Ingenuity on display as students engineer high-flying pumpkin launchers at Armaments Center

Picatinny Arsenal:

"PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. — It was pumpkin seeds aplenty as the annual Pumpkin Sling returned to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center on Friday, Oct. 30.

Held for the first time at the Armaments Center in 2016, the sling has been a consistent part of Picatinny activities since, though it was modified into a spring cantaloupe fling for 2025 due to the government shutdown. Five teams took part this year, Sussex County Technical School, West Orange High School, New Providence High School, Morris Catholic High School and Livingston High School.

The teams overcame a variety of malfunctions, false starts and backfires in sending four pumpkins each into Lake Picatinny. West Orange took home top honors for the first time with their opening launch traveling 198 meters, followed by Livingston in second with 151, New Providence in third with 37, Morris Catholic in fourth with 35 and Sussex Tech in fifth with 20.

Sussex Tech has been involved since the first edition at Picatinny and was the defending winner, and this year the team did something different by attaching a modified bicycle to a specially built flywheel to power its launches. Instead of lifting weights, a student manually pedaled to spin the flywheel. Upon releasing a trip wire, the wheel’s rotational energy powered the pump and moved the launch arm, sending the pumpkin flying.

Engineering teacher Chris Land credited student Ethan Ison for the idea, who said he got it from a YouTube video. “Even if it doesn’t go as far as everyone else, it’ll be new. It’ll be interesting,” Ison quipped after the first launch. The idea captivated onlookers, and while their launcher repeatedly ran into issues during the event, event coordinator Giulia Grotenhuis noted that the team will likely refine their build for next year.

West Orange used the same machine as it did in the spring with heavy redesigns. For student Sullivan Plitt, the sling is always a highlight, though as he’s graduating from high school soon this may be his last time taking part. “I think building this trebuchet presented a different way to think about the world because when building from a blueprint, it teaches you how to visualize something on paper and bring it to real life. It’s like building Legos, but another step higher,” he explained.

Livingston hadn’t taken part in the event since before COVID. According to technology education teacher Ryan Karpack, the school used some parts of their pre-COVID trebuchet in their current launcher. They were the only other team to clear 100 meters.

“We are very impressed with how our pumpkin launched, we didn’t really know how we were going to do,” he said after their first launch of the day.

Morris Catholic High School brought a whole new group of students this year, according to Director of the Advanced Science Academy Priyanka Narayanan. She said she hoped the students take away a new love for physics and continue to enjoy working on their machines.

“It’s the whole experience, learning to improve things, learning to fix and problem solve in a hands-on manner. This cannot be duplicated,” said Narayanan.

New Providence also took part in the spring fling, alongside Sussex and West Orange. This time, the team went for a classic French trebuchet design with a pivoting counterweight, said technology and construction teacher Dan Barletta. In years past, they used a walking arm design, however that design was prohibited this year for safety concerns.

“I hope they walk away with a better understanding for engineering and hopefully it leads them towards a path in engineering,” he said. “It’s great to set out and see the other teams competing, and it’s great to see teamwork.”

Military Deputy for the Armaments Center’s Enterprise and Systems Integration Center Maj. John Burke noted how the participants use physics, math, engineering and teamwork to design and figure out solutions, just like engineers do at Picatinny. He explained that professionals take on tough problems, try out new ideas and learn from results.

Burke also highlighted that events like this show how STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) goes beyond classroom lessons. STEM, he said, is a powerful way to solve problems, spark innovation and create things that matter, and the curiosity and problem‑solving skills students are showing can birth the talent of tomorrow.

“The scientists and engineers working here at Picatinny were students once, too. They started by asking questions, exploring ideas and learning through experience. Some of you standing here today may be the next generation of scientists and engineers who will tackle tomorrow’s challenges,” he said."