It seems that mice are not nearly as smart as rats, and so that rolling log mouse trap is a great invention. But I doubt that it would work with rats unless it was scaled up a lot. And a barrel of dead rats just seems nasty.
The ratapult can also be set to deliver the live rats into a barrel, or launch them out into a river, if one is handy. So if anybody any place in the world builds one I would really like a report on how well it solves the rat problem.

 

@MisterBill2: I love the idea of the "Ratapult". I'll go one step further on this one: Use a hydrogen generator (water converted into HHO via electrolysis). The victim enters the tube, the sensor detects the presence and kicks on the generator. After some as yet undetermined period of time the generator shuts off and a spark plug ignites the mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. The rapidly expanding gasses sends the victim a good distance. Now you don't need to keep a charged air tank at the ready. And in the evening you can sit on the porch and listen for the tell tale "Foop!" every time a victim is launched. Smoke a little wacky tabacky and you and your friends can have hours of laughs every time one of the little vermin is turned into a projectile. Just make sure your hydrogen canister is made of a material that can handle the rapid expansion of gasses. I'd also think it's sort of self cleaning. When you burn HHO it turns into heat energy and water vapor. Sort of steam clean the tube.

 

It seems that mice are not nearly as smart as rats, and so that rolling log mouse trap is a great invention. But I doubt that it would work with rats unless it was scaled up a lot. And a barrel of dead rats just seems nasty.
The ratapult can also be set to deliver the live rats into a barrel, or launch them out into a river, if one is handy. So if anybody any place in the world builds one I would really like a report on how well it solves the rat problem.

Imagine the poor fool minding his own business just spending some time fishing in his little rowboat with his grandson when along comes a very annoyed rat landing right between them!

 

I would imagine poor grandpa would be quite rattled...

 

I would imagine poor grandpa would be quite rattled...

Touche!

 

Flying rats is indeed a serious hazard of this device, so an array of warning signs would be appropriate. I am not convinced that using a gas generator would be fast enough, and it would add to the complexity quite a bit. Also, that process generates a lot of steam, which not only might lead to problems, but also means that a lot of energy is used producing the steam. In addition, one compressed air package could support a whole warehouse worth of Ratapults.

 

Flash steamed rat. Mmm. I wonder what kind of market would support that. Self delivered flying cooked rat.

 

 

Here you go Tony, recycled eco-friendly rat.

 

Flying rats is indeed a serious hazard of this device, so an array of warning signs would be appropriate. I am not convinced that using a gas generator would be fast enough, and it would add to the complexity quite a bit. Also, that process generates a lot of steam, which not only might lead to problems, but also means that a lot of energy is used producing the steam. In addition, one compressed air package could support a whole warehouse worth of Ratapults.

A gas generator pretty much definitely would not be fast enough. If it generated the gas fast enough to be useful, the gas would be blowing out the water as forcefully as anything else (it's essentially a water rocket) and it probably cavitating the electrodes in the process.

If you were going to do something like that, you've have a small storage take (essentially the firing chamber) that you would slowly precharge to make the system ready to fire a rat and then start recharging it after having done so. But I agree that, on balance, a simple air receiver with a simple, small compressor -- perhaps even solar powered -- is the better route.

Now, if you had a system that injected the HHO into the rat and THEN ignited it, I might change my opinion..., especially if it could be done after then using air to catapult the rat out over the lake (especially at night).

 

I would NOT recommend that!! Exploding rats would be a serious hazard, and probably environmentally unsound.

 

I would NOT recommend that!! Exploding rats would be a serious hazard, and probably environmentally unsound.

Think of it as... er... self-distributing 100% organic fertilizer.

(Do note the emoticons in use.)

 

Flaming rat.

I would NOT recommend that!! Exploding rats would be a serious hazard, and probably environmentally unsound.

Why not? I've seen "Flaming Duck" on the menu.

Boy this conversation is devolving.

 

How about "Fire and Furry"? 's rainin' again.

https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Furry-Inside-Furrst-Days/dp/1976821436

 

"From this we learn" that at least a few of the participants don't take themselves so very seriously. I appreciate that a lot. Pomposity is a horrible vice.

 

I seriously do not advise using any sort of explosion as a means of pressure generation with this concept, BECAUSE PLASTIC PIPE IS NOT SUITABLE for that kind of abuse. If an explosive means were utilized then all of the parts exposed to the pressure impulse must be made from an adequately rated STEEL alloy of appropriate thickness! The damage and destruction from bursting pressure containment is horrible and the injuries are serious! Any Ratapault MUST be assembled with adequate materials and only operated with compressed gas at a controlled pressure!

 

I would NOT recommend that!! Exploding rats would be a serious hazard, and probably environmentally unsound.

They were popular in WW2 - saboteurs left explosive filled dead rats on coal piles and shuffled away whistling...….