07x06 - Swimming in Syrup

[bunniefuu]

Attention, viewers...

Do not try anything
you are about to see at home.

We're what you call experts.

NARRATOR: On this high-velocity
episode of "Mythbusters"...

KARI:
You k*lled the dwarf!

NARRATOR: Adam and Jamie
investigate yet another way

your car could k*ll you...

ADAM:
This is fun.

Whoa!

NARRATOR: As they test
the myth of exploding bumpers.

This is actually really scary.

NARRATOR: It's hot, smelly,
dangerous work.

- We're fully armed?
- We're hot.

NARRATOR:
And that's the way we like it.

We may have overdone that.

NARRATOR:
Then Kari, Tory, and Grant

are on the edge
of their saddles...

TORY:
Yeah! Got 'em!

NARRATOR: As they challenge
an awesome myth

of medieval cavalry.

TORY: Grant, you're going
the wrong way!

NARRATOR:
Can an expertly fired arrow

really penetrate double deep
with a galloping start?

And how far will they go
to prove the point?

[Roaring]

NARRATOR:
We're all "a-quiver."

Who are the Mythbusters?

- Adam Savage...
- Whoo!

I ate a radio for science!

NARRATOR:
...and Jamie Hyneman.

[Grunts]
I'll deflect a b*llet.

NARRATOR:
Between them, more than 30 years

of special-effects experience.

There's your problem.
[Chuckles]

NARRATOR:
Joining them... Tory Belleci...

Punch through!

NARRATOR:
...Grant lmahara...

That's right.
I'm gonna build a robot.

NARRATOR:
...and Kari Byron.

This is gonna be
a whole lot of fun, huh?

NARRATOR:
They don't just tell the myths.

They put them to the test.

What are you doing?

Is it time for, like,
fire-safety tips or something?

In fact, it is.

Today's fire-safety tip

is don't stand near a car
that's on fire.

Okay.

Why?

All right.
I'm glad you asked.

Because it turns out
that some cars have a bumper

attached to them
by a shock absorber.

And this is to allow the bumper

to absorb some of the hit
when it bumps into something.

And then in a car fire,
that shock absorber

can overheat and explode

and send the bumper
sh**ting out,

potentially kneecapping
anybody who's unfortunate enough

to be standing in front of
or behind the car on fire.

I sense a car fire
in our near future.

I think it's definitely
something we should test.

Okay.

NARRATOR: Bumpers are designed
to protect your car,

by absorbing some of the impact
from a low-speed collision.

But if your car's on fire,

this myth contends
that the gas-filled pistons

can heat up to a point

where the bumper becomes
a deadly projectile

and its range
is an incredible 50 feet.

As far as the methodology goes,

I think it's
pretty straightforward.

We just go to a junkyard,

we get some bumpers
of the appropriate type,

we subject them to some really
high heat, and we test them.

Right,
but since this whole thing

is about what happens
to these bumpers in a car fire,

I think our very first step
is to simply set a car on fire

and take some measurements
and readings

to figure out
what kind of temperatures

we're actually talking about.

Agreed.

NARRATOR: So the boys bowl up
to the b*mb range

to set a car on fire.

This is familiar
"Mythbusters" territory.

So, how hard can it be?

Well, as hard
as you want to make it.

- JAMIE: Whoa.
- [Metal creaking]

[Chuckles]

We're all right.

What the hell are you doing?!

Having some fun.

NARRATOR:
Jamie's idea of fun

is likely different
to yours, mine, and Adam's.

Remember, kids,
you really can get in trouble

with one of these things.

[Laughs]

NARRATOR:
It's an apt start to a day

that will not go quite to plan.

We have found
some potential cases

of this actually happening...

that maybe bumpers shot off
during car fires.

And the researchers
have found us a make and model

similar to those
in the reports that we have.

So we're gonna
set this thing on fire,

find out how hot a car fire
actually gets,

take temperature readings
all around it.

And if we're very lucky,

maybe we'll get
a bumper sh**ting off.

NARRATOR:
That would be a bonus.

But remember,
their primary purpose

is to see just how hot
a car fire gets.

Fortunately, there's some
adult supervision on hand.

Good morning.

We got just a small car fire
we're gonna set

and hopefully ask you guys
to put out.

No problem, sir.

NARRATOR: Adam draws on
boyhood skills to raise the car

and strip the wheels
in next to no time.

Here in California,
it's a crime to burn tires.

For some reason,

it's not a crime to wear
a silver suit with suspenders.

As Adam slips into something
less comfortable,

Jamie considers
the finer details.

We're gonna light the car
on fire.

And being as the engine
has fuel...

it has oil,
it has plastic parts,

it's got batteries
with electricity...

you've got all the elements
you need

to create an energetic fire.

And that also happens to be
the area around the bumper.

So that's where we're gonna
focus our ignition,

and we'll see what happens.

NARRATOR:
And just for good measure...

ADAM:
[Laughs]

NARRATOR:
When the car's ablaze,

they'll get accurate
temperature measurements

by circling it
with a thermal-imaging camera.

ADAM:
That ought to do.

- What do you think?
- Go for it.

ADAM:
This is fun.

NARRATOR:
But try as he might,

Adam can't manage to set fire
to the engine,

even though
it's swimming in gasoline.

Making fire is something
even cavemen mastered.

But we've struggled
with this before.

Who could forget the shaky start
to "Trailblazers"?

That's hard stuff to light.

JAMIE: It only lights
when it gets mistified.

[Lighter clicks]

NARRATOR: This delayed ignition
is risky business.

And statistically,

it's getting more perilous
by the second.

I mean, nothing's gone wrong
for almost 40 minutes.

Whoa!

- JAMIE: You all right?
- I'm okay.

JAMIE: You got a little bit
of a haircut there, didn't you?

ADAM: I got a little bit of a...
not a haircut.

I got a little bit of a hair
on the back of my hand.

NARRATOR:
Considering the rough start,

the car is quickly engulfed
in flames.

ADAM: It's all happening a lot
faster than I thought it would.

JAMIE: That's one
out-of-control car fire.

You were afraid that
it was gonna burn itself out.

NARRATOR:
As the wind shifts,

Adam's forced to move
the thermal camera



Any thoughts of circling
the blaze are abandoned

as the flames follow the smoke
in an unpredictable arc.

JAMIE: Are you getting
any kind of a reading yet?

Yeah. I'm actually getting
easily 1,000 degrees.

- JAMIE: Okay.
- ADAM: 1,050, 1, 100.

This is hot.

[Laughs]

NARRATOR:
At this point,

a bumper flying 50 feet
would confirm the myth.

The Skipper and Gilligan
could high-five each other,

share a man hug, and head home.

But it's just not
that kind of a day.

JAMIE: Well, our pistons
are still there.

[Laughing]
But the bumper is melted.

JAMIE: And that actually
tells us something

about what temperatures
were achieved,

'cause the bumpers are aluminum,

and aluminum melts
at around 660 Celsius.

Well, riddle me this, Batman...

What's the melting point
of glass?

Look at that!

I've never seen anything
like that.

That's even hotter
because that melts

at around 1,400 Celsius.

NARRATOR: There's no doubt
they had the heat...

an impressive


And that's what they came here
to measure.

Still, the bumpers
didn't go ballistic.

Of course,
they're designed not to.

But there are those who swear

they've seen this myth
in action.

JAMIE:
What this tells us

is that this is a very, very
specific set of circumstances

that is required
to make this happen.

I think now we've got to go
back to the shop,

work on some
individual shocks...

heating them and seeing
what kind of results we can get.

JAMIE:
So, how's your hand?

ADAM: Eh, it hurts a little bit,
but it'll be better by tomorrow.

JAMIE:
And you've got another one.

ADAM: [Laughs]
I do.

You know, you guys,
ever since we did "Hwacha,"

I've really wanted to do some
more medieval-weaponry myths.

That is perfect, 'cause
we have one that comes out

of the Hungarian army
during the 1500s.

Now, apparently they believed
that an archer

riding on the back
of a galloping horse,

if he were to sh**t an arrow,

that arrow would have twice
the penetrating power

as an archer firing an arrow
standing still.

Sounds like a myth to me.

I know.
It's hard to believe, right?

Physics, history.
Let's do it!

[Chuckles]
Two of my worst subjects.

NARRATOR: Back in the 1500s,
Hungarian archers

were the most skilled
and feared warriors in Europe.

In fact, archery was practiced
as a martial art.

And the boldest claim made
by these master bowmen

was that they could actually
get twice the penetration

when the arrow was shot from
the back of a galloping horse.

Okay, so it sounds like

we need to get our hands
on a medieval-style bow,

fire arrows at the target
from a stationary position

and then gallop at the target
and fire arrows again.

TORY: Right.

Then we'll look at the two sets
of arrows and see which ones

- go deeper into the target.
- Wait a minute.

So if you're firing a bow
from atop of the horse,

that means you have no hands
to hold on to the reins.

And don't they gallop
at like 40 miles an hour?

Exactly.

That's why you have to be
an expert horse rider.

What could possibly go wrong?

[Horse neighs]

NARRATOR: Custer's very words
to the 7 th Cavalry

at Little Bighorn.

The team has wisely chosen
a venue

that specializes
in mounted archery.

[Dog barks]

Give him a little squeeze
and a click.

[Clicks tongue]

That way.
That way.

Yeah. Okay.

That wasn't the way
I wanted to go.

He's got steering.
It's just not power steering.

That way.
Hard left.

NARRATOR:
Forget archery at the gallop.

Let's see
if these amateur light horsemen

can sh**t from a saunter.

TORY:
I think we're ready to attack.

NARRATOR: Grant's the first
to try his luck.

[Groans, laughs]

Interesting strategy, Grant.

NARRATOR: "Interesting"
isn't quite the word.

Grant, you're going
the wrong way!

Attack!

NARRATOR: A man with a drawn bow
on a wayward horse

is a deadly threat
to all and sundry.

TORY:
Use the "horse," Grant.

GRANT: [Laughing]
"Use the 'horse."'

Oh, h* h*!

NARRATOR: More by good luck
than good management,

the horse eventually turns
toward the target.

GRANT: Try not to sh**t
the horse in the head, Grant.

Oh! So close!

NARRATOR: Kari's horse has
a much better sense of direction

but, still,
no sense of occasion.

Go faster.
[Clicks tongue]

- Yeah!
- Yeah!

Now, if we could just do that
a little faster.

[Laughs]

NARRATOR:
At least she hit the target.

Let's see if Tory can do it
a little faster.

Yeah! Got 'em!
[Laughs]

NARRATOR: Not bad at all,
but we're testing a myth

based on the best
mounted archers in history.

There's no point in our guys
taking a static comparison shot.

It's time to saddle up
the professionals.

Now, the three pieces of data
that we need

are the speed of the horse...

...the terminal velocity
of the arrow...

...and then finally,

the thing about which
this myth is truly about,

is the penetration of the arrow.

NARRATOR:
So the team demotes itself

to setting up the gizmos
that should accurately measure

the speed of the arrow
and the penetration.

We're also gonna be measuring
the speed of the horses.

So I've got this radar g*n.

Gonna point it at the horses,

and it'll give us their speed
in miles per hour.

NARRATOR:
First up, Lukas, Katie, and Holm

take a bunch of shots
from a standing start.

This is the key control data
they'll need

to compare with arrows
fired at the gallop.

Average arrow speed is right
on the money for the myth...

between 130 and 140
miles per hour.







NARRATOR:
And now for some real riding.

Top speed for light cavalry

is reckoned at close
to 40 miles per hour.

So to properly test the myth,

they all need to hit 40
and hit the target.

TORY:
Wow. Nice shot.

You notice she smiles
the entire time?

Like, "Oh, yeah, whatever."

She's galloping at 44 miles
an hour and hitting the target.

I'd be smiling, too.

NARRATOR:
Every arrow that hits home...

TORY:
Dang, she is good!

NARRATOR: Gets wrenched out
and measured.





NARRATOR: On average,
the penetration is deeper,

but not by much, suggesting
that this medieval myth

might be horse manure.

But the data
just isn't consistent enough

to make a call.

Three different archers,
three different horses,

arrows fired at different speeds
from a variable distance.

The data is diabolical.

KARI:
Our riders did really great.

I mean, they were accurate,
and they had a great speed.

Unfortunately,

all of these numbers
are just not consistent enough

to give us
a really good conclusion.

Nothing here
really supports the myth,

but I'm afraid that our margin
of error is way too big.

I mean, we've got moving horses,

and of course
human error is involved here.

So I think we really need
to take this back to the shop,

see what variables
we can cut out,

and see if we can just find
the core of this myth,

which is,
will the momentum of movement

add penetration to the shot?

NARRATOR: Testing the myth
of exploding bumpers,

Adam and Jamie torched a car
to see just how hot it burns...

around 1,400 degrees Celsius.

Whoa!

NARRATOR: The car fared
much worse than Adam...

I'm totally all right.
It just scared me.

NARRATOR: But the bumpers
failed to blast off.

Well, our pistons
are still there.

ADAM: [Laughing]
But the bumper is melted.

NARRATOR:
Time for a pit stop

to pick up the parts
they'll need...

Yeah, this one's it.

NARRATOR: Specifically,
the kind of bumper shocks

that supposedly launched
the legend.

JAMIE: Like little rockets
right there, huh?

You've got an internal sleeve
and an external sleeve.

And when you hit something
at a slow speed,

the internal sleeve
moves slightly.

It's pushing against
some kind of gas,

and that hopefully
reduces damage to the car.

But when you heat that gas
that it's pushing against,

it expands, causing this thing
to fail catastrophically,

and maybe hurt some safety
personnel in the vicinity.

At least that's the theory.
That's what we've got to test.

NARRATOR:
They'll start the testing

without the actual bumper,

because these are
the alleged culprits.

Adam sets up the blast screen...

...as Jamie spot-welds
a steel tube to a heavy stand.

At a certain point,
we suspect we're gonna reach

a critical kind of heat level,

where the gas pressure exceeds
what this chamber will hold

and this shoots out this way
at high velocity.

NARRATOR:
Adam attaches a thermocouple

to monitor
the surface temperature.

And now for the heat source.

Jamie lights
an oxyacetylene torch,

and they're good to go.

Moving it in.

ADAM:
All right.

That looks good.

JAMIE:
Try not to bump that.

Temperature's rising fast.


we're at 50 degrees Celsius.

NARRATOR:
They don't expect this

to get quite as hot
as the car fire.

After all,
that was 1,400 degrees Celsius.

The aim here is to see
if directional heat works

where an unfocused inferno
failed.

ADAM: Any predictions
as to when it's gonna blow?

- I'm guessing 620 degrees.
- JAMIE: I don't know.

All I do know is that
right there is a pipe b*mb.

ADAM:
It's at about 500 Fahrenheit,



You know,
this is actually really scary.

ADAM: I agree.

h*! h*! h*!

Looks like we've got
some kind of failure.

NARRATOR:
Nine minutes in,

with the temperature
just past 400 degrees,

toxic smoke starts to billow
from the piston.

No one knows for sure
what it is,

but the noxious smell is enough
to put the fear into everyone.

- Are you gonna turn it off?
- Yeah.

It's just making a lot of smoke.
I think we've lost pressure.

All right. Let's all
clear out of here and evacuate.

- This place is getting toxic.
- Yeah.

- Who knows what that is?
- Yeah.

NARRATOR: When the smoke clears
and the piston cools,

they decide to do

what maybe they should have done
first off...

cut the darn thing in half
to see how it works.

Oh, interesting.

JAMIE: There's an O-ring
in there, actually.

Yeah, and some melted plastic.

NARRATOR: They know that
somewhere inside the inner tube

is a fluid chamber,

and somewhere else, there's
a compressed-gas chamber.

And that's
what they're looking for.

JAMIE:
I don't get this at all.

NARRATOR: Just as confusion
hits critical mass...

So, it looks like
that is the gas chamber.

So one way or another,
that's where the heat has to go.

We were heating it up
at the other end.

Yeah. So we got to put the flame
right on the end of this.

And hopefully it won't melt
the seals.

Hopefully.

NARRATOR: Test two proceeds
with a more focussed flame,

hopefully raising the heat
so fast

that the gas explodes
before the sealing ring melts

and lets it dissipate
disappointingly safely.

ADAM: We're getting the back end
as hot as possible

as fast as possible.

NARRATOR:
But these smoke signals

are not sending
a hopeful message.

Does that mean
I'm burning a hole?

[Snap, hiss]

[Laughs]
That means you burned a hole.

[Timer beeps]



I'll bet that hole
is part of the design process.

I'll bet that's made to fail
just in that exact way.

This thing is made to not blow.
How are we gonna get it to blow?

NARRATOR:
Don't you hate it when something

you've paid good money for

won't break the way
you want it to?

As for blowing this thing
the mythical 50 feet,



This is failing,
but it's failing safely.

We don't want a safe failure.

We want a kaboom.

We want this thing
to become a projectile.

So next thing we're thinking of

is putting heat
right here at the neck,

away from this safety release,
away from this O-ring,

away from this plastic,

hopefully to get enough pressure
in this gas chamber

to cause the catastrophic
failure we're looking for.

- JAMIE: The metal.
- ADAM: That looks good.

- JAMIE: Okay.
- ADAM: Great.

JAMIE: Oh, it's getting it
red hot there.

Yeah, that's really fast.

NARRATOR:
And a rapid heat spike

might just do the trick.

[Air hisses]

Then again, it might not.

Too much heat too quickly.

Too much heat too quickly.

NARRATOR: This failure to launch
becomes all the more frustrating

when Adam and Jamie
get new intelligence

from the researchers.

They've found a real live person

who's experienced a genuine
exploding-bumper event.

Oakland firefighter Jennifer
Schmid wasn't just a witness.

She was a casualty.

Can you tell us what happened?

Sure.

We got called one night

for a vehicle fire
in someone's driveway

up next to a house.

When we got there,
the car was on fire.

So I pulled the hose line
around to the side of the car...

the right side...
and started to put the nozzle

up under the wheel well
to put the flames out.

And that's when we heard

the first of two explosions
at that point.

I thought, initially,

that it was the right front tire
that exploded,

'cause I've heard and seen that
several times

during car fires.

And I moved in front of the car.

And just as I opened the nozzle,
we heard another expl*si*n,

and that's when something
hit my legs.

And I was knocked to the ground
and started yelling for help.

I had no idea what happened.

ADAM: So it turned out to be
the bumper that hit you?

SCHM ID: Yes,
and they brought the bumpers,

actually, to the hospital
to show me.

So it was kind of scary
to see that.

What were the extent
of your injuries?

Well, the bumper hit both legs,

but it only broke
my left lower leg,

and it broke both bones...
the tibia and the fibula.

The tibia was broken
in about 20 pieces.

Wow!

So, pretty significant.

NARRATOR: But our myth from the
fan site is a bit more extreme.

There's no doubt
that Jennifer was badly injured,

but bits of this bumper
flew 15 feet, not 50.

Still, this firsthand account
of Jen's trauma

inspires Adam
to rethink his methods.

ADAM: The difference between
our setup and the real world

is that that shock
is usually mounted to a bumper,

and the bumper in question
is a massive piece of aluminum

about a quarter-inch thick
that is acting as a heat sink...

i.e., it is pulling heat away
from the end of that bumper,

exactly where we're finding

one of the most effective
safety valves.

So we're going to bolt back
a piece of bumper

onto that shock,
heat it in the same place,

and see if we get
a different result.

[Clangs]

There you go.
One big heat sink coming up.

NARRATOR: And a finishing touch
from Jamie.

This is perforated metal.

I'm gonna wire a couple
of these pieces on there,

and so hopefully
this will spread the heat out

to where we don't end up
with a red-hot molten area

that will burst the chamber

before it, like,
explodes the way we want it to.

I hope this one works.

Me too.

These one-in-a-million myths
kick our a*s every time.

NARRATOR:
And these two must have targets

tattooed on their own
rear bumpers.

After five minutes...

- [Air hisses]
- ADAM: Oh.

- That was it.
- Where did that come from?

Looks like it blew a hole
in that front part.

JAMIE:
Where it did before?

ADAM: Yeah.

Damn it!

I don't think we can do
anything more with this.

NARRATOR: It could take
a lifetime of testing

to replicate what must be
a one-in-a-million occurrence,

and the boys
might have better things to do

with their twilight years.

I think we have to abandon it.

NARRATOR: But if you think
they're giving up

before we see a bumper
go ballistic,

just remember,
you're watching "Mythbusters."



NARRATOR: Despite the best
efforts of our amateurs...

TORY: Yeah! Got 'em!
[Laughs]

NARRATOR: And the pros,
inconsistent data means

that our medieval-archery myth
remains unresolved.

The legend we're testing

is that expert
Eastern European archers

got twice the penetration
sh**ting from horseback.

To bust or confirm it,

man and beast
need to take a backseat.

Mounted archers were amazing.

But the results... just not
consistent enough to call it.

Yeah, to make this
an accurate experiment,

we need to have
the speed of the horse,

the speed of the arrow, and
the accuracy all be repeatable.

And with humans and horses
in the equation,

that's just not gonna happen.

All right, well,
why don't we get rid of both?

We'll replace the bow
with a crossbow

that's calibrated
to a medieval bow,

and then we'll replace the horse
with a vehicle.

So that way, we make sure

it's going at the same speed
every time.

And to make sure
that we're firing

from the same place every time,
we can mount the crossbow.

This is gonna be great.

I know the perfect vehicle.
I'll go get it.

Okay, he'd better not
be going for my car.

But then you'll have a crossbow
attached to your car.

[Horse neighs]

GRANT:
[Laughs]

NARRATOR:
Kari's wheels are safe for now.

Grant's already sourced
a replacement horse

that will do 40 miles per hour
every time, guaranteed.

TORY: Oh, my God!
It's perfect!

NARRATOR: The Jeep comes fitted
with what looks like

a .50-cal. machine g*n.

Does this work?

No, no, it's a replica.
[Laughs]

NARRATOR: Tory plans to replace
that with a compound crossbow.

Naturally,
he'll have to test it first.

So now for one of those
definitive

"don't try this at home"
moments.

Well, it looks like
it's accurate.

Now whether or not
it's consistent... I'll find out.

NARRATOR:
While Tory sets the platform

for a more credible set
of crossbow tests...

...Kari carves out
a hood ornament

that honors the origins
of the myth.

KARI: We have to take
the horse out of the equation,

but I don't want to take it out
entirely

'cause, really,
it's the essence of the myth.

So I'm gonna dress up our car

so it looks a little more
like a horse.

NARRATOR:
Meantime, Tory's found a target

to test the consistency
of the penetration.

That would be
the back of Grant's head.

[Laughs]

NARRATOR: As you'd expect, the
damage done to the jelly brain

is almost the same
from each shot.



NARRATOR: And Tory's fine-tuned
the bow speed

back to a more leisurely
medieval pace.

We're taking out
a few variables here

so we can just get down
to that one little question.

Our horse is now a car horse.

That way, we don't have
all of the jostling

and we have a constant speed.

Because the horses,
they just weren't getting it

when I was explaining to them
to go one speed.

NARRATOR:
With a horse head to the fore

and a horse tail aft,

this custom Jeep
is undeniably one-of-a-kind,

especially when the whole thing
is sprayed

in "we mean business" black.

KARI: "Black sh**t-y."
That's her name.

Black sh**t-y.
Get it?

NARRATOR: But Grant's head
is way too small

to be a viable target.

So the man himself
offers up an alternative

with a similar density

to the flesh
of a barbarian enemy.

Now, this foam is gonna make
a great target

for comparing the penetrating
power of our arrows.

But I think it's missing
a little something.

I think it's missing
that hint of realism.

NARRATOR: Time to dress down
for the occasion.

What exactly are we?

We're ancient warriors.

It's not really
very accurate, but...

Yeah.
We're the invading horde.

- [Laughs]
- Okay? All right.

- This isn't the History Channel.
- GRANT: Yeah.

NARRATOR: Grant sets the timer
on the camera,

and the crew do their best
to say "cheese" in barbarian.

[Roaring]

NARRATOR:
We're left with a happy snap

well and truly fit
for a big foam dart board.

- KARI: [Coughs]
- Good. I thought that was good.

Yeah, it felt convincing to me.

I felt angry.
That was good.

NARRATOR: It's one thing
to ride a horse at speed

without falling off.

It's at least twice as hard

to drop the reins
and sh**t an arrow.

But will that arrow get
twice the penetration?

TORY:
I think we're ready to attack.

NARRATOR: Kari, Tory, and Grant
began testing

their medieval-archery myth

with real horses
and a handheld bow.

Oh! So close!

NARRATOR:
For the sake of consistency,

they've changed up
to a Jeep and a crossbow.

But the principle
is just the same.

Could a modest 40-miles-per-hour
running start

double the depth of the arrow?

[Laughs]

GRANT: Huh?
We got our own billboard.

Xena, Conan...

Papa Smurf?

NARRATOR: Hopefully,
they've nailed the consistency.

But let's remember
that this myth

rests entirely
on added momentum.

Tory needs to sh**t at speed

precisely 60 feet
short of the target.


Right here.

NARRATOR: It's a legend
that's been hotly debated

for 500 years.

So I guess we can hang on
for a few more minutes

to call it confirmed,
plausible, or busted.

[Horns honking]

Back in the 1930s,
there was nothing funnier

than watching
an automobile deconstruct

after a minor collision.

Okay, it's still funny.

I told you not to make
that last payment.

NARRATOR: But these days,
we're less inclined to laugh

at catastrophic car failure.

Adam and Jamie
have gone into meltdown

trying to replicate the myth
of the exploding bumper.

[Snap, hiss]

Jennifer Schmid said the bumper
that broke her leg

traveled just 15 feet.

But the myth we're working with
says 50.

So far, Adam and Jamie

haven't managed to sh**t
a bumper 5 inches.

Damn it!

Man, this one
is kicking my butt.

I mean, we are just not seeing

any of
the exploding-bumper action

we're trying to get
out of these shocks.

Well, yeah,
but it kind of makes sense.

I mean,
these things are designed

to not fail catastrophically.

We still have to get that shot.

We still have to see a bumper

sh**ting 50 feet
through the air.

So how do we get that?

- When in doubt, C-4.
- [Chuckles]

Well, maybe not C-4,
but you get the picture.

[Laughing]
Yeah, I do.

NARRATOR: So now, throwing
caution and custom to the wind,

they're engineering
the spectacle

we've all been begging for.

Jamie cuts two
massively up-scaled pistons,

and the plan here
is to stuff them

with sand, water,
and expl*sives.

The best venue
in these situations,

as always, is the b*mb range.

Like a surgeon.

Nicely done.

We've got one main thing to do
before we run this experiment,

which is attach the bumper
to the car.

It's got a little more support
than your average bumper.

These expl*sive pistons
are about 14 inches deep,

and I need to hog out
enough of the car's structure

to get this puppy in there
to attach the bumpers.

NARRATOR: Adam enthusiastically
hogs out the front end,

making room for Jamie's
up-scaled hand-built pistons.

ADAM:
I think that's pretty much it.

NARRATOR:
Now for the expl*sive bit.

To make it happen,
we've re-enlisted the man

who set a similar charge
for "Motorcycle Flip,"

pyrotechnician Matt Heron.

Boom?

Ba-boom.

We're ramping it up, which is
kind of what we do on this show.

So in this case,
what we're doing here

is putting the same amount
of gunpowder

that we used just a little
while ago on "Motorcycle Flip"

to sh**t a motorcycle
that weighed,

you know, 250 pounds or so
straight up in the air.

[Laughs]
Well, the timing was perfect.

If you say so, Junior.

[Laughs]

In this case,
all we've got to do

is launch about 50 or 75 pounds
straight that way,

so it's going.

So, what do you think?

Charge in the end,
sand the rest of the way?

Sounds like a plan.
Yeah.

NARRATOR: Adam's plan
is to place a mannequin

exactly 50 feet
in front of the car,

just like the myth says.

[British accent]
Oh, be cooperative, love.

NARRATOR:
For some reason,

he's overcome by an urge
to paint it red.

ADAM: [Normal voice] Well,
that increases its visibility.

NARRATOR:
Meantime, Jamie's focused

on the details
of the detonations.

Now, instead of compressed gas,

we're going to put
some gunpowder

and a bunch of wet sand
in here.

Okay.

JAMIE:
Why the wet sand?

Well, if we just packed
this with gunpowder,

we'd have a pipe b*mb.

So the wet sand actually acts
as a shock absorber

for the gunpowder,

and it translates that bang
into forward movement.

NARRATOR: Matt connects both
charges to the same circuit.

HERON:
This is my favorite part.

NARRATOR: So the two shocks
should blow simultaneously.

Jamie lards up the cylinders
to minimize the friction.

JAMIE:
That ought to do it.

NARRATOR:
And the bumper gets refitted...

...nice and tight.

HERON:
That's good right there.

Perfect.

What do you think?

I think we're gonna hit
this guy.

I think this thing's
gonna fly 50 feet.

I have a good feeling.

I think the bumper's
gonna stay still

and the car's gonna go
up the hill.

- You don't really think that.
- No.

Yeah, I didn't think so.

NARRATOR:
So Matt sets the twin fuses.

- We're fully armed?
- We're hot.

NARRATOR: And hopefully,
we're about to get the finish

we've come to expect.

All right,
simulated bumper blast

in 3, 2, 1.

ADAM: Ooh.

Damn.

Wow.

[Laughter]

We may have overdone that.

NARRATOR: "Overdone"
is a word we discourage

here on "Mythbusters."

The trajectory was perfect.

The mannequin's
a shattered wreck,

and, hey, we got
what we came for.

Well, it definitely flew


JAMIE:
[Chuckles]

Oh, look.
It's up there on the hill.

ADAM: Wow.

Looks like we're gonna
have to get another dummy.

ADAM:
[Laughs]

We go through these mannequins
like candy.

[Laughing]
I know.

NARRATOR:
They had to fudge the method,

but now we have an insight

into how unlikely
a 50-foot blast must be.

The bumper
that smashed Jennifer's leg

broke in three

because the two shocks
didn't explode in unison.

We needed Matt's expertise
and two plugs of gunpowder

to make that happen.

Still...

JAMIE: These red stripes
right here...

those are your kneecaps.

Now, granted,
we might have exaggerated

a little bit with this.

But we know that this did happen
with a very similar device

with a car fire.

So if you see a car fire,
you shouldn't stand around it.

You might get hurt.

I'm pretty happy.

We came here
to make a bumper fly 50 feet,

and we totally exceeded that.

It's a good test.

NARRATOR:
Hey, it's a great test.

But simultaneous
catastrophic failure

and a 50-foot launch?

No way in the wide world.

This one's busted.

Grant, Kari, and Tory
are testing the myth

that an arrow fired
from a galloping horse

has twice the penetration
of an arrow fired from rest.

They've had to make
a few adjustments along the way.

GRANT:
Even with trained horses,

they might gallop at
a different speed on each run.

And even with expert archers,

sometimes you might
draw back the bow

just a little bit further.

So what we're doing right now

is getting rid
of all those variables.

NARRATOR:
So the horse becomes a Jeep,

and the medieval bow gets
replaced by a modern crossbow.

The changes are essential for
reliable, repeatable testing.

The first set of data points
we're gonna take

are our static shots.

We're going to sh**t a bunch
of arrows into our target.

I'm gonna mark and measure
each one,

and that way we'll have
a great comparison

for when we actually do
our moving shots.

NARRATOR: Tory's ready
to rip through 10 arrows

in quick succession
from a standing start.

TORY:
In 3, 2, 1. Fire.

Fire.

Nice.

TORY:
In 3, 2, 1.

Oh!

Ooh!

NARRATOR:
He is consistent.

But there's an unsettling
pattern developing here.

That was a little too close
for comfort there.

NARRATOR:
Still, nice grouping.



Oh, h* h*!

Right in the ding-dong!

NARRATOR:
Now it's up to Kari

to mark the depth
of each shaft...

That one had to hurt, right
there in the genetic legacy.

Ow.

It's like I was aiming
or something.

NARRATOR:
...then put her back into it.



a good average static depth
to work from.

KARI: The average
from our static shots

is 8.77 inches of penetration.

So now we're going to take
our moving shots

and compare the two.

Here we go.

NARRATOR: Grant revs the Jeep
like it's a rental...

[Engine revving]

...then gets it up to speed.

Tory steadies, aims...

and makes one tiny mistake.

I got excited!

I got so excited
I forgot to take the safety off.

Okay.
Good practice run, everyone.

This one's for real.
[Laughs]

TORY:
Good time, everyone.

All right.
Hi-h*, sh**t-y! Away!

GRANT: All right.


NARRATOR: Now, let's see if Tory
can keep his composure

and hit the target.

TORY:
Yeah! [Laughs]

Go.

Oh!

- Yeah!
- Yeah!

Yeah!

NARRATOR: The first three shots
found a steady latitude.

One hit the shield,
one hit Tory,

and the last hit Kari
in her favorite kidney.

[Laughs] I keep forgetting
we're trying to get,

like, some actual data
from all this.

GRANT:
Yeah. Oops.

TORY: I thought
we were just having fun.

Yeah, don't forget
to do the science.

[Both laugh]

NARRATOR: Yeah.
Let's not forget the science.

These 10 running shots will bust
or confirm the myth

that arrows shot forwards
at 40 miles per hour

bury themselves twice as deep
in the target.

You're ready to go.

NARRATOR: Tory turns out
to be a natural-born archer.

If sh**ting a crossbow

from the back of a moving Jeep
was an Olympic sport...

Actually, why isn't it?

- Whoo-hoo!
- Whoo-hoo!

- Oh, I could do this all day!
- GRANT: [Laughs]

I got to remember to stop.

I just want to keep going.

TORY:
This just never gets old.

NARRATOR: But Tory's down
to his last arrow.

Ready when you are.

NARRATOR:
And so far,

barbarian dwarf Grant
is unscathed.

KARI:
Whoo! Yeah!

TORY:
Got the gnome!

You got the dwarf!

TORY:
I got the gnome!

KARI: Yeah!

You got
the little bearded Grant!

Aw, man!

You think you were gonna get out
of this battle unscathed?

I don't think so, friend.

All right.
Now for the fun part!

- Yeah!
- Yeah! Data!

I'm gonna go do math.
Don't be jealous.

NARRATOR: Once more,

Kari marks the shafts exactly
where they pierced the foam.

And they're even harder
to extract than last time.

Well, they feel like
they've gone in further.

NARRATOR:
Now for the tale of the tape,

as Kari measures the penetration
of all 10 arrows

shot from a 40-mile-per-hour
running start.

KARI: The figures
are actually pretty interesting.

We are getting an average
of 11 inches

with all the moving shots,
which is a little over 2 inches

more penetration
than all the static shots.

So we are getting
more penetration,

but it's not the double
that the myth actually claims.

Fire.

NARRATOR:
If it was double,

these arrows
would have buried themselves

all the way
up to their feathers.

Okay, Kari.
So, what do you got?

Well, for the static shots,
I got an average of 8.77.

Now, for the moving shots,

I got an average
of 11.04 inches.

All right, well,
before we call this one busted,

I think we need to go back
to the shop,

double-check the high speed

and see what the speeds
of the arrows were.

[All cheering]

The key to this myth
is penetration.

But after measuring our arrows,
this one's busted.

Yeah, and we used bead foam,

which has a similar density
to both our ballistic material

and the human body, and we
only got 25% more penetration,

which is far from
what their stories told.

And that was backed up
by our high-speed footage,

which showed that our iron horse

increased the speed
of our arrows by 31%,

resulting in only a 72% increase
in kinetic energy.

Not quite double.

Yeah, but you got to give it
to them...

Riding horseback did give them
some advantage.

It just wasn't exactly as much
as they bragged about.

Yeah, but that being said,
the arrows still didn't go

twice as deep,
so this one's busted.

Busted.

Busted.