Can you help out the Mythbusters?

Since it is on TV, you can't ever tell if it's real or not. They might have been traveling at 3 MPH when they did it, and played it back faster or had the whole rig (back of a truck, piece of road and KITT on a bigger truck) whatever.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(clonesix @ Feb 16 2007, 07:38 PM) [snapback]1420607[/snapback]</div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(LZeitgeist @ Feb 17 2007, 03:03 AM) [snapback]1420593[/snapback]
Cool idea for a show, but since they obviously didn't CG or bluescreen it in the KR episodes, I don't know what 'myth' there is to 'bust'...
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A truck is traveling at 50 mph down the road and lowers its tailgate (ramp) for a car to drive up. The car driving behind the truck is also traveling at 50 mph. Their net speed is zero. Then the car accellerate to 55 mph to enter the truck; their net speed is 5 mph only as long as the rear tire (drive tire) is on pavement. The instant the rear tire touches the ramp, it is part of the truck, and now traveling at 55mph into the truck and have to come to a complete stop in 30 feet before you crash into the cab of the truck.

If anyone can build a braking system for this, the Myth Busters can. (And I want to see it)
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It's more likely that the did this in segments.

Segment 1: shot of car driving up behind truck and ramp lowers. CUT.

Put car onto ramp. get truck rolling. ACTION

Segment 2: car moves up ramp (probably being pulled by cable) into truck.

Apply editing




BTW Has anyone located a KITT? as this thread was intended to do
 
Gegegege, indeed. He should have pursued his singing career...

"I've been looking for freedom..."

Well, for some strange reason KITT is being discussed on the Robocop forum:

Links to youtube

Hope it's any help...
 
as part of the mythbust tho you need to have a 6 foot 4 guy in an afro opening the very long doors of a two door car in an enclosed cab, get out, close the door, and walk over and talk to two people who also dont seem to be affected by the fact that they are traveling at least 65. Anyone whos been stuck in the back of a 48 to 53 foot trailer while moving knows it aint easy not falling over. But I am psyched that instead of just using any car, you and Jaime are going to use KITT. By the way did anyone send his producer the links to the knight registries and marks custom kits or did they just post it? I hope Adam's checking the forums.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(CessnaDriver @ Feb 16 2007, 11:25 PM) [snapback]1420625[/snapback]</div>
Since generally at the end of the myth busting efforts they go whole hog and try something extreme,

Two words...

Turbo boost.

turbo.jpg

[/b]


Now THATS something I would like to see. :thumbsup
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stampedemag @ Feb 17 2007, 04:42 AM) [snapback]1420631[/snapback]</div>
keep in mind that they do stunts like this all the time with untrained amatuers on Fear Factor. Not an enclosed truck but a flat bed. A truck none the less.
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Yep...I saw this on Fear Factor too, and a couple of inexperienced (non professional) drivers were able to pull it off. This reminds me of the plane on the tread mill question. Like matt said this is all about momentum and the speed of the wheels does not effect it directly (only influences it). That is why dragsters spin out at the beginning of a race and anyone who has floored their vehicle from a dead stop can attest to. The speed difference between the the truck and the car will only be a few miles an hour. and the ability to change geras once you get it up the ramp and thn brake should be all bout timing and if non-pro divers can do it on Fear Factor I am sure the stunt drivers can do it no problem. On the other hand risking the cars on a weekly basis was unlikely so I am sure they used quick edits to make it look better than it was...as well as re-use the footage over and over again.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(clonesix @ Feb 17 2007, 04:38 AM) [snapback]1420607[/snapback]</div>
A truck is traveling at 50 mph down the road and lowers its tailgate (ramp) for a car to drive up. The car driving behind the truck is also traveling at 50 mph. Their net speed is zero. Then the car accellerate to 55 mph to enter the truck; their net speed is 5 mph only as long as the rear tire (drive tire) is on pavement. The instant the rear tire touches the ramp, it is part of the truck, and now traveling at 55mph into the truck and have to come to a complete stop in 30 feet before you crash into the cab of the truck.
[/b]
I believe it is possible, maybe hard, but possible. It might need some precise synchronization, but I think that the Knight Foundation would be able to design some electronics that could do that automatically. ;)
First of all, the car has to break automatically when it enters the ramp. Maybe a laser range finder in the back of the truck would send a radio signal when the car is close enough. There will be a delay for this, so the setting could have to be different for each speed. Trial and error ...

Maybe additional tech. needs to be used. Note that just because something is not seen or mentioned in the TV series, does not mean it is not there. ;)
1. When the car enters the ramp, something springs up (or down) lifting the rear wheels, preventing them from touching the ramp until they have stopped. This could be either an additional set of wheels underneath the car, or something in the ramp. Something else than the rear drive wheels move the car into the truck.
2. There are rollers built into the ramp. These "capture" the angular momentum in the wheels until the car's breaks have done their job. Then the rollers are locked and the car can drive itself the rest of the way into the truck.
The rollers are not motorized but they have good ball bearings and they have breaks.
3. Simpler, combination of 1. and 2. There are rollers with good bearings on the ramp. Something else than the rear drive wheels pulls the car into the truck.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MattMunson @ Feb 17 2007, 04:11 AM) [snapback]1420696[/snapback]</div>
Bah, it's all about momentum.

I think a bigger mystery is why David Hasslehoff still has a career.
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They could probably get David Hasslehoff to do the stunt for them. The pay would probably be cheaper than what they pay the other Mythbusters.
 
The instant the rear tire touches the ramp, it is part of the truck, and now traveling at 55mph into the truck and have to come to a complete stop in 30 feet before you crash into the cab of the truck.[/b]

You guys are honestly over complicating the stunt, you are traveling at high speed in high gear, once the back tires leave the road and hit the ramp you are basically at a dead stop starting uphill, the car isn't going to just jump forward as there simply isn't enough power in the higher gear it was driving at... Chances are better the car would stall out once the rear tires hit the ramp... Ever tried taking off from a dead stop uphill in 3rd or 4th gear, this is basically what is happening...

With a manual transmission, give a quick burst of speed right before the rear tires hit the ram, hit the clutch shift into 1st and as soon as the rear tires roll onto the ramp continue up in 1st...

The thing that confuses everyone is that you are not entering the truck as a high speed, the difference in the speed of the truck and the car doing the stunt is in reality is probably less then 10MPH...
 
well said exoray...I hope they do this episode just for the science lesson. I hope we didn't kill it with the fear factor stuff. The one show I do really miss now that I don't watch TV anymore is Mythbusters.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(exoray @ Feb 18 2007, 05:57 AM) [snapback]1421184[/snapback]</div>
You guys are honestly over complicating the stunt, you are traveling at high speed in high gear, once the back tires leave the road and hit the ramp you are basically at a dead stop starting uphill, [/b]



:eek "Dead Stop"?? What about the rotation of the wheels? If they were propelling the car forward at 50 mph, they are still still propelling the car at 50 mph when they hit the ramp. Now the car is driving 50 mph up the ramp, not at "dead stop" as you suggest.

The car should not travel faster than it can safely stop in the length of the trailer. realistically, the knight rider car looked like it was traveling 5 mph, if I remember the show correctly. I has been a few years.

This isn't helping Adam find a car BTW. This thread has sure deviated from its intent. Sorry Asavage, I just get carried away when debating physics.
 
^ because the torque created by the rotational inertia of 100lbs worth of wheels and tires turning will not overcome the weight of the 3500lb vehicle. Once they hit the ramp, they stop turning at their previous speed. In overdrive gear, they're not applying enough torque from the motor to "launch it forward" at a relative 55mph or whatever. It's just like starting from a stop in 5th gear. It will stall. The maneuver we're talking about here *requires* a shift to neutral when you hit the ramp with the rear tires, and then a shift into 1st gear to get it up the ramp into the truck, essentially starting from a stop. Can you do it by the sheer inertia of the moving car, Fear Factor style? Of course, but then you're only talking a minor speed differential. No launching effect.

Just like in offroad racing, when you get airborne you have to put the clutch in or take it out of gear, rather than floor it, because when you hit the ground the tires will instantly be going the same speed of travel as the ground, rather than the speed of travel the motor would be turning them. If you don't have the clutch out, you break the u-joints in the driveshaft , the axles, or the CV joints on the axles.

This "trick" is stupidly possible. It's been done many times on many shows and movies. It's really not worth the mythbusters' time.
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(clonesix @ Feb 17 2007, 10:38 PM) [snapback]1421196[/snapback]</div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(exoray @ Feb 18 2007, 05:57 AM) [snapback]1421184[/snapback]
You guys are honestly over complicating the stunt, you are traveling at high speed in high gear, once the back tires leave the road and hit the ramp you are basically at a dead stop starting uphill, [/b]



:eek "Dead Stop"?? What about the rotation of the wheels? If they were propelling the car forward at 50 mph, they are still still propelling the car at 50 mph when they hit the ramp. Now the car is driving 50 mph up the ramp, not at "dead stop" as you suggest.

The car should not travel faster than it can safely stop in the length of the trailer. realistically, the knight rider car looked like it was traveling 5 mph, if I remember the show correctly. I has been a few years.

This isn't helping Adam find a car BTW. This thread has sure deviated from its intent. Sorry Asavage, I just get carried away when debating physics.
[/b][/quote]



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEZViEbRyNk

In german but someone apparantly translated, the vid is obvious what they did anyways though.

"1.: Braking when car is on the ramp. Some people think, if you brake at the ramp, the car will be pressed into the truck by air, but the expereiment shoes that this is not correct.

2.: Slowing down when car is on the ramp, gear down. this works.

3.: Accelerating when car is on the ramp. crash"
 
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(clonesix @ Feb 18 2007, 06:38 AM) [snapback]1421196[/snapback]</div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(exoray @ Feb 18 2007, 05:57 AM) [snapback]1421184[/snapback]
You guys are honestly over complicating the stunt, you are traveling at high speed in high gear, once the back tires leave the road and hit the ramp you are basically at a dead stop starting uphill, [/b]



:eek "Dead Stop"?? What about the rotation of the wheels? If they were propelling the car forward at 50 mph, they are still still propelling the car at 50 mph when they hit the ramp. Now the car is driving 50 mph up the ramp, not at "dead stop" as you suggest.

The car should not travel faster than it can safely stop in the length of the trailer. realistically, the knight rider car looked like it was traveling 5 mph, if I remember the show correctly. I has been a few years.

This isn't helping Adam find a car BTW. This thread has sure deviated from its intent. Sorry Asavage, I just get carried away when debating physics.
[/b][/quote]

What you are saying is if the trailer is going lets say 45 MPH(5miles slower than the car) and the car is going 50 mph as soon as it hits the ramp it will be going 50 mph more than the trailer...basicly the car will immediatly be proppelled to 95 mph...sorry that physics goes againt the laws of inertia.
 
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