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Firesling? (Read 9530 times)
Alan
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Firesling?
May 13th, 2004 at 8:57pm
 
Do u think a fire sling would be possible?  In modern day if we got some fire proof cloth we could probably make one.  hehehehe... i'm getting fun ideas!!!!!!!!!  Then we make a "Fireball" by rolling up some cloth around a rock, dipping it in oil and lighting it.  (BETTER SLING FAST)  If anyone tries it, don't get hurt, and sling somewhere safe.  That would be a good seige weapon.  It would be easy to sling it over a castle wall and the ammo is cheap.  Just bring oil and cloth and find rocks.  It could be a good "Anti-Seige engine" weapon too.  Or "Anti-Tank" but in medieval standards.  In the game "empire earth" they should have made the slingers able to shoot fireballs!
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Re: Firesling?
Reply #1 - May 13th, 2004 at 9:35pm
 
Just to add a question? Doesn't the modern day palastinine terrorist use sling to shoot the gas gernade (I don't know how to spell the word mattac cacktail?) to kill people?
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Chris
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Re: Firesling?
Reply #2 - May 14th, 2004 at 12:03am
 
Molotov cocktail.

Yes you can fire these with a sling.  Ancient grenades were very similar to this.  Essentially, it is a vessel full of flammable or explosive liquid or powder, with a wick or cloth set alight.  On impact, the vessel shatters, and the flame ignites the contents.

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Re: Firesling?
Reply #3 - May 14th, 2004 at 11:40am
 
I suppose you could soak the sling in water beforehand and fire off a molotov cocktail.  A sopping-wet staff sling might be better for the job than a regular sling -- bigger container, more fire.  Of course, once a blaze got going, ancient slingers would only have to fire oil.  They wouldn't have to light it.
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Re: Firesling?
Reply #4 - May 14th, 2004 at 5:37pm
 
man I hate this sign in thing...I posted weeks ago after lurking for weeks, then couldn't post again cause it said someone else was already using my name!,,,

Anyhow, strange you should bring this topic up...a few weeks back there was an item on the news about Iraq, and just off in the background was a kid, maybe 13, holding a sling, with what was obviously a hand grenade sitting in the pouch, lever down.

And...I've been trying a variety of bottles over the last few days...those small 250 ml french stubby beer bottles can be hurled a good distance, filled with water. Petrol, I suppose, will be only a few grams lighter...

Historically, I wonder if anything was flamable enough (high octane rating) to survive being hurled a few hundred feet or yards...I suppose a mini-amphora (sp?) might be a aerodynamic shape.

Jstin
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Chris
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Re: Firesling?
Reply #5 - May 14th, 2004 at 5:56pm
 
Alcohol was available as well as several varieties of oil.  The even had extremely potent mixtures like greek fire that matches todays fuels.  I think it's defiantly possible.  We know that fire arrows kept alight, and those would be subjected to similar air speeds. 

Chris
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Justin Ball
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Re: Firesling?
Reply #6 - May 15th, 2004 at 2:00am
 
I'd agree with the vegetable and animal fat oils, and alcohol found in beer, wine and other fermented drinks, but I'm pretty sure they didn't know about distillation (boiling off the alcohol cooling it and collecting it till much later eg 1500, otherwise we'd have had Romans discussing whiskey)
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Re: Firesling?
Reply #7 - May 15th, 2004 at 4:03am
 
Quote:
a few weeks back there was an item on the news about Iraq, and just off in the background was a kid, maybe 13, holding a sling, with what was obviously a hand grenade sitting in the pouch, lever down.
Woah, you would sure need to real brass ones to do that.  You have to be very comfortable with the sling, and even then...
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The Abhorsen
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Re: Firesling?
Reply #8 - May 15th, 2004 at 5:57am
 
hmm, a very interesting idea. However it would be very dangerous and pretty pointless practising this as seiges would be short with the use of air raids. I wonder if this technique was used in bygone times, but i have never heard/read of this tactic being implemented. Does anyone know if it has been used?
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Yurek
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Re: Firesling?
Reply #9 - May 15th, 2004 at 7:28am
 
I wouldn't want play in that way. It surely is too dangerous. But one can use Christmas sparklers or small petards as sling ammo. They could be embedded in patatos, for example. The effect must be great. I must try it.

Jurek
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In the shape, structure and position of each stone, there is recorded a small piece of history. So, slinging them, we add a bit of our history to them.
 
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Re: Firesling?
Reply #10 - May 15th, 2004 at 3:28pm
 
I have heard of arrows and fire , but do you think the flame could stand the spiral from a sling?? I sling concrete chunks and now and then the spiral dissintigrates the concrete into many pieces. The concrete obviously had some unseen c ra ck s   in it but still--there is a lot of spin on the projectile! Someone needs to find--but I suggest that it NOT be anyone from California with their wind and grass fires Angry
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Sean
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Re: Firesling?
Reply #11 - May 15th, 2004 at 9:47pm
 
ok guys im not saying i can and im not saying i cant but im gonna try and launch a tennis ball that is on fire into my lake and see if it goes out from the massive spin and whatnot.  also to see if the sling gets very charred
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english
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Re: Firesling?
Reply #12 - May 16th, 2004 at 4:28am
 
Quote:
I have heard of arrows and fire , but do you think the flame could stand the spiral from a sling??
Arrows spin too, you know.  Especially if you twist the flights around the shaft, which is now common practise for me at least.  I think that the fire would need quite a lot of fuel in order to keep going, but because of the movement through the air, there would be a continuous supply of oxygen.  I think it could last.
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Yurek
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Re: Firesling?
Reply #13 - May 16th, 2004 at 6:42am
 
Quote:
ok guys im not saying i can and im not saying i cant but im gonna try and launch a tennis ball that is on fire into my lake and see if it goes out from the massive spin and whatnot.  also to see if the sling gets very charred


I was throwing wet tennis balls one rainy night. They flew like comets in the light of lamps, they drew nice tail of sprayed water. Thin fulel must do the same. The spray should blaze very well due to good ventilation. If the speed doesn't blow off (I don't think so) the flame, the the effect should be interesting.
If you are decided to try it, be careful. The sling snap causes the spatter.

Jurek
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In the shape, structure and position of each stone, there is recorded a small piece of history. So, slinging them, we add a bit of our history to them.
 
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Justin Ball
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Re: Firesling?
Reply #14 - May 16th, 2004 at 2:13pm
 
I think we are thinking along the wrong lines, and the evidence we need is really in front of us...

We know molotov cocktails work, we've all seen grainy news footage of French students in the late 60's, and N Ireland in the 80's. A Molotov cocktail "works" because it transports a combustible substance or liquid, is sufficient volumes, to the destination, as well the ignition method. There would seem to be little point in dousing a tennis ball in petrol, and sending it off to the target, because it carries only a small amount of fuel.

What we need is a volume of fuel in a sufficient quatity that it will ignite the target, and not be used up on the way there, hence the idea about small, stubby French type beer bottles.

Another way, from high school days, is to take an empty co2 cartridge, drill a .22 hole in the round end, plug the base with a dob of solder, then fill with black powder, shot gun cartridge cordite etc, and then press a rim fire .22 blank into the .22 hole. It WILL land bulbous end down, ignite the blank, and the charge inside. Watch for shrapnel.  ShockedBonus for slingers, they are small and  aerodynamic. This information is for reading entertainment only.
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