What are some of the various ways to launch potatoes?
Percifield: There are kinetic energy storing devices such as sling shots or trébuchets. I have seen a video of a trébuchet throwing a piano over 100 yards! I will build one of these some day. The other method of accelerating potatoes involves the use of expanding gasses and a barrel. The traditional potato gun uses a barrel that is attached to a combustion chamber. The potato is tamped into the barrel until it is close to the chamber. Then a combustible vapor such as hair spray, butane, propane, etc. is introduced into the chamber from the rear. When ignited, the mixture explodes and pressure is built up in the chamber, pushing the potato out. My design uses compressed air to accelerate the potato. I have a reservoir that holds the compressed air and a high-flow valve that opens the end of the barrel to the reservoir. The energy stored in the compressed air is sufficient that given a good design you could put a potato in the supersonic (i.e. 1,100 feet per second) range. Tell me an int
