool to retrieve the bullets. Not surprisingly to me, all he brings up are fragments from the heavy caliber weapons.
Well, geez, I coulda told them that! I've shot at tin cans with a variety of high-caliber rifles, then tried to dig up the bullets from the dirt behind them. All I got was a few chunks of lead and copper.
This is a prime example of Newton's Laws Of Physics at work here, folks...
"A body in motion tends to remain in motion, unless acted upon by an outside force"...the outside force being the pool of water.
The bullets are travelling at supersonic speed. The water's not. A good comparison is a bug hitting your windshield at 65 MPH. You get bug guts on your car.
Well, as Jamie lines up with the Browning, Adam makes the offhand remark about the .50 putting ahole in the bottom of the pool. Jamie fires, sending water spraying to the ceiling. Adam makes like Lloyd Bridges and dives to the bottom of the pool, and brings up...
A .50 cal bullet?
Fat chance.
.50 cal fragments.
And they were concerned about putting a hole in the bottom of the pool.
A common Hunters' Safety course would have told them all they needed to know about bullets and water. Depending on the angle of entry, a supersonic projectile will either disintegrate in the water, or ricochet like it hit a brick wall.
So, yeah, the myth was confirmed. Water will save you from being shot at.
Memorable Quotes:
"...our bullet...bench...model...fish tank...sort of thing..." - Adam
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"Well, that ought to silence most of our detractors on this one...but I expect we'll still get some complaints"
"Yeah...you didn't use a cannon or something" - Adam & Jamie
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"They've got more guns here...than a Tarantino movie!" - Rob Lee
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"Can I see one of the bullets? Yeah...ha ha ha...all right...well..."
"*THAT'S* what this fires??"
"It's smaller than my head...it's all right" - Adam & Jamie
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"Click-click..."
"Can I try that?"
"There's that sound" - Adam & Jamie
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"This is awkward" - Jamie (shouldering the shotgun atop the tank)
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Well, it looks like we're not gonna be shooting any more guns off in the shop" - Jamie
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"Worst case scenario today is that...somebody dies from a bullet wound" - Jamie
"Now, the box jellyfish is one of the most lethal foes you'll encounter in your average swimming pool..." - Adam
"Well, there's your problem!" - Jamie
"...this is the M1 Garand...*this* is the .50 caliber..."
"This kills you...this kills you and everyone else in the room" - Adam & Jamie
"Hopefully, we'll be gone before the pool fully drains" - Adam
"So, the safety's off now?"
"I would think so..."
"Okay" - Jamie & gun expert Sara
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"The myth is...CONFIRMED...you would be safe"
"Heh...not that I'd want to try it..." - Adam & Jamie
"360 Swing"
Okay, you swingers, here's one that'll run rings around any other myth out there. Can you do a full 360-degree circle on a common playground swing? From firsthand experience, I can say yes, it's possible...having seen a young man do just such a thing at a local playground many years ago. But, in typical Mythbusters fashion, they have to prove if it is possible to do so under your own power, with the chains straight. Here's another example of Newton's Laws Of Physics at work...of course, the Build Team don't let a little thing like gravity and safety warnings stand in the way of science!
First up...they purchase a swing set, commonly found on any playground. And, of course, these three big kids (Tory, Grant, and Kari) take their turns on the swing. Safety 'officer' Tory gives the swing a test, and jumps off...promptly smacking into the fence. He then inspects the swing seat, and notes that the swing is intended for children only. But, does that deter them? Nope!
After a few more tests by Tory, Kari goes next...awww, isn't she just so cute with that ponytail? Maybe, if they were gonna be big kids, shouldn't she have worn pigtails? Kari makes it up to about 90 degrees from the vertical at about 23 feet per second...not bad for self-propulsion.
Tory goes again after Kari...and promptly pulls a perfect pratfall when the chains snap. He dusts himself off, none the worse for wear (except for making another great film clip!) and then proceeds to reinforce the swing's chains.
Grant, meanwhile, straps on the RedMan suit for his try at the swing...and fares no better than either Kari or Tory at going over the bar. But, they did get the data they needed to figure out just how to get that elusive 360.
So, who's next to try to make the full 360? Would you believe...Simulaid Suzy?
But, even after extensive modifications (baling wire to hold Suzy into the swing, and cutting down the chains on the swing), Tory and Grant just can't get her over the bar. Well, of course, they're PULLING her...not pushing her! But, salvation is on the horizon...in the form of... Two dudes on choppers!
Some friends of Tory's stop by and finally manage to pull Suzy over the bar...but not a chains-straight 360.
As the dudes ride off, the Build Team retreat to the shop for another brainstorming session. They come up with...surprise! A scale-model attempt to do a full 360.
Tory carves a mini-Suzy out of some kind of material, while Kari and Grant make the scale-model swing set. He places Suzy in the swing and, with Kari's coaching, gives mini-Suzy a little push...and she does a 1440 (360 X 4) ! Just a touch too fast to safely replicate it on the full-size swing.
So, for the next test, they decide to use rigid arms, instead of a chain...and, whaddya know, mini-Suzy does it again, at a much slower rate. So, of course, that means... ROAD TRIP to Oakland, and Trapeze Arts! They enlist the aid of Eric at Trapeze Arts to help them make the elusive 360.
Grant's up first with Eric...but very nearly loses his lunch just as they brush against the event horizon. On the plus side, they manage to get up to around 230 degrees. Next up...the fair Miss Byron. She and Eric manage 240 degrees before Kari screams, "OH MY GOD! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Then, Gung-Ho Tory makes the claim that "I have to make it!" in his quest for The Holy Grail...but the Grail itself is so close, yet so far, as Tory makes it all the way to 280.
Eric does prove to the Build Team that yes, is is possible to do a full 360. Tory thanks him for his time...and promptly faints.
As Tory collapses, he's carried off by Grant & Kari as they head back for more brainstorming. The result of the latest brainstorm? Attach rocket motors to mini-Suzy, and see what happens. (Hey, it wouldn't be Mythbusters if they didn't go to extremes to prove or disprove a myth!) Several hit and miss tests proves that a rocket motor at a 40 degree angle will make you do a full 360 X 5...at least on the scale model.
So, what's next? Use full-size Suzy, the swing set, and a few rocket motors from Erik Gates, of the Friends Of Amateur Rocketry. They get set up at the abandoned Hamilton Air Force Base, and for the first test...FOUR ROCKETS on Suzy? Isn't that a bit of overkill? Well...yeah, but even with that, only one motor goes off and sends Suzy on a wild ride, despite Eric's assurance of, "If one fails, none of them go." Um...how about we check that circuit there?
Suzy blasts off...but not quite as expected. She does a 360 all right...the wrong way.
They run the gamut of tests, with a variety of angles. Kari expresses her displeasure at the 'modifications' by the 'rocket expert', before finally deciding on the optimum angle (40 degrees). Well, whaddya know...they finally manage to send Simulaid Suzy the full 360, amongst the smoke and flames. The celebration commences...Adam points out that the chains ARE wrapped around the top bar...and they've finally achieved The Holy Grail.
Myth busted...but, as Kari observed, "...the rockets were spectacular!"
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Memorable Quotes:
"What a trooper! Not one complaint!" - Tory
"Sounds like a good way to break your neck" - Jamie
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And...when that doesn't work?"
"Ha ha...and when that doesn't work, then we'll goose it up and take it the next step."
"Yet another common, everyday item turned deadly!" - Adam, Grant, & Jamie
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"I think we need some softer pads" - Tory
"All right..." *snap* "I'm okay!"
"Are you okay, dude?"
"I'm really glad we had the mats!" - Tory & Grant
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"So, even little Grant was too heavy to push all the way 360?" - Adam
"That's all we needed! Just a little muscle!" - Grant
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"Hello...I'm Suzy! Hello! I've lost it...it's too late..." -Tory (in goofy voice)
"...we hear they have a swing that's guaranteed to do 360...and...I wanna try it!" - Kari
"I've been in the circus my whole life...I really didn't have swing sets..." - Eric (Trapeze Arts)
"Okay, Eric? Are you sure I'm safe?"
"Um...yeah! Ha ha ha!" - Grant & Eric
"Tory's as tired as a slug scaling a chimney" - Rob Lee
"I was like, 'Yeah! We're gonna get it!'...and then my legs were like, 'No, you're not!'" - Tory
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"If one fails...none of them go. So, that's why we wire them in series" - Eric Gates' Famous Last Words (tm)
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"By 'cool', if you mean 'absolutely terrifying', when it started spraying smoke & fire towards *us*?" - Adam
"Busted...but the rockets were spectacular!" - Kari
"Well, hopefully, that's our job...to strap rockets onto everything!" - Adam
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