In the Indiana Jones the Slide-Parachute Escape scene there was three individuals paracuting to safety. Those people were the boy, Indiana Jones, and a women. I feel they should revisit this myth using 3 individual test dummies one woman, a man, and a child because the added weight could affect the results. Thank you for listening and I hope to hear from any ones reply.

-Jose

I believe that this myth definitely needs to be revisited, I believe that you guys were not thouro enough on this myth. First off, the raft you used was circular, but in the movie you can clearly see that the raft is oval shaped (or oblong or something like that). The raft you used flipped over because it was circular, but the escape slide was long and rectangular, which kept it from flipping completely, the same thing happened in the movie. Also, you said that there isn't enough time to open up the raft, however, I think you guys should study the movie, and try to find out how high they really were, to see if there would be enough to open the raft. And Finally, on this part, I don't think it would make too much of a difference (it might even make it worse) but I think that the snow on the ground might have softened the blow a little. Please Revisit this myth, thanks

The myth is busted because regardless of the shape of the raft, or slide...

unless you're MacGuyver, and brought along a handful of hauling straps, and were able to wander underneath the raft, to provide some sort of decent connection to itself to provide a way to hold onto the raft, you're not going to be able to hang on.

Will even a circular raft simply glide down semi-safely? Sure. so as you're plummeting to your death because you couldn't hold onto the raft, it's gently swaying in the breeze as it falls at a leisurely 25 mph, compared to your what was it.. 147 mph?

to JMC, in the scene in question, it's only two people, as the pilots have jumped out the plane, leaving only Indiana and the Girl in the plane. They haven't met Indy's sidekick yet. That's not until later when they reach China.

I do think however, two people *might* alter the situation, as you could supposedly put one person on each side, to try and balance the weight, but again... you've got nothing to hold on to, and nothing to keep you in the raft.

On a side note I wonder if the Mythbusters attempted another fall of a simpler variety.

They were so worried about testing the "Myth" style of it (with the raft turned rightside up and people inside of it.) that it didn't appear they tested it intentionally upside down. With the inflated "Bumpers" and the taut center, assuming again that you could figure out some way to hold on to it, it would act like a large cupped hand, with enough resistance to slow your descent, and as long as it didn't flip over, the bumpers would potentially cushion your fall.


In any case regardless, the odds of this ever working would rely on your ability to hang on in the first place, and even assuming a best case scenario, where you jumped out of a plane with your life raft in tow.. the *lightest*, and after some quick study worst of the bunch of rafts available the Survival Products RAF1104-105 weighs in at 27.2 pounds. However, this isn't the raft they used, as it's a small square single-tube raft. The one they used is more in line with a Hoover FR-6, with two tubers, and 22 inches of depth on the tubes for buoyancy. This lovely little toy weighs in at *60 pounds* .. now you're grabbing a 60 pound weight, and then jumping out of a plane, and trying to keep hold of it. Even if you did, the way all life rafts are designed, even the slowest point (when it was free falling without weight, it was still moving at 20+ miles an hour, and while the person did apparently survive, they broke their legs and arms, according to the shock watches. Realize it's not a padded "Comfort floor"... it's not going to absorb any energy of the impact. unless you've figured out how to hang on to the tubing side, without flipping the raft over, you're still going to hit the ground running so to speak at 20+ MPH. That's going to hurt.


So Good luck.

Regardless of the potential for it to work, the sheer number of variables you need to accomplish this feat are impractical to say the least, and clearly leaves this myth ultimately "Busted as presented."

When they did it in the movie it was inflating while they were falling. Revisit it!!

Anyway how was the "stunt" in the movie done without the raft flipping over? didn't seem like special effects.

The flight attendent was in more than a 5-10 section of the back of the plane. There was the wings two small jet engines, and she was held down by the cart she was moving down the plane. There should of been more tests run on the life raft because the crew only did one falied test.

[quote]in the scene in question, it's only two people, as the pilots have jumped out the plane, leaving only Indiana and the Girl in the plane. They haven't met Indy's sidekick yet. That's not until later when they reach China.[/quote]

Sorry, Gotta throw the BS flag on that one. I just re-watched the movie and (a) they are jumping (falling) into India, not China (b) they just left China (Shanghai, actually) and don't go back for the whole movie and finally (c) Short Round (Indy's sidekick) was with them right from the beginning. He drove the getaway car from the Obi Wan Club where Indy was poisoned at the very start of the movie.

Hi all,

first off, thank you Todio for clearing up the minor confusion with the movie

Second, as Indy, Willie (the girl with them), and Shorty jumped out of the plane, the raft folded around them for almost the entire fall. Would that make a difference? Also, would the presence of 2 other people make a difference to how the raft came down?

Techieninja