Human cannonball

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For other uses, see Human Cannonball (disambiguation).

Stephanie Smith, Human Cannonball at the Royal Melbourne Show, 2005

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.^[1] In a circus performance, gunpowder may be used to provide visual and auditory effects, but this is unrelated to the launching mechanism.

The human cannonball lands on a horizontal net, 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, was a girl called "Zazel" (Rossa Matilda Richter, then only 14). She was launched by a spring-style cannon made by American George Farini (William Leonard Hunt). She toured with the P.T. Barnum Circus.

1 World record
2 See also
3 External links
4 References

[edit] World record

The current world record for the farthest human cannonball flight is 185 ft 10 in (56.54 m), by David "Cannonball" Smith Sr.^[2] 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.