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Old 05-02-2023, 04:40 PM
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FlashDrive (Poppy)
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Darwin Award ......Good Read

This is a ' copy & paste ' of an email sent to me by my Twin Sister today.
I tried to do a ' screenshot ' but it didn't get the whole story.


Now, the winner of this year's Darwin Award (awarded, as always, posthumously)**


The Arizona Highway Patrol came upon a pile of smoldering metal embedded in the side of a cliff rising above the road at the apex of a curve.


The wreckage resembled the site of an airplane crash, but it was a car.

The type of car was unidentifiable at the scene.

Police investigators finally pieced together the mystery.

An amateur rocket scientist .. Had somehow gotten hold of a JATO bottle (Jet Assisted Take Off, actually a solid fuel rocket)

That is used to give heavy military transport planes an extra 'push' for taking off from short airfields.


He had driven his Chevy Impala out into the desert and found a long, straight stretch of road.

He attached the JATO unit to the car, jumped in, got up some speed and fired off the JATO!

The facts as best as could be determined are that the operator of the 1967 Impala hit the JATO ignition at a distance of approximately 3.0 miles from the crash site.

This was established by the scorched and melted asphalt at that location.



The JATO, if operating properly, would have reached maximum thrust within 5 seconds, causing the Chevy to reach speeds well in excess of 350 mph and continuing at full power for an additional 20 -25 seconds.

The driver, and soon to be pilot, would have experienced G-forces usually reserved for dog fighting F -14 jocks under full afterburners, causing him to become irrelevant for the remainder of the event.

However, the automobile remained on the straight
highway for about 2.5 miles (15-20 seconds) before the driver applied and completely melted the brakes, blowing the tires and leaving thick rubber
marks on the road surface, then becoming airborne for an additional 1.4 miles and impacting the cliff face at a height of 125 feet leaving a blackened crater 3 feet deep in the rock.

Most of the driver's remains were not recoverable.

However, small fragments of bone, teeth and hair were extracted from the crater, and fingernail and bone shards were removed from a piece of debris believed to be a portion of the steering wheel.

Epilogue:

It has been calculated that this moron attained a ground speed of approximately 420-mph, though much of his voyage was not actually on the ground.

You couldn't make this stuff up, could you?

AND PEOPLE JUST LIKE THIS ARE ALL AROUND US, BREEDING & VOTING!!!¦ *

SCARY THOUGHT, ISN'T IT ?!!*


Col......
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Old 05-02-2023, 05:02 PM
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So where can I buy a couple of these "JATO" units as I am thinking of driving to Perth

How do you know this story is true?...it being unbelievable may be because it just did not happen... There is so much nonsense floating around that after a few telling seem to become real... personally I doubt if it is factual ... maybe someone knows?

Alex
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Old 05-02-2023, 05:04 PM
Hans Tucker (Hans)
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This story or Myth for the doubters was a topic for the Myth Busters

https://youtu.be/cHUsGFGhfmk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JATO_Rocket_Car
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Old 05-02-2023, 05:50 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hans Tucker View Post
This story or Myth for the doubters was a topic for the Myth Busters

https://youtu.be/cHUsGFGhfmk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JATO_Rocket_Car
It was my vague recollection of the Myth Burgers that got me thinking...
But it is extrodinary how long this myth has been out there.

Alex
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Old 05-02-2023, 06:27 PM
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FlashDrive (Poppy)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by xelasnave View Post

How do you know this story is true?...it being unbelievable may be because it just did not happen... There is so much nonsense floating around that after a few telling seem to become real... personally I doubt if it is factual ... maybe someone knows?

Alex
Who knows Alex ....I'm just passing this on for others to read.

It's plausible, some people ( for whatever reason ) do extraordinary exploits to experience / satisfy their ' I wonder what will happen if ' ....wow, this could be an awesome thing to do.....!!

Col...
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Old 05-02-2023, 06:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FlashDrive View Post
Who knows Alex ....I'm just passing this on for others to read.

It's plausible, some people ( for whatever reason ) do extraordinary exploits to experience / satisfy their ' I wonder what will happen if ' ....wow, this could be an awesome thing to do.....!!

Col...
I think I am reacting to all the BS that folk circulate as being fact. So just let me say this came at time when I have been fielding "I just passed it on" as an excuse for propagating rubbish from various folk who I waste time upon pointing out they are gullible and to check their source to determine credibility.

I hope you and yours are well...And keep them coming I always get excited when I see you have posted something ...

Alex
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Old 05-02-2023, 06:43 PM
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FlashDrive (Poppy)
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Originally Posted by xelasnave View Post
I think I am reacting to all the BS that folk circulate as being fact. So just let me say this came at time when I have been fielding "I just passed it on" as an excuse for propagating rubbish from various folk who I waste time upon pointing out they are gullible and to check their source to determine credibility.

I hope you and yours are well...And keep them coming I always get excited when I see you have posted something ...

Alex

....your probably right ....take it with a grain of salt.
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Old 05-02-2023, 07:11 PM
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Very funny.
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Old 07-02-2023, 09:57 AM
EpickCrom (Joe)
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Col, this made me spit out my coffee reading the speeds he attained! Thanks for sharing
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Old 09-02-2023, 07:30 AM
Hans Tucker (Hans)
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JATO related

https://youtu.be/VHOvoO-6nWQ
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Old 09-02-2023, 07:42 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FlashDrive View Post

AND PEOPLE JUST LIKE THIS ARE ALL AROUND US, BREEDING & VOTING!!!¦ *

SCARY THOUGHT, ISN'T IT ?!!*


Col......
Hopefully, they're not doing both at the same time...



RB
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Old 09-02-2023, 09:02 AM
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Yeah this one has been doing the rounds since the internet really kicked off in the 90's....

I think it was the one story that inspired Mythbusters to start

Its a myth, but don't you just wish it were true?
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Old 09-02-2023, 06:18 PM
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astroron (Ron)
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Yep pops up on the internet, FB etc every now and again.
But must admit it has been a while since last seen.
I wouldn't put it past some yank trying it though. lol
Cheers
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Old 10-02-2023, 02:59 PM
LonelySpoon (Neville)
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JATOs (and the bazooka) are what Robert Goddard was told to work on in WWII.

Such a waste of his talent.

Neville
LSO
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