Gizmodo: bb gun

Second Balloon Man Uses GPS, Kool-Aid To Go Where No Brazilian Priest Has Gone Before

Jack Loftus — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Oregon resident Kent Couch finished what our friend the priest could unfortunately not: he got into a lawn chair rigged with huge party balloons, and floated his way to Idaho.

Couch brought GPS but he also brought along a satellite phone, altimeter, and a second GPS device attached to his chair for redundancy. Then there was his pole with a hook, for bringing wind-whipped helium balloons into firing range, and containers of Kool-Aid, which served as ballast. His in-flight meal consisted of boiled eggs, jerky and chocolate. Video:

For his efforts and meticulous preparation, Couch, a 54-year-old gas station owner, was able to keep the balloon rig at 200 feet for most of the 200-mile journey.

"If I had the time and money and people, I'd do this every weekend," Couch said before getting into the chair. It was his third balloon flight in three years. "Things just look different from up there. You've moving so slowly. The best thing is the peace, the serenity." And landing, Couch, landing. Right? [CNN]

Ancient DIY Electric Centrifuge BB Gun To Shoot Your Eye Out

Brian Lam — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 09:44:46 EST

This DIY electric centrifuge BB gun may be from a 1963 issue of Pop Mech. And it's more of a toy than the full on killing machine that the Dread centrifuge gun is. But that doesn't mean it can't hurl pellets at ridiculous velocity. According to the article, the muzzle velocity will reach 5,000 feet per second, which is better than a rifle. Click on the image for the full schematic.–Brian Lam

DIY centrifuge weapon from 1963 Popular Mechanics [The Boing, thanks Xeni]

Sniper BB Gun: Taking Down the Varmints, One Bunny at a Time

Charlie White — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 11:10:09 EST

Not that we recommend becoming an assassin or anything, but if you're looking for ultra-low-noise BB shooting with pinpoint accuracy, the UTG Model 700 FPS-325 Accurate Shot Competition Master Sniper airsoft gun is for you. It's a spring-loaded air gun that shoots .20g BBs, and it must be cocked every time you shoot it, but that can be done with just one finger. Its effective range is between 150 and 170 feet, perfect for some challenging target shooting.

Now we'd never shoot this anywhere near any human beings, but we've seen far too many garden-hungry varmint rabbits marauding around the premises here that could use a good plinking. Save the cheerleader, save the world and save the azaleas for $86.95. – Charlie White

Product Page [Hobbytron, via I4U News]