MythBusters · Video summary
Is The Russian Ice Cannon Myth Physically Possible? | MythBusters
MythBusters tests the historical claim that medieval Russian Cossacks defended their town with ice cannons and cannonballs during a siege, exploring if frozen water can be a viable weapon.
Watch on YouTube ↗Key takeaways
- 🛡️Medieval Russian Cossacks supposedly used ice cannons and cannonballs to defend their town during a siege.00:09
- 💨The MythBusters previously found that ice bullets turned to gas upon firing, raising doubts about ice cannonballs.01:21
- 🧊Pure ice cannonballs were surprisingly resilient, traveling at 680 mph and remaining intact after being fired from a cannon.04:26
- 🚀Increasing the black powder charge to 1.5 lbs propelled the pure ice cannonball to an astonishing 1550 mph.06:29
- 💣Thicker ice breeches exploded with a half-pound of black powder, indicating that more ice isn't always better for structural integrity.10:27
- ⚖️Optimal black powder for the ice breech was 1.75 ounces, allowing it to fire without exploding and remain reusable.12:44
Chapters
- 0:00❄️ Introduction to the Ice Cannon Myth
- 1:55🧊 Testing Ice Cannonballs
- 5:16🚀 Pure Ice Cannonball Performance
- 12:02🛠️ Designing the Ice Cannon Breech
- 17:32🔬 Optimizing Black Powder for Breech Integrity
- 21:43🏗️ Building and Transporting the Full-Sized Ice Cannon
- 28:57💥 Final Test: Ice Cannon vs. Foam Army
The digest
The MythBusters team embarks on an icy adventure to investigate a historical claim from medieval Russia: that Cossacks, under siege, improvised cannons and cannonballs from ice. This intriguing myth, set in the depths of winter, posits that frozen water could serve as a viable defensive weapon. The team's previous encounters with ice projectiles, such as ice bullets turning to gas upon firing, set a cautious tone for this frosty experiment. However, the sheer ingenuity of the historical claim compels them to explore the possibilities of ice as a ballistic material.
Crafting the Ice Cannonballs
The initial phase of the experiment focuses on the cannonballs themselves. Drawing from historical research, the team learns that these ice projectiles might have been reinforced with natural fibers like hemp, wood, and paper pulp. To test this, they prepare four types of frozen cannonballs: pure ice, and ice supplemented with hemp, sawdust, and paper. This meticulous preparation aims to determine if any of these reinforced ice cannonballs can withstand the immense pressure of being fired from a real cannon. The team's prior experience with ice bullets, which vaporized upon firing, underscores the importance of this preliminary test. If the cannonballs cannot hold together, the myth is busted before they even build a full-sized ice cannon.
Keep reading in The Digest
The full 5-minute article, 5 more sections, and every new episode from MythBusters and the creators you follow.
- The Power of Pure Ice
- Building the Ice Cannon Breech
- Optimizing the Ice Cannon Design
- The Full-Sized Ice Cannon
- The Ultimate Test: Ice Cannon vs. Foam Army
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