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Brickworld Castle contest - Fling Things!

Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 3:37 am
by Crazylegoman
As many people have seen from the Brickworld website, we will again be doing the Fling Things contest.

We will be using the same standard brick “missile” to fling. The missile is a simple stack of 2X4 bricks in two layers: two 2X4 bricks side-by-side with another pair of side-by-side 2X4 bricks on top of that that are turned 90° from the first layer. There are 2 parts to the contest: a distance competition and an accuracy competition.

Here are the rules:

1. No size limit.
2. Use only LEGO brand pieces. The one exception is that you can use non-LEGO string. However, the string must be the same style and size as regular LEGO string (no fishing line, wire, etc.).
3. There will be a line of tape on the floor for the “firing” line. The line will represent a vertical plane, and your Flinger has to start entirely behind the line; not just the part that touches the floor.
4. The Flinger has to use some kind of swinging arm to fling the missile (no pingpong ball gun style direct-drive firing).
5. You can use anything LEGO to power your Flinger. LEGO rubber bands, NXT motors, LEGO spring parts and counterweights are all fair game. Just remember that your Flinger can be human triggered, but not human powered. (You can’t smash your hand down on a lever to make it fling.) Triggering your war machine has to be more than just "letting go". For instance, if you create an entry when you pull/bend part of it back to create tension, it has to be able to hold itself that way without you still holding it.
6. You can enter more than 1 MOC, but you can only win 1 award.
7. If part of your flinger comes apart when it flings the brick missile, that's OK, but the attempt will be judged by where the brick missile lands. If it looks like you've designed your flinger to purposely come apart when it flings the missile, that will disqualify you.
8. If you entered the contest at Brickworld 2008, and you want to also enter the same creation this year, your flinger needs to have some significant difference to qualify.
9. You and your MOC have to be present at BrickWorld to be entered.

If there is some loophole that I have carelessly overlooked, and someone tries to exploit it, they can still Fling Things, but they will be ineligible for winning an award.

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The 2 parts of the contest will work as follows:

We will begin with the Distance Competition first. Everyone gets 3 attempts. Everyone in the group will get one turn. Then after everyone has gone once, we’ll start a second round (like jumping or throwing events at a track meet, for those who are familiar with that). While others are flinging, you may make modifications to your entry to adjust it however you see fit.

After the Distance part is done, we’ll do the Accuracy Competition. We’ll use the same turn taking method for flinging at the target as in the Distance Competition. The target (a piece of posterboard with circles drawn on it) will be hung on a small stand, with the center being about 1 foot off the floor. We will place the target as close as half of your longest distance attempt from the line or farther.

Each person gets 3 Flings. That's 3 for the Distance part and 3 for the Accuracy part (so 6 total if you compete in both parts). We will not average your 3 attempts. We will take your best out of the 3. That way if you have a dud Fling or a "wild pitch," it won't ruin your chances.

Above all, remember—flinging LEGO bricks is FUN whether you win or lose!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I secure my entry onto a baseplate to stabilize it when I launch stuff?
A: Sure. The baseplate would just be considered a piece of the entry.

Q: Can I be uncreatively lame and enter an actual LEGO set that flings things?
A: Well, uh... you know what—yes. If you can get an actual LEGO set to fling the missiles farther and/or more accurately than the MOC’s of the other contestants, then more power to ya.

Q: Can I make the missile out of stacks of 2X4 plates that take up the same volume as the bricks?
A: No.

Q: Can I put tiles on the top of the brick missile to make it more aerodynamic?
A: No.

Q: Can I use the 2X4 bricks with the magnets in them to make the missile heavier?
A: No.

Q: Can I use a LEGO rock instead of the brick missile, since it looks cooler and more realistic?
A: No.

Q: Can I use the older style 2X4 bricks that have slightly thicker walls, even though they weigh 0.3 grams more than modern style 2X4 bricks?
A: Uh... sure.


David Gregory
BrickWorld Castle Coordinator

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Re: Brickworld Castle contest - Fling Things!

Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 4:32 am
by outcast
This looks like so much fun-I wish I lived in America :( .

Re: Brickworld Castle contest - Fling Things!

Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 12:21 pm
by Crazylegoman
Just make a LEGO trebuchet that flings stuff all the way from your house to Wheeling, Illinois. Not only will you be able to enter the contest, you'll win the Distance Competition for sure! :tasty:

David

Re: Brickworld Castle contest - Fling Things!

Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 2:03 am
by Crazylegoman
Crazylegoman wrote:8. If you entered the contest at Brickworld 2008, and you want to also enter the same creation this year, your flinger needs to have some significant difference to qualify.
I had a question about this rule, so I thought I'd better clarify.

We instituted rule #8 so that people who participated last year couldn't use the exact same creation to compete this year. If you competed last year, and would like to compete again this year with the creation you used last year, that's fine. Just make sure that you've modified it somehow so that it's not exactly the same as last year. Examples of modification would be changing the length of the flinging arm, designing a different counterweight, making the flinger taller or angled, or designing a different compartment to hold the brick missile. The change(s) can be something minor.

Also, I'd like to add that the Fling Things competition is scheduled to take place at 3:00 on Friday.

David Gregory
BrickWorld Castle Coordinator

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Re: Brickworld Castle contest - Fling Things!

Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 3:26 am
by shmails
This will be my first convention and I would love to get in on this if I can. How far did the winner's fling go last year? Just so I have an idea how high the bar is. Thanks!

Re: Brickworld Castle contest - Fling Things!

Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 1:40 am
by Crazylegoman
Last year the longest fling was 26 feet 4 inches. The most accurate fling was 4 inches from the center of the target.

David