How about a hot air baloon.It can go up with one or all of the team mates. While they are in it, they can shoot at balloons or drop a bomb on a target on the ground.The challenge if they are shooting at baloons, can be to hit the most balloons before passing a finish line.The challenge if they are trying to bomb a target would be to maneuver it some how.

-- Andrew Churchill (gremlin_guy@hotmail.com), January 30, 2001

Answers

No way.

The time required to bodge together an envelope of the required size (enormous) would be far more than 10 hours, not even counting the basket, burner, tank, and mountings.

The finished machine would also need to meet government regulations before being allowed to fly.

Somehow, I can't see them managing either task in under 10 hours. Maybe 10 days.

(To reply in email replace blort dot invalid with anime dot net)

-- Dan Hollis (goemon@blort.invalid), January 30, 2001.

I appreciate the critisism this is my first attempt at a show idea and hope to come up with better ones in the future.

-- Andrew Churchill (gremlin_guy@hotmail.com), January 31, 2001.

Andrew... actually, I think it is a wonderful idea, and I've even seen it done in under 10 hours. My good friend, Steven Jorgensen, built a hot air balloon from plastic sheet and duct tape in our school auditorium in well under 10 hours. He had a bicycle wheel to hold it open, and taped two weed burners to the spokes. From the wheel he hung an old wooden chair, which in turn had propane tanks strapped to it. He took it out to a field, where about 150 people watched him float about 40 feet off the ground for 20 minutes! He would have gone high and far, but a teacher forced him to be tethered. This was about 1974/75. It's on film, too. So for JYW, maybe not manned, but unmanned balloons with bombing capabilities could be tried. I think it's a great idea. Rich SantaColoma helio@hotmail.com

-- Rich SantaColoma (helio6@hotmail.com), January 31, 2001.

Hey Dan, Do you think they got any government approval the last time they made flying machines on the show ! NOT This could be done in 10 hours but the parts would almost all have to be seeded into the yard. Not many burners or envelope material in a scrap yard. I think if they were unmanned & tethered it would work OK, but how do you get a winner ? & there's pretty much only one way to make a balloon. So in general not good show material.

-- Rick The Rocket (hoodoo2@povn.com), January 31, 2001.

Hey Rick,

The flying machines on the previous challenge didnt get more than a few feet off the air, so they didn't need government approval.

Hot air balloons would require government approval.

I sure hope you aren't suggesting the RDF production team should break federal law.

As for the bomber episode, they had to get government clearance before they flew their balloon and RC flyer.

(To reply in email replace blort dot invalid with anime dot net)

-- Dan Hollis (goemon@blort.invalid), January 31, 2001.