True Films 3.0 - Kevin Kelly

Junkyard Wars
In this nerd favorite, two teams of tinkerers race against each other to
construct a working submarine, or an airplane, or a cannon, or deep-sea
diving gear, all assembled from scrap found in a junkyard, and all built
within a day and a half. That both sides usually succeed at some level
(although only one side wins) is the first surprise of this TV series. More
amazing is the easy course in physics and engineering each episode
brings. By watching how a pump is cobbled together from motorscooter
tires, one gets a visceral sense of how a pump works. By watching how
geeks think around impossible obstacles, one catches the confidence to
tackle an impossible project. They are educational enough that some science
classes show them.
By Chaz Gray and
Andrew Greenberger
1995, 78 min.
Available from Amazon
and
shopping.discovery.com
Team blue (above) give a trial run for their torpedo submarine;
the rear propeller encased in a safety cage (top right).
Sighting down a heavy pipe (right) which will be used as a
cannon. The wheels of a car are scavenged, transmission
and all. A junk-built tractor (below).
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