# Experiment in Airplane-less flight produces questionable results **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 16, 2003, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854 "2003-07-16T11:40:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/1 "2003-07-16T11:40:49Z")
KER-SPLAT! [LINK](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=757&e=1&u=/nm/20030715/od_nm/britain_catapult_dc) ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/2 "2003-07-16T11:44:07Z")
There was a Dilbert strip like that once. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/3 "2003-07-16T11:46:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Michael Ellis \* > \*\*There was a Dilbert strip like that once. \*\* Don’t you mean a Roadrunner cartoon **Mikey**? ---
**Author:** ![lauramarlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a5b964/32.png) [@lauramarlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lauramarlane)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/4 "2003-07-16T11:50:12Z")
Oxford Stunt Factory?! Would that be the UK version of Jackass? ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/5 "2003-07-16T12:03:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lauramarlane \* > \*\*Oxford Stunt Factory?! Would that be the UK version of Jackass? \*\* Those Brits. They make everything sound polite. I picture them, in tophats and monocles, ambling up to the gentleman in question… “Pardon me, sir, but we’re in a bit of a jam. We need someone to hurl out of our trebuchet and, well, there’s no one but you. Would you mind terribly if we hurled you through the air? Oh, good, thank you so much!” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/6 "2003-07-16T12:06:57Z")
You’d think a biochemistry student might know a little something about gene pools. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/7 "2003-07-16T12:52:04Z")
My wife came up with this title: “Jackass Genius Edition”. We think it could be a major hit… ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/8 "2003-07-16T12:57:23Z")
I strongly suspect considerable volumes of gin and/or various ales were involved in modifying the decision-making process of the various “test pilots” here. (Not the actual trebuchet crew: those I picture as your classic English, erm, “eccentric” type, mild-mannered and perfectly straight-faced – though a bit bemused – as they propose something totally deranged). It was probably cheaper than taking a train down to Pamplona to get trampled by frightened bovines, and made as much sense to them. Besides, according to the article the previous five launchees made it OK (and trebuchets are the most accurately aimable of the catapult family, though I understood that they also would have the most punishing launch acceleration). Will this now lead to a ban on unlicensed siege engines? ---
**Author:** ![gkkk4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gkkk4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkkk4)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/9 "2003-07-16T13:09:31Z")
ouch! definite Darwin Award material… ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/10 "2003-07-16T13:10:18Z")
“The classic English eccentric, mild-mannered and perfectly straight-faces as they propose something totally deranged” I love it. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/11 "2003-07-16T16:20:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > \*\*Don’t you mean a Roadrunner cartoon **Mikey**? \*\* No, I mean Dilbert. He was shot out of an office building by a cannon to save on travel expenses. And don’t call me Mikey. I don’t eat Life cereal. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/12 "2003-07-16T16:28:58Z")
Personally, I wouldn’t want to go out any other way. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/13 "2003-07-16T22:39:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JRDelirious \* > \*\*Will this now lead to a ban on unlicensed siege engines? \*\* Unlicensed siege engines don’t kill people; dumb students with unlicensed siege engines kill people. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/14 "2003-07-16T23:37:44Z")
If siege engines are outlawed, only outlaws will have siege engines! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/15 "2003-07-17T00:07:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*Unlicensed siege engines don’t kill people; dumb students with unlicensed siege engines kill people. \*\* Dumb students with unlicensed siege engines don’t kill people. Dumb students with unlicensed siege engines firing dumb students at people kill people. ---
**Author:** ![psychomonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@psychomonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychomonkey)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/16 "2003-07-17T06:14:09Z")
There was actually an article on people doing this in the British FHM not too long ago. Mentioned one man who made it without injuries, they called him the champion of the sport. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/experiment-in-airplane-less-flight-produces-questionable-results/188854/17 "2003-07-17T06:45:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by psychomonkey \* > \*\*There was actually an article on people doing this in the British FHM not too long ago. Mentioned one man who made it without injuries, they called him the champion of the sport. \*\* So, in order to be the champion of the sport, all you have to do is not get injured?