Chucky 3
Adult Torsion Catapult
Captain
Marc Gussen
Home Town
Closter, NJ
Best Distances
2003= 848.44 ft (2nd place)
2004= 1326.20 ft (2nd place)
2005= 1422.33 ft (2nd place)
2006= 2020.76 ft (1st place)
2007= 2152.93 ft (1st place)
2008= 3091.58 ft (1st place)
2009= 1097.67 ft (1st place)
2010= 2027.96 ft (1st place)
2011= 3636.39 ft WR (1st place)
2012= 3485.46 ft (1st place)
2013= did not chunk (7th place)
2015= did not chunk (7th place)
2016= 1737.17 (5th place)
Machine Description
Did you know? The machine, “Chucky 3”, a torsion catapult and all mechanical world record holder at 3,636’, can hurl a pumpkin at almost 500mph. The sling imparts such tremendous backspin during release that the team adjusts the mechanism to throw at a flat trajectory, using as much of the machine’s power as possible to take the pumpkin down range, allowing the Magnus Effect (a physics phenomenon that is the secret to how airplane wings work) to give the projectile lift.