Episode:  Jet Pack

Original Air Date: June 8, 2005

Myths: Personal Jet Pack, Pyramid Power

The Myth: Can the "Average Joe" build a personal, functional jet pack?

The Experts:

Nino Amareno (rocket pack expert) shows Jamie and Adam how a rocket pack works

Mike Stratman (California Power Systems) sells the guys the first engine that they try, and says, "I can't see how this possibly couldn't push you off the ground."

North East West (Director of the Gallery at the Hiller Aviation Museum) shows Adam and Jamie some other fantastic flying machines, including the Hiller Platform.

Dr. Paul Moller gets the guys interested in the Moller Skycar.

Quotable/Memorable Moments:

Adam: I've never seen Jamie so happy in my life!

Jamie: (while looking at a big piece of aluminum)

It's funny what gets us excited, isn't it!?

Rob Lee: When Jamie grows up, he wants to be a rocket man!

Action/Results:

Jamie and Adam buy plans for a jet pack from the Internet. They talk to numerous experts (see above) about different types of personal aircraft that have been made over the years.  They are given a time limit of one month, and a budget of $10,000 to make this thing fly - then they get busy!

Jamie works on the frame first - attaching the engine to a backpack-like piece.  He modifies the design by mounting the engine lower for greater stability, and he mounts it to a thicker piece of metal, so that it is safer.  Adam works on the cowlings for the fans, first molding them out of foam, then covering them with carbon fiber and resin, then peel-ply, and then absorbent cloth. Finally he uses the vacuum pump to force the resin into all the spaces, and then he covers the whole thing with an electric blanket to cook overnight.  A fan of the show offers them a lighter but more powerful engine, which they use, and the FAA stops by to examine the jet pack.  Finally, after a month of hard work, they are ready to test "The Widowmaker"!

The guys strap Buster in, and Jamie revs the engine. At first, the propellers aren't going fast enough, and Jamie has concerns about the throttle.  So they do a few adjustments, and try again.  This time "The Widowmaker" dances on the launch pad, but can't quite get airborne.  They try again, without Buster, and it still can't quite make it up in the air. Finally, Jamie straps in.  He gives it his best shot, but he can't get it off the ground either. In the end, this myth is BUSTED!

Pyramid Power

The Myth: Do pyramids really have the power to keep fruit, flowers, and milk fresh?  And can they sharpen razor blades?

The Expert: Jerry Tomlinson tells the build team a few things about pyramids.

Memorable/Quotable Moments:

Adam: Y'know, normally we try to stay away from the "oogie-boogie" myths, but it's time to go attack pyramid power.

Scottie: (after Tory picks up the pyramid and heads her way with it) Don't point it at me!  Don't aim it at me!

Action/Results: Tory, Scottie and Kari build a bunch of pyramids for this myth.  They chop an apple in half (with a dirty saw blade), and put one half inside a pyramid, and one half outside the pyramid.  They also cut a rosebud in half, and place one half in a pyramid and one half outside.  Then they pour two glasses of milk. One goes in a pyramid, one stays out.  They also chop a razor blade in half, and put one half in the pyramid, and one half out.

Tory also puts his face on the line for this myth by shaving each day with two razors - one kept in a pyramid, and one kept out of the pyramid.  He shaves the right side of his face with the pyramid razor, and the left side with the other.

All of the samples are aligned to magnetic North and raised so that they are all the same height - about 1/3 of the way up in the pyramid.  The samples outside of the pyramids are raised and aligned as well, just to keep all the variables the same.

At the end of 15 days, the results are as follows:

Both halves of the rose were equally dried out.

Both containers of milk had maggots.

Both razor blades were equally dull, as seen with a scanning electron microscope at the California Academy of Sciences.

The pyramid apple had rotted less than the non-pyramid apple.  However, since the blade that was used to cut the apple was not sterile, maybe there were more microbes on one half of the apple than the other. So, they try again, with whole apples this time. Each apple is washed with bleach, then subjected to UV light to kill off any bacteria around.  Then one apple is placed in a pyramid, one in a cube, and one in open air.

After 16 days, Tory shaves his face for the last time with the two razors. He tosses them both down in disgust, and goes to find something sharper to finish his shaving. He comes back bleeding, and says, "I would have to say that this part of the myth is totally busted!" Kari replies," I think your face is busted!"

After 4 months, they test the whole apples.  Adam chops each of them in half with a wicked-looking blade, and compares the insides of each apple.  Although the apple in the cube seems to be a little bit more rotten than the rest, the final conclusion is that there is no measurable difference - Myth Busted!