Mach 1.23 ping pong ball gun

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Mach 1.23 ping pong ball gun

Post by jays » 16 Mar 2014, 4:02 pm

How awesome is this thing :lol:

Supersonic pingpong bazooka blasts balls at Mach 1.23

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A Purdue University mechanical engineering technology professor has built a new air-powered bazooka that shoots pingpong balls at speeds faster than an F-16 fighter jet, blowing the doors off similar far less powerful devices peers use to explain physics properties.

Mark French drew on his experience as an aeronautical engineer for the U. S. Air Force to create a device that blasts balls clean through plywood or aluminum and deeply dents steel. Online video of the bazooka destroying pingpong paddles, VHS tapes and a series of soda pop cans has generated more than a half million views.

Previous devices propelled balls by popping the seal on a vacuum tube. French had his doctoral students Craig Zehrung and Jim Stratton create a pressure chamber connected to the vacuum tube via a convergent-divergent nozzle.

"That hourglass-shaped nozzle is similar to what is used in fighter jets," French said. "When the pressurized air rushes through the bottleneck it accelerates to supersonic speed as it helps propel the ball through the clear PVC barrel."

French says the supersonic speeds are surprising because the lightweight balls have such poor aerodynamics and high-drag coefficient. At a mere 2.3 grams, the balls deliver a startling amount of energy to targets - the equivalent of a 125 mph fastball or a brick falling several stories.

"There is not enough money you could give me to get me to step in front of that gun," French said.


That last bit about not standing in front of it... No kidding :lol:
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Re: Mach 1.23 ping pong ball gun

Post by Rocker » 16 Mar 2014, 4:42 pm

Cool.

I'm surprised something as light as a PP ball could do that damage.

Put enough velocity behind anything though I guess and that's what you get...
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Re: Mach 1.23 ping pong ball gun

Post by Guliver » 16 Mar 2014, 8:15 pm

Very cool, I really like the lateral thinking involved in making this gun work.
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Re: Mach 1.23 ping pong ball gun

Post by Deco » 17 Mar 2014, 7:39 am

Yeah removing the resistance of the air by launching it through a vacuum is pretty cool.

Vacuum seals barrel accessories soon for rifles? :lol:
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Re: Mach 1.23 ping pong ball gun

Post by Turkle » 17 Mar 2014, 9:58 am

Cool for fun :)

I wonder what the actual range is though? And not shooting at something 2 inches in front of the muzzle?

The speed but drop super fast once it clears the barrel I guess...
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Re: Mach 1.23 ping pong ball gun

Post by jays » 23 Mar 2014, 5:20 pm

No longer range tests as far as I could find.

Just blasting things at point blank :lol:

I suspect you're right though... Speed must drop off pretty fast.
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