SPSU Pumpkin Launch Extravaganza
Hallowed Grounds of the Soaring Squash
Thursday October 24, 2013
The Ramrod crew under the direction of Keith, I mean Kyle, delivered the pumpkin launcher to the launching area and did some final assembly and tweaking.
Theirs was the only launcher
that was painted, decorated black and red and dubbed the Widowmaker. They even had custom painted pumpkins from local design
shop Southern Customs (unlike other teams with raw wood or metal devices and
plain old orange pumpkins)!
The launch went off as planned, going even farther than the
test shots here at our house - 15 meters or almost 50 feet! The distance was pretty much average for the day, with some other pumpkins that did not launch at all, and one
going 115 meters.
The project is still in process, with reports and calculations
to be presented, so Buddy, I mean Kyle, is still waiting to see what his final grade will be.
This was a real lesson in teamwork and it was very
interesting and entertaining to watch the team in action, the geek with the
calculations, the lazy city kid that didn't know the meaning of work, the enterprising
grandson who knows where to go for supplies and tools. And in addition to the
official college team, the father with cross-bow experience and knowledge, the
mom and sister who painted the team name virtually last minute, and last but
not least the grandpa with a lot of construction know-how and a shop full of tools
and supplies.
For now, we have a crossbow pumpkin launcher in the woods,
delegated with other projects and acquisitions, just another memory to rust in
the leaves.
