Shooting a Man Out of a Cannon
It's for real. It's not a trick or an illusion. The man you see is just moments away from being propelled through the air from the barrel of this huge cannon. We have pictures so you can see for yourself that it's true.
Is he crazy? Is he a fool? Why would anyone allow themselves to be shot out of a cannon? Is it safe? How does it work, anyway?
Read on to learn more. Find out about the first human cannonball (a young girl in a spring-loaded cannon), about human cannonball circus acts from the past, and about the current distance record holder, whose son you see here preparing for blastoff at a recent performance.
Photos property of Susan Deppner. All rights reserved.
Contents at a Glance
- Is There Really Such a Thing as a Human Cannonball?
- Hugo Zacchini - Projectile Man with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus
- Is He Out of His Mind?
Is There Really Such a Thing as a Human Cannonball?
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a trick??
- The human cannonball is a performance in which a person (the "cannonball") is ejected from a specially designed cannon. The impetus is provided not by gunpowder, but by either a spring or jet of compressed air.
- The human cannonball lands on a horizontal net or inflated bag, the placement of which is determined by classical mechanics. Outdoor performances may also aim at a body of water.
- The first human cannonball, in 1877 at the Royal Aquarium in London, was a girl called "Zazel" (Rossa Matilda Richter, then only 14). She was launched by a spring-style cannon invented by Canadian William Leonard Hunt ("The Great Farini"). She later toured with the P.T. Barnum Circus.
- The world record, according to Wikipedia, for the farthest human cannonball flight is 185 ft 10 in (56.54 m), by David "Cannonball" Smith Sr. This feat occurred on May 29, 1998, at Kennywood Park, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, USA. It is estimated David was traveling at over 70 mph (112 km/h) during the flight. According to the interview cited below, the new Guiness Book record is 201 feet, set when David Smith Sr. was shot over the top of two ferris wheels!
The performance that I saw and photographed was David "The Bullet" Smith, Jr., son of record-holder David "Cannonball" Smith, Sr., when he appeared in Poteau, Oklahoma, in October 2007. David Jr. has been a human cannonball for over 11 years, getting started when his father hurt his back and needed someone to fill in for him. He has traveled around the world, performing over 5000 cannonball shots. If you ever have a chance to see his show, go for it. And take your camera.
(Listen to a 2006 interview with human cannonballs David Smith Jr. and David Smith Sr. on NPR, here.)
Hugo Zacchini - Projectile Man with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus
"A living person shot through space with violent velocity from the mouth of a monster cannon."
Is He Out of His Mind?
A video montage of my pictures of David "The Bullet" Smith, the Human Cannonball, being shot out of a cannon.
Don't Try This At Home!
We don't recommend you blast yourself out of a cannon, but we love this book about backyard ballistics.
CAUTION:
Experiments involving projectiles of any sort should be
supervised by a sane and very attentive adult.
Backyard Ballistics: Build Potato Cannons, Paper Match Rockets, Cincinnati Fire Kites, Tennis Ball Mortars, and More Dynamite Devices
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 12/21/2009)
Ordinary folks can construct 13 awesome ballistic devices in their garage or basement workshops using inexpensive household or hardware store materials and this step-by-step guide. Clear instructions, diagrams, and photographs show how to build projects ranging from the simple-a match-powered rocket-to the more complex-a scale-model, table-top catapult-to the offbeat-a tennis ball cannon. With a strong emphasis on safety, the book also gives tips on troubleshooting, explains the physics behind the projects, and profiles scientists and extraordinary experimenters such as Alfred Nobel, Robert Goddard, and Isaac Newton. This book will be indispensable for the legions of backyard toy-rocket launchers and fireworks fanatics who wish every day was the fourth of July.
A Unique Form of Air Transportation
(Hope they didn't lose his luggage.)
In 2005, David "Cannonball" Smith, Sr. became the first person
to be fired from a cannon across an international border.
With passport in hand, this record-setting human cannonball
was launched from Tijuana, Mexico, landing in a huge net
on the beach in San Diego, California, USA.
Source: BBC News
Human Cannonball Egle Zacchini Emerging from Barrel of Cannon During Her Circus Act
A female cannonball from a famous cannonball family.
Want to be a human cannonball?
Would you try it?
Assuming you had a quick class in the important things that human cannonballs need to know, would you allow yourself to be shot out of a cannon?
Would you like to be shot out of a cannon?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byWow! You betcha! Bring it on!
allen says:
I have been seriously searching for this class. Being shot out of a cannon is something that I desire to do before my departure from this planet!
Posted August 05, 2009
chefkeem says:
Thank you for giving me more clarity about the "last-thing-to-do-before-I-die". As the funeral costs are going through the roof (as if fired from a cannon, ahem..), this is a very economical alternative. You could even make it a "green" solution by eating plenty of spinach before you "go".
Posted December 09, 2008
Not me! You think I'm crazy?
spirituality says:
I can't even manage a simple summersault (is that the word?).. being shot out of a cannon is for people with a better coordination than I've got.
Posted January 14, 2009
tandemonimom says:
There are a lot of things I would consider doing. Most forms of dangling in free-fall several stories above the ground are right off of that list.
Posted December 09, 2008
rms says:
This is something that I would never even consider doing, ever... really and seriously, never! :) great topic!
Posted December 09, 2008
susannaduffy says:
I've done some pretty crazy things in my life (I shudder to think of them now) but being shot out of a cannonball is not, definitely not, on my priority list of Things- To- Do- Before- I- Die. Believe me.
Posted December 09, 2008
A Human Cannonball Joke
After a long career of being blasted into a net, the human cannonball was tired. He told the circus owner he was going to retire.
"But you can't!" protested the boss. "Where am I going to find another man of your caliber?"
A Computer-Powered Cannon
So, you can't go get shot out of a cannon because the boss has you tied to the computer. Here's the next best thing.
USB Circus Cannon
Amazon Price: (as of 12/21/2009)
Honestly, we're geeking out so much about the USB Circus Cannon, we can hardly sit still to write a description. OK, so you plug the USB Cannon into your computer and then using your arrow keys and space bar, you can aim and fire at anything within 10 feet of your PC. It has pretty cool sound effects and shoots with authority. Not only is it a ton of fun to play with, but you will cause such envy in your friends that they may try to destroy your desktop cannon.
* USB powered
* PC software included
* Includes 3 foam missiles
* 45 degree tilt; 360 degree pan
* Shoots 10-15 feet
The Science (and Fun) of Cannons
Toys, books, and experiments for kids and adults who like to learn new things, especially things about cannons.
(Shouldn't that be all of us?)
Mad Science%u2122 Cannon Propulsion Kit
* Harness electric power to fire cannons at a targ more...0 points
Power Ranger Jungle Fury Air Blaster
This awesome blaster is just like the Claw Cannon more...0 points
Electricity Science Kit: Build Your Own Electric Cannon Kit
Part of the Middlesex University electric science more...0 points
Megazooka - Blue
Go ahead...ruffle someone's hair, make a tie flap more...0 points
MythBusters ~ Steam Cannon
Join Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman as they debunk, more...0 points
Exploding Disk Cannons, Slimemobiles, and 32 Other Projects for Saturday Science by Neil A. Downie
These curious and offbeat science experiments prov more...0 points
Backyard Ballistics: Build Potato Cannons, Paper Match Rockets, Cincinnati Fire Kites, Tennis Ball Mortars, and More Dynamite Devices by William Gurstelle
Ordinary folks can construct 13 awesome ballistic more...0 points
The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden, Hal Iggulden
The bestselling book for every boy from eight to more...0 points
Whoosh Boom Splat: The Garage Warrior's Guide to Building Projectile Shooters by William Gurstelle
These are the homemade machines that you've dreame more...0 points
Why would anyone let themselves be shot out of a cannon?
There must be an easier way to make a living!
Defying Gravity: Land Divers, Roller Coasters, Gravity Bums, and the Human Obsession with Falling
Amazon Price: $13.95 (as of 12/21/2009)
In Defying Gravity, Garrett Soden tells the astonishing story of how taking a fall has evolved from an experience that the ancients used as a metaphor for damnation to one so prized that today millions crave its intense rush.
Soden details the extraordinary impact falling has had on human evolution, culture, mythology, religion and language. He reveals why falling is a universal metaphor for failure: why some people love falling and others hate it and what this says about our tastes in food, music, politics, religion and sex.
Extreme Sports Fan?
Books and movies for human cannonballs and other daredevils and lovers of extreme sports.
I'll admit it, I've always wanted to wind surf. I'd even try skydiving, I think. If you like these and other extreme sports, check out these books and DVDs.
(Hint from a mom: Have a son who isn't much of a reader? Try one of these books to catch his attention. He might not be able to put it down!)
JUMP! : Skydiving Made Fun & Easy by Tom Buchanan
To jump or not to jump--this book answers the ques more...0 points
Adrenaline Rush (IMAX) (2 - Disc WMVHD Edition)
Take a thrilling look at the world of skydiving an more...0 points
Berkshire Encyclopedia of Extreme Sports by Douglas Booth (editor) and Holly Thorpe (editor)
Over the last decade "extreme" has becom more...0 points
Bungee Jumping: For Fun and Profit by Nancy Frase
Define Bungee jumping. Be prepared for what you wi more...0 points
DVD - Off-Road Impossible:Perry Mountain - Dirt Bike Motox Racing
Off-Road Impossible: Perry Mountain Hang on tight more...0 points
Sky Surfing (Extreme Sports) by Patrick Ryan
Describes the history, equipment, and techniques o more...0 points
SKY ADVENTURES, Stories Of Our Heritage (Legends And Stories About The Early Days of Hang Gliding and Paragliding)
SKY ADVENTURES, Stories of Our Heritage is a book more...0 points
Rock Climbing (High Interest Books: X-Treme Outdoors) by Aileen Weintraub
Colorful, fun photographs show extremists in actio more...0 points
Skysurfing (High Interest Books: X-Treme Outdoors) by Holly Cefrey
Colorful, fun photographs show extremists in actio more...0 points
Extreme Sports: In Search of the Ultimate Thrill by Joe Tomlinson
Pushing the limits. Extreme sports vigorously test more...0 points
Interesting Human Cannonball Links
More about men who make a living getting shot out of cannons.
- David "The Bullet" Smith, The Human Cannonball
- Find out where "The Bullet" is appearing. I hope you'll get to see a human cannonball someday, like I did.
- Head for Heights Required
- A news story about human cannonball Diego Zeman.
- NPR Interview With The Smith Family of Human Cannonballs
- NPR interview with David "Cannonball" Smith, Sr. and David "The Bullet" Smith, Jr.
- Rocket Man
- An interview with David Smith, Jr. in "Toronto Life."
Another Human Cannonball Joke
Did you hear about the human cannonball? First day on the job, he was fired.
(Thank you, lensmaster SusannaDuffy.)
Hugo the Human Cannonball
by Ray Stevens
You know this has got to be good! Listen to a snippet, then download the MP3 instantly.
"Hugo (The Human Cannonball)" Lyrics
by Ray Stevens
Well, they came to townWith their elephants and clowns
On a hit sticky August day
And every telephone pole
Had a poster that told
Of the thrills that were coming our way
There were trapeze fliers
And men that ate fire
And things we never dreamed existed
And the radio and TV
Told us we'd be
Fools if we dared to miss it
Now all three rings
Held wondrous things
Marvels of every invention
But the big long shrouded
Shape in the corner
Increasingly drew our attention
There were bareback riders
Lions and tigers
And clowns in their itty bitty car
But every woman and man
And child in the stand
Had come to see the star
Then a hush fell on the crowd
As the men pulled the shroud
From the muzzle that was 30 feet long
And to screams and cheers
He finally appeared
And flamboyantly bowed to the throng
He wore red sequined tights
That sparkled in the lights
And boots that came to his knees
And a chromium football helmet
And a cape
That flapped in the breeze
And the dazzled crowd
Shouted out loud
You could hear them one and all
We want Hugo!
Hugo! Hugo!
The Human Cannonball
The aim was carefully calculated
The trajectory was precise
The charge was carefully measured
And poured into the loading device
The fuse was trimmed, the lights were dimmed
Hugo slid down the barrel and then
All was ready and Hugo's daddy
Counted down from
Ten!
And the drums rolled
Nine
And our blood ran cold
Eight!
The ambulance stood by
Seven!
Several woman cried
Six!
The spotlight hit the net
Five!
No one would ever forget
Four!
Eternity passed
Three!
Every heart beat fast
Two!
And Hugo's daddy said, "Are you ready Hugo?"
One!
And from the bowels of the gun, "I'm a-ready, Papa!"
Boom!
Well, fire and smoke belched
Out of the cannon
And the earth trembled for a while
And the big gun roared
And Hugo soared
Through the air like a projectile
Two hundred and fifty
Feet he flew
Like an Air Force fighter jet
But at the apex
Of his trajectory
He knew he's gonna miss the net
Oh! Arms flailing
He kept on sailing
A terrified screaming creature
And the crowd scattered
As Hugo splattered
All over the upper bleacher
In the aftermath
Of this tragic event
Disbelief filled every face
There was Hugo
And there was Hugo
There was Hugo all over the place!
Well, the dust has
Finally settled and
The smoke has finally cleared
Hugo's name
And Hugo's fame
Will always be revered
But no one
Ever took his place
No matter who they were
Because they never found
Another man
Of Hugo's caliber
The Circus' main attraction
The greatest star of all
Was Hugo!
Hugo!
The Human Cannonball!
Circus Day is May 19th
Celebrate with THESE safe family activities!
Have a Comment? Know any human cannonball jokes??
Shoot us a quick note right here.
-
Reply
- Rewards4life Rewards4life Dec 23, 2008 @ 3:58 am
- That's dangerous and unhealthy to be the human cannonball (apparently after just few years your spine is completely deformed!), but still I would love to try at least once! Very nice lens! 5*
-
Reply
- JaguarJulie JaguarJulie Dec 9, 2008 @ 5:33 pm
- Can you imagine coming home at night, 'not tonight sweetie, I've got a headache!' That I would believe -- a most interesting way to make a living!
-
Reply
- stargazer00 stargazer00 Dec 9, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
- Interesting topic. Who knew you could make a career out of being a human cannonball?
-
Reply
- chefkeem chefkeem Dec 9, 2008 @ 9:01 am
- Susan - I always enjoy your lenses because they are concise, informative and entertaining. 5*s and a dust shot from my "Angel cannon"! :)
-
Reply
- susannaduffy susannaduffy Dec 9, 2008 @ 7:39 am
- Did you hear about the human cannonball? First day on the job, he was fired
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