A cuddly toy is inserted at one end of a two meter long tube. The tube is then closed with a wooden plate at one end and with a thin plastic plate on the other. A vacuum pump sucks the air out of the tube and both plates stick to the ends. Next the wooden plate is knocked away with a hammer, causing the cuddly toy to fly with high velocity out the other end of the tube, pushing the plastic plate out the way in the process. The toy usually flies about 30m.
How does it work?
When the wooden plate is knocked away, air instantly rushes into the tube and pushes the cuddly toy along it. The toy is accelerated so forcefully that it is hardly decelerated when it hits the plastic plate.
Safety Tips:
We make sure the tube is not aimed at people. The cuddly toy is very soft, so the risk of injury is practically impossible.
