Guinness world record attempt 60 inch shell

[Dean411]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1748951112/become-a-part-of-pyrotechnic-history-set-a-world-r

 

Be a part of history

 

Dean

Edited March 4, 2014 by Dean411

[AzoMittle]

This is ridiculous, I'll be watching

[Dean411]

I posted this to inform people in the pyro community , I am not a part of it although I know some of the people involved.

 

I am sure the same comments were made at the thought of 24 inch , 36 inch and 48 inch now they are all fired regularly in japan and elsewhere.

So I really dont see it as ridiculous!

 

Dean

[BrainDamage]

That is going to be one BIG SHELL 5 feet

[Blackthumb]

Calculated lift? What kind?

[ddewees]

Just rough numbers, but a 60 inch sphere is:

 

113,097 cubic inches,

Which holds 489.6 gallons,

Which would weigh almost two tons filled with water (3,916.8 lbs).

[Mumbles]

I'd estimate the shell weight to be closer to 4700-5000lbs. When the size of a shell doubles, it approximately scales. A 4" ball shell weighs about 1lb, so an 8" shell should weigh about 8lbs. A 12" shell weighs around 18-22lbs, so a 24" shell weighs about 160lbs (real weight about 140ish). A 16" shell weighs about 70lbs, so a 32" shell should weigh about 560lbs. A 36" shell weighs about 650-700lbs, so a 64" shell would weigh about 5200-5500lbs. Subtract a bit for being 60" instead of 64" and you're in the ball park.

[ddewees]

They should hold a contest that if you can guess the weight, you get to light the fuse.

 

Does it have to be "launched" by traditions means? I would image it'd be easier to drop it out of an airplane "Hiroshima" style... just sayin.

Edited March 5, 2014 by ddewees

[nater]

Wow, that is an interesting analogy.

 

They intend for it to be lifted as a traditional shell.

[Mumbles]

Hah, so it turns out I'm occasionally terrible at math. Somehow 36 x 2 equals 64 in my mind. My initial estimate was way off. Fred says 1700lbs, I'd be more inclined to go with between 2000-2100.

[TYRONEEZEKIEL]

That number makes much more sense as I have a hard time seeing the shell being more dense than a water filled shell. Rice hulls are used because they are light

[nater]

On large shells, cotton seed is often used as it is even larger and lighter than rice hulls. On monster shells like this project, I have no idea what they will use as a carrier to get the appropriate about of burst and keep the shell as light as possible.

[marks265]

Maybe they could use tennis balls, or stuffed teddy bears or maybe cabbage patch dolls.

[Bobosan]

Maybe they could use tennis balls, or stuffed teddy bears or maybe cabbage patch dolls.

 

oh my, that's disturbing.

[Mumbles]

Some 36" shells I'm aware of used full sized wine corks as a carrier, and bed sheets to separate the burst from the inserts/stars. Just imagine pasting in the three dozen(ish) 8" shells used, in addition to making the casing by hand, and pasting the 100 or so layers on the outside by hand. Makes you appreciate how easy the WASP has made some people's lives.

[Niladmirari]

Most of the weight of the shell - it stars.

Weight and cost can be reduced if you use a star TT+8%Ti or C8+ 8%MgAl (in reality it is a comet stars ).

[Niladmirari]

Even cheaper fill him shells 4-6 inches. And glue comet to shells.

[ddewees]

I guess they put this project on hold?

[Seymour]

I've always had this fantasy of breaking the world record myself, and going straight to a six footer. I'm glad that some people are breaking the world record without killing my unlikely to be fullfilled fantasy. I'll keep dreaming though!

 

ddewees, I'd be very tempted to drop it from an aircraft too. Not only would it be easier, but probably cheaper too, when you consider the cost of buying and setting up the mortar for only one, or at most a few shells.

 

I'd be really impressed if they dio lift it traditionally though!

[taiwanluthiers]

I think there could be legal challenges to air dropping shells... mostly it's against the law to carry explosives on a plane. Might be easier to cooperate with the military on this matter and drop it from a military aircraft. An altimeter would be needed to be installed on the shell so that it bursts at a precise altitude.

[mikeee]

They need to think outside the box on this one.

Biggest problem is the mortar and a location to shoot it.

They need to find something that will work as the mortar and then design the shell to that size.

Makes about as much sense as building a bullet and then looking for a gun that can shoot the bullet.

Does it matter if the shell is 54", 55", 56", 57", 58", 59".

The mortar and location will be the expensive part.

If they could find a location out in the desert and install the mortar, they could reuse it each year.

I would check around with the scrap yards and oil industry for something that might be the right size for the mortar.

The oil industry use large diameter pressure and reactor vessels that could be converted to a mortar.

They do make large size HDPE pipe but it is made off-shore to order. They make fiberglass but it is very expensive for that diameter.

The mortar installation will need some major foundation work to absorb the lift charge.

A location with good solid footing will be expensive to dig the hole for the mortar.

A location with soft soil will be easy to dig the hole, but will require a great deal of foundation footings for the mortar.

[ddewees]

Shoot it in New Hampshire, and just drill the hole/mortar right into solid granite.

[Bobosan]

Me thinks ddewees is trying to break off the Atlantic coastline to match the Pacific one.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Bobosan

[hindsight]

Me thinks ddewees is trying to break off the Atlantic coastline to match the Pacific one.

It wouldn't be his "fault".

[Bobosan]

True, obviously San Andreas's fault even though it's on west coast. You know him?

 

Good one hindsight. This is starting to "crack" me up.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Bobosan