One of the things that has always rankled me about serials was the cliche of shooting at a car and hitting the gas tank. In the serial, the bullet would always puncture the tank and cause the car to leave a trail of gasoline behind it. “Ludicrous!” I would say the myself, “Everyone knows that if a high speed bullet struck a gas tank, the heat from friction and the spark of metal off metal would ignite the fumes in the tank and cause it to explode”.
So there I am, smug in my superior knowledge of science over Hollywood screen writers, catching a rerun of Mythbusters and I see they are going to explore just what happens when you shoot a gas tank. Finally, some tangible proof to reinforce what I already know. Imagine my surprise when after several experiments, with several different guns and different levels of gas in the tank, Adam and Jamie are unable to cause the big gas ball explosion that is supposed to happen, the best they can do is tear a big hole in the tank when the bullet fragments.
Was I crushed to see how wrong I was? More liked shocked and fascinated as the experiment concluded. But mostly I was happy, now I could enjoy Ralph Byrd or Kirk Alyn popping a hole in the gas tank of a getaway car and not be distracted by my faulty science. Thanks Mythbusters!
Tags: Musings by admin
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