Balanced on two jacks? (Photoshop or real?)

[Watcher56]

What is the myth supposed to be here, that a crane can tip over?  Was watching a rerun the other night and Jamie had an extendable fork lift half way standing on it's nose because he overextended the load.  Of course it is possible to tip a crane. 

Or is the myth that this particular picture is real.  It may or may not be, but that hardly qualifies as a testable myth.  Or that this particular model can be tipped? Simple physics would tell you that if you put enough weight on the end, it will tip.  So?

Not trying to be a spoil-sport, but don't see where the testable myth comes in here.

[Typical_08]

I'd imagine that building scale models to test the basic idea would be easy, although in this case instead of placing a weight on the end of the boom maybe they should consider pulling on the end of the boom and measuring the amount of forced required to pull the truck onto its supports. They could of course just work it all out on paper. But for TV a visual test would be more impressive.

Cranes, well most cranes, have a weight indicator on the headace ball. Some are more accurate than others. And some will not register unless the weight is less than 500 pounds, but those tend to be cranes with a SWL on the order of a hundred thousand pounds or so.

For testing a crane with a weight indicator simply hook the hook to a padeye on the ground and start pulling until it upends itself. I would imagine that they would need one of Grant's remote controlled deals to do this safely.

Moving up to a larger scale is where the problems are likely to turn up. I think for simplicity and safety pulling on the end of the boom would be better than trying to hang a weight from the boom. This might have the added advantage of not requiring a full-sized working crane for the test - finding one is probably the most difficult part of the idea. So it would be helpful if they have alternatives just in case they can't find the real thing.

We have seen them use a crane several times on the show. Im not sure if it is rented or if they own it. To test full sized without destroying the crane all they would need to do is build a boom stop on the ground that will not hinder the test, but will stop the boom from smashing into the ground.

It may or may not be, but that hardly qualifies as a testable myth.

They have tested worse ideas in the past.

[Antigone68104]

Or is the myth that this particular picture is real.  It may or may not be, but that hardly qualifies as a testable myth. 

They've tested Internet photos before.  Fwilkens' photos make it look like this isn't unheard of, which means they can get in a nice Science Content segment on the physics of a long lever.