Times Square Car Bomb simulated by FBI

[Angel Eyes]

Basically they rigged up an explosive identical to what the Times Square bomber did, except this one works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QufxuA21eCc    (SFW)

Yowza.  Good thing the bomber was inept.

[AJ Dual]

Is there any documentation as to the nature of the device?

[Monkeyleg]

That's a strong overreaction to the health care bill.

[vaskidmark]

Couple of questions -

1) why does FBI/BAFTE/everybody else go blow stuff up in a nice green meadow when those nice boys at Mythbusters have access to a quarry in the desert?  Aren't there quarries/crappy-looking holes in the ground to use anywhere else?

2) sure it worked parked out in the open meadow with no breeze or anything, but how are we supposed to believe it would still work with the carbon monoxide-infested air of TImes Square?

3) supposing it would still work in Times Square, how come they used an open meadow instead of some place surrounded with buildings where the blast effect could be properly studied?

3a) did nobody think of offering some place like Detroit a chance for urban renewal while the FBI got to blow up cars?  None of the SACs can think to tack onto another government agency's efforts and make both look good?

stay safe.

[BridgeRunner]

3a) did nobody think of offering some place like Detroit a chance for urban renewal while the FBI got to blow up cars?  None of the SACs can think to tack onto another government agency's efforts and make both look good?

Why blow up a car when you can blow up an entire ex-house/ex-office building/ex-factory?  Surely data on those sorts of explosions could be useful?

Plus, they could sell tickets to spectators.   

[Grandpa Shooter]

A bunch of flame and smoke is not destructive.  You have to contain the effects of the explosion until it reaches maximum force AND there has to be something within reach of the shock wave for it to have any real effect.  Pyro technicians can do all kinds of special effects and produce the same spectacular show without substantial damage.

Maybe the "experts" just wanted it to look dangerous.

[Perd Hapley]

That's a strong overreaction to the health care bill.

Oh, snap. Nice avatar, too.

[Tallpine]

Well, it's sure a good thing that the FBI and DHS and CIA stopped this guy from parking his car bomb in Times Square 

[Harold Tuttle]

they blowed them cardboard cut out peoples up good

real goood

[Harold Tuttle]

"An improvised car bomb -- a 1993 Pathfinder fitted with 250 pounds of ammonium nitrate and diesel fuel, three 25-pound propane tanks and two five-gallon gasoline canisters -- blew up with a force that ripped the sport utility vehicle in half."

[Grandpa Shooter]

I remember a green disposable propane tank loaded with match heads and a scotch tape/match head fuse blowing out two railroad ties in the roadbed when I was a youngster

[PTK]

Hideously inefficient explosion. Good.

No offense intended to the would-be victims, but I'll start worrying when they figure out how to, you know, actually make efficient explosions.

[AJ Dual]

Looking again at the video, and going from the scale of the cars in the frame, on a building lined street, separated by only a sidewalk's distance from the nearest facade...

It may have been "inefficient", but it looks sufficient to put a serious hurt on at least a block of NYC. Not to mention vehicle fragments.  I think it would have gutted the nearest wall for 1-3 stories, and broken most of the windows within a hundred yards or so.

[geronimotwo]

not much of an explosion. unless you were unlucky enough to be standing within 50 ft or so.

an interesting effect occured at 4:10 in that clip.  immediately before the explosion the air had an aura surrounding the epicenter of the blast.  perhaps a release of propane?  i only noticed it as my browser took that exact moment to pause for buffering.