Comments on: Ping Pong Balls Make Plane Buoyant (Nov, 1936) http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:19:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Jay Turberville http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1098037 Jay Turberville Mon, 28 Nov 2011 06:44:30 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1098037 The nitrocellulose used to make ping pong balls has a lower nitrogen content than the nitrocellulose used in explosives or guncotton and is not explosive. Flammable, yes. Explosive, no. At least not in any ordinary circumstance. Millions of people play ping-pong in the U.S. and there are ping-pong balls all over the place. When was the last time you heard of a ping-pong ball explosion or even a fire. The nitrocellulose used to make ping pong balls has a lower nitrogen content than the nitrocellulose used in explosives or guncotton and is not explosive. Flammable, yes. Explosive, no. At least not in any ordinary circumstance. Millions of people play ping-pong in the U.S. and there are ping-pong balls all over the place. When was the last time you heard of a ping-pong ball explosion or even a fire.

]]> By: Firebrand38 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1071378 Firebrand38 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:12:08 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1071378 Elliot: Actually Mythbusters investigated whether you could "pump in" ping-pong balls to raise a sunken boat. Also, for the record nitrocellulose is NOT cotton soaked in nitroglycerin. In fact, gun cotton (nitrocellulose) soaked in nitroglycerin is the explosive Cordite. Elliot: Actually Mythbusters investigated whether you could “pump in” ping-pong balls to raise a sunken boat.

Also, for the record nitrocellulose is NOT cotton soaked in nitroglycerin. In fact, gun cotton (nitrocellulose) soaked in nitroglycerin is the explosive Cordite.

]]> By: Elliot http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1071377 Elliot Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:55:34 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1071377 Mythbusters proved this it works Mythbusters proved this it works

]]> By: Toronto http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1062165 Toronto Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:24:00 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1062165 Ping pong balls are cellulose, not nitrocellulose (aka gun cotton), which is basically nitroglycerin-soaked fibers (glossing over the details, of course.) Ping pong balls are cellulose, not nitrocellulose (aka gun cotton), which is basically nitroglycerin-soaked fibers (glossing over the details, of course.)

]]> By: Toronto http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1062164 Toronto Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:19:28 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1062164 Didn't Douglas Bader, the famed legless fighter pilot of WWII, have his prosthetic legs filled with ping pong balls when he flew in the Pacific theatre? Didn’t Douglas Bader, the famed legless fighter pilot of WWII, have his prosthetic legs filled with ping pong balls when he flew in the Pacific theatre?

]]> By: Luke Smith http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1062162 Luke Smith Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:26:39 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1062162 I dunno, kind of cool, but like you say! I dunno, kind of cool, but like you say!

]]> By: Jim Clark http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1062161 Jim Clark Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:26:12 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1062161 Awesome, can't see it catching on though! Awesome, can’t see it catching on though!

]]> By: galessa http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1048864 galessa Sat, 15 Mar 2008 18:24:44 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1048864 yeah, guncotton! yeah, guncotton!

]]> By: jayessell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1048758 jayessell Fri, 14 Mar 2008 23:12:02 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1048758 I think you mean Guncotton. I think you mean Guncotton.

]]> By: galessa http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1048754 galessa Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:02:13 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1048754 they should reconsider using celluloid balls, since celluloid is a very, VERY flamable, almost explosive substance: cellulose nitrate, aka gunpowder... they should reconsider using celluloid balls, since celluloid is a very, VERY flamable, almost explosive substance: cellulose nitrate, aka gunpowder…

]]> By: jayessell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1048583 jayessell Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:37:32 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1048583 Blurgle, I think you were right the first time. Ping Pong balls would be crushed in 100 feet or so. Steel spheres? Glass spheres? Either way, the Titanic is a poor candidate for being raised. Blurgle, I think you were right the first time.
Ping Pong balls would be crushed in 100 feet or so.
Steel spheres? Glass spheres?
Either way, the Titanic is a poor candidate for being raised.

]]> By: Rick Auricchio http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1048572 Rick Auricchio Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:23:13 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1048572 I believe the balls in the photo were just put there for the photo. The real ones would be inside closed compartments in the wings, stabilizer, and other sections of the aircraft. I believe the balls in the photo were just put there for the photo. The real ones would be inside closed compartments in the wings, stabilizer, and other sections of the aircraft.

]]> By: Blurgle http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1048558 Blurgle Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:45:20 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1048558 Golf balls? I need another cup of coffee. Ping pong balls, of course! Golf balls? I need another cup of coffee. Ping pong balls, of course!

]]> By: Blurgle http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1048557 Blurgle Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:44:55 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1048557 A few years back, somebody brought up the idea of raising the Titanic with golf balls. It didn't get far, considering the Titanic is in two large pieces (and about half a million small ones), both of which are open to the water, and it would likely disintegrate if it were raised even six inches. A few years back, somebody brought up the idea of raising the Titanic with golf balls. It didn’t get far, considering the Titanic is in two large pieces (and about half a million small ones), both of which are open to the water, and it would likely disintegrate if it were raised even six inches.

]]> By: albear http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1048554 albear Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:35:41 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1048554 Wont ping pong balls become loose and wedge on the flap? And besides, he doesn't need ping pong balls. The guy looks pretty buoyant himself! Wont ping pong balls become loose and wedge on the flap? And besides, he doesn’t need ping pong balls. The guy looks pretty buoyant himself!

]]> By: jayessell http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/comment-page-1/#comment-1048537 jayessell Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:31:30 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/03/12/ping-pong-balls-make-plane-buoyant/#comment-1048537 Donald Duck approves! From Wiki: A 1949 Donald Duck ten-pager features Donald raising a yacht from the ocean floor by filling it with ping pong balls. In December 1965 Karl Krøyer, a Dane, lifted the sunken freight vessel Al Kuwait in the Kuwait Harbor by filling the hull with 27 million tiny inflatable balls of polystyrene[5]. Although the suggestion is often made, Krøyer denies having been inspired by this Barks story. Some sources claim Krøyer was denied a Dutch patent registration (application number NL 6514306) for his invention on the grounds that the Barks story was a prior publication of the invention. However no definite proof of this story is available.[6][7] Krøyer later successfully raised another ship off Greenland using the same method, and several other sunken vessels worldwide have since been raised by modified versions of this concept. The television show MythBusters also tested this method and was able to raise a small boat. Donald Duck approves!

From Wiki:
A 1949 Donald Duck ten-pager features Donald raising
a yacht from the ocean floor by filling it with ping
pong balls. In December 1965 Karl Krøyer, a Dane,
lifted the sunken freight vessel Al Kuwait in the
Kuwait Harbor by filling the hull with 27 million tiny
inflatable balls of polystyrene[5]. Although the suggestion
is often made, Krøyer denies having been inspired by
this Barks story. Some sources claim Krøyer was denied
a Dutch patent registration (application number NL 6514306)
for his invention on the grounds that the Barks story was
a prior publication of the invention. However no definite
proof of this story is available.[6][7] Krøyer later
successfully raised another ship off Greenland using the
same method, and several other sunken vessels worldwide have
since been raised by modified versions of this concept.
The television show MythBusters also tested this method
and was able to raise a small boat.

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