There will be a new Mythbusters on Discovery tonight, where they’ll be testing what really brought down the Hindenburg. From the previews:
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[Oh the humanity!]
It looks like they’ll be looking at the two most probable hypotheses. The traditional leaking hydrogen hypothesis and the more recent hypothesis that the paint was the primary cause. The silvery color of the zeppelin was due to the fabric covering being painted with an iron oxide and aluminum-impregnated dope. These components are highly reactive. Indeed, they’re used in some solid rocket engines as well as thermite.
Neat show, but I think there are some scale and design problems that might keep their experiment from being the definitive word. I can see the presence of individual interior gasbags (like the real thing) making a difference, as well as the location of the introduction of the flame. It seems to me that a flame burning down over the structure as it did in the show wouldn’t spread as fast as one burning up from the bottom.
I’m rather disappointed that they didn’t test the original myth, that hydrogen and hydrogen alone was responsible for the Hindenburg accident. Also, it’s clear from their initial tests that the dope (heh) takes a while to get going, but once it does, it goes pretty quickly. On an airship the size of the Hindenburg, the initial flames could have been smoldering unnoticed for a while, especially if they were at the top of the airship. Still, the second model with both hydrogen and dope looked eerily like the newsreel footage.
I agree that another blimp with just burning cotton with hydrogen would have been nice to see as a comparison to the others. But at the same time I think that the difference between the burning hydrogen on its own and the burning blimp made a good case that the paint helped the thing spread in that dramatic fashion that we’re so familiar with.
As a former Floridian I also liked checking the zig zagging idea, but I think that without more aggressive reptiles its impossible to compare the difference. To me the myth was that the animal would have a harder time catching you if you move in a zig zag rather than running straight; the fact that it would be really hard to get one to chase you isn’t really giving me the answer I want.
This show has gone pretty far afield from the original premise that made it interesting to watch. They started out testing myths, mostly urban legends, that needed to be tested and could be reasonably tested. Now they’re just looking for any kind of test that might be fun and involves blowing things up.
I mean, really, these guys can fairly test whether toast always falls butter side down, and that probably hasn’t ever been tested before. Interesting and fun to watch.
But now these two special effects guys are going to determine how the Hindenburg exploded? A, they’re not qualified, and B, there’s a shitload of analysis, investigation, testing, and data out there already, from much more qualified investigators.
The worst is when they go through a long, elaborate testing process to see if “X” is possible, then at the end they tell you, “Well, actually we know that X is possible because there is this entirely reliable, thoroughly documented account of it happening to John Smith in Portland on April 12.”
It seems to have degenerated into a pointless play time in the workshop.
Since Secrets of the Dead did it a couple years back–using an actual scrap of fabric from the Hindenburg–I’m with AnnieChrist that this sounds like pointless playtime in the lab.
They have trouble getting a basic engineering concept down. Two things the same are different. When they electronically set off 2 rockets at the same time they will not go off at the same time. When you use 2 cylinders to obtain more power you get twist. One has to be a slave. They have repeated this error endlessly. last week they tried to get a swing seat to go over the bar with a rocket. Except they used 2. I knew it would twist and it did, But it makes for fun TV.
Agreed, Mythbusters is rapidly transforming into the “Lets blow up some stuff for no real reason” show…
…and i’m just fine with that
i mean, the other experiment, the 360 degree chain swing experiment, it was obvious that there’s no way anyone could perform a 360 on a chain swing with muscle power alone, once the subject starts the upswing, they’re working against gravity and drag, the centrifugal force holding them in the seat dissapates, the chain loses it’s tension, and back down they come
even before they strapped rocket motors to Suzie, it was clear that what was needed was both forward thrust and “downward” pressure, thrust to keep the subject in motion, and pressure to keep the chains tight…
I dessent your dessentness. The chick is kinda hot, the explosions are cool and the kids learn something about science. It is great TV. Just because they have no clue about control experiments and believe that a first-shot failure at replicating a unique event means it isn’t possible, doesn’t mean the show is without merit.
Oh… wait, hold on… got a little more piss coming. Thought I was finished, but you know, somtimes just a little more…
Isn’t it silly when they do their own little in-house experiments to determine things that they could easily find in reference material? Like the speed of a bullet? Ya know, I’m pretty sure that figure is available already without setting up your high speed camera and scientific calculator.
But gotta agree that red head chick is really hot. Worth watching the show just for her. And it’s fun to watch things blow up real good, too.
Just saying the show was better before they ran out of urban legends to test.
If you are not hooked when they blew up the cement mixer you should have been. Men like explosions … and red heads. The premise does not always work but at least something gets blown up. Sometimes the experiment is interesting too. Like when they shot bullets through the water . They all assumed the shots would be dangerous at a deep level but water slowed the bullets down within 3 feet. Some of the high powered bullets disintegrated. Interesting.
You can always say the science could be more rigorous except ultimately it is entertainment.
If you are not hooked when they blew up the cement mixer you should have been. Men like explosions … and red heads. The premise does not always work but at least something gets blown up. Sometimes the experiment is interesting too. Like when they shot bullets through the water . They all assumed the shots would be dangerous at a deep level but water slowed the bullets down within 3 feet. Some of the high powered bullets disintegrated. Interesting.
You can always say the science could be more rigorous except ultimately it is entertainment.
You were not paying attention. The 9mm pistol was lethal to 7 feet. But yeah, the high-powered 50 cal bullets did disintegrate.
The Hindenberg stuff was well done, IMO. The only problem was that they couldn’t put hydrogen in the scale model, because it would just explode. That, in turn, precluded them putting it in bladders (not that they ever considered that, AFAICT). Also, they just blithely stated that the scale model should burn up in about the same amount of time as the real thing, with no reason given for that assertion. Still, a good “myth,” and as good an experiment as could have been done without massive amounts of money.
The croc bit was a crock, though. I’d much rather have seen a fight between a croc or two or threee and Grant’s battlebot (with spiked hammer installed). That would have been cool.
I guess I was right after all about Saving Private Ryan Unless, of course, .50 cals can penetrate much more water than whatever they used in that episode. I only saw the movie once but didn’t the bullets in the opening scene travel somewhat horizontally thru the equivalent of around 15 feet of water?
