WATCH: West Orange Teens Hurl Cantaloupe 575 Feet With Trebuchet – For Science

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Some tech-savvy New Jersey students recently built a device capable of chucking a melon nearly two football fields away – for science.

The West Orange High School Technology Student Association competed in the 10th annual pumpkin contest at Picatinny Arsenal earlier this month, taking second place in the hotly contested event.

Due to scheduling delays, the team used cantaloupes instead of pumpkins.

“The students designed, engineered and built a unique merlin/whipper trebuchet that utilized falling weights attached to a spiral structure for power – they call it the snail,” explained advisor and teacher Max Grossman.

This year’s machine threw a team record of 575 feet, he added.

Watch video footage of the launch here, or view it below.

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