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Helium Raft



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The Myth

THIS MYTH WAS FEATURED IN...
Episode 49: Cell Phones on Planes, Helium Raft

Original air date: 3/15/2006
Myth Title: Helium Raft


Myth Description: A myth from the fansite that if you fill a raft with helium, you can fly it.


MythBusters on the bust: Adam Savage, Jamie Hyneman


Hypothesis: Helium being lighter than air: the lift from the helium should counteract the weight in the raft.


Procedure/Experimental Design: Initially, the mythbusters filled their "dingy" with helium. The helium only relieved about 4 lbs of weight from the total craft. Next, they filled an airplane raft with helium. This time, it took about 1/4th of the total weight off: approx. 20 lbs. Finally, they inflated an aircraft escape slide with helium. Even filling something that size, the helium only counteracted approx. 40 lbs of the total weight. Being unable to make any type of inflatable raft "weightless", they decide to build their own raft that can be both sea-worthy as well as floating in air when filled with helium.

Adam & Jaime construct a raft made out of 60ft long poly-tubing heat-sealed to hold the helium. Each one has roughly 5 lbs of lift. They use 50 of these tubes made into a 2 cross-layered raft bound by stitching with packaging tape at 10 ft intervals.




Results: Any raft large enough to fly is unfeasibly large & flimsy.


Conclusion: No "normal-sized" raft would have enough lift, no matter with what substance you fill it.


Busted or Not Busted: ---- Busted
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See Also

Related myths: Lead Balloon

Related resources and reference pages: ----



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