Potato Cannon Mk. I

With summer just starting, this version of the cannon was highly improvised due to the sheer rush of getting it done so we could play with it. With its hot-rod red & black coloring, it was the true embodiment of shenanigans.

With a 2.5 inch tubular launch barrel, it was capable of launching potatoes roughly 50-75 yards, with peak performance at the beginning of a launch cycle, slowly deteriorating over the course of multiple launches.

The potatoes are loaded through the back cap with it's included ignition system. The ignition system was designed to be as modular and repairable as possible. Containing a grill ignitor and a long plastic ignition cable tube that allowed the operator to hold the ignitor while cradling the cannon with their body. Or if multiple launch operators were present, one could operate the ignition while the other(s) aim.

Drawbacks of this design:

• Ignition cable gets twisted while removing cap, leading to fraying of wires.

• Potatoes can ONLY be loaded in through rear end for best performance.

• Cannon is large and is unable to collapse down.

Behold, Mk. II

A tragic disaster.

After Mk. I was dropped onto concrete by an unknown party (me), it underwent a large design change that improved many of the drawbacks of the previous iteration.

A revolutionary upgrade, no doubt - the Mk. II featured a modular design, sleek aesthetic, interchangeable nozzles, and a two-in-one rugged ignition & unscrewing manifold.

The new 3D printed ignition system.

Beautiful Launches

The Mk. II fixed most, if not all, of Mk I's drawbacks, with a modular design, it was extremely portable, and thus remained in my car for a large duration of the summer. With the new addition of the barrel extender, firing range increased from 50-75 yards to 100-125 yards. It also allowed much faster reloading and fueling and allowed the operator(s) to disable it to do so much faster. With the ignition system now being built-in to the endcap, there was much more leverage to remove it when cleaning or maintenance was necessary.

The single drawback that Mk II possessed, was the design flaw leading to ammo occasionally splitting while traveling down the barrel at high-speeds.