Vertical Egg Launcher

[kristiandjess]

So our assignment is to build a vertical egg launcher. materials are all inclusive. the egg can be in a container - our plan includes a protective box the size of a tissue box. the launcher must be able to fit in a 3 meter2 box and be able to be lifted by two high school aged kids. it is graded by time in air and points are subtracted for horizontal travel distance.

 

any ideas????

[max.yevs]

consider maybe trying to put your egg/protective box at almost the bottom of a long pipe, and using something like a bike pump to pressurize the air.

chemical means might be more useful since it will be very difficult to find correct fittings for bike pump, etc. this can be anything ranging from

diet coke + mentos,

vinegar or acid + baking soda,

manganese dioxide + hydrogen peroxide,

hydrochloric acid + aluminum,

sodium hydroxide + aluminum,

hydrogen + oxygen + spark (manganese dioxide + hydrogen peroxide + sodium hydroxide + aluminum + spark),

gasoline + air + spark....

 

just put the chemicals in the pipe, put in your egg, get something to hold your egg down, wait, release the egg, yay!

[samtheflash82]

i would start by figuring out how to get your egg to be launched as close to 90% as possible. then i would try something in the same design as a breech loading rifle. use some type of explosive component that is sealed under the egg.

[mrburns2012]

So our assignment is to build a vertical egg launcher. materials are all inclusive. the egg can be in a container - our plan includes a protective box the size of a tissue box. the launcher must be able to fit in a 3 meter2 box and be able to be lifted by two high school aged kids. it is graded by time in air and points are subtracted for horizontal travel distance.

 

any ideas????

 

If my math is right, a 3 m^2 box area is 1.7 m x 1.7 m. I'd try to fit myself inside that box and launch the egg myself after a little bit of practice. Quick and easy .

[max.yevs]

actually i suppose if its just supposed to be a quick project, you can do some slingshot type thing...

 

1.7m is more than enough to get a lot of tension on the slingshot... actually yeah, thats much easier and probably better than the chemicals idea...

[lakmilis]

I assume since you are launcing an egg , it is part of the assignment to have it land intact or ideally splatter in the launchbox? (since you say protection I assume it is meant to try and remain whole).

 

Anyway.. for protective housing.. think civil engineering:

 

The best way to avoid the egg to crack is most likely to not let it move around inside your housing.. thus paper.. and or some inner design which holds it in place AND has shock absorbing ability is good , coupled with a outerhousing which does not deform to much (deformation though absorbs some of the impact energy but too much deformation and you will crush the egg).

 

 

 

 

For the launch, think aerodynamics. for longest time in air... get a decent launch .. as people say.. you can have a tense rubberband sling across the box, with the egg housing in the centre.. make a hole (or have a small spindle at the bottom) in to pull a string through to pull the string and egg down to the bottom. Release... for optimal time in air.. think aerospace:

 

Aerodynamic design will make your box fly higher.. but any flap system which will be released as it starts falling down again will increase drag and thus time in air on its way down.. Create a symmetrical (go for 3 or 4 fins/flps. parachute system) to keep it in air.. ps. parachute system seems good to keep in air but heavy penalty for horizontal wandering. by creating fins/flaps which will stick out when the 'missile' starts dropping , by havign an angle on the flaps so that the vessel rotates should give it greater stability as to make it drop vertically as ideally as possible.

 

Good luck.

[Mr Skeptic]

So our assignment is to build a vertical egg launcher. materials are all inclusive. the egg can be in a container - our plan includes a protective box the size of a tissue box. the launcher must be able to fit in a 3 meter2 box and be able to be lifted by two high school aged kids. it is graded by time in air and points are subtracted for horizontal travel distance.

 

any ideas????

 

One idea is a parachute, since you are graded by time in air and it doesn't seem to necessarily be against the rules. That would give you a lot more time in air, but likely add to horizontal distance if there is wind. The coolest launcher design would be something gunlike like a potato launcher but that might be less safe, harder to do, and more expensive than the giant slingshot idea. The cheapest, easiest, and lightest by far would be the shepherd's sling, consisting of nothing more than a patch with two strings attached, but it would be difficult to aim.

Edited March 31, 2009 by Mr Skeptic