In addition to the reply I posted to the "Drilling" thread, here are a couple of other Junkyard Wars/Scrapheap Challenge ideas that my twisted mind has come up with.

1) EARTHMOVERS - you know, bulldozers, graders, tractors, etc. The teams could be given the challenge to clear and level a path that would be used to produce a road. Alternatively, the teams could be challenged to tear apart an existing stretch of roadway. This could also be turned into "MINING", and the teams could be assigned the task to remove as much "ore" as possible from an existing open pit mine.

2) DREDGING - similar to my "EARTHMOVERS" idea, except on the water. The teams could be assigned the task of widening or deepening (or both) an already existing water-filled channel.

3) ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT - a variation of the "GLIDERS" episode, exept that the vehicles would have to be powered (lawnmower or weed eater engines), and take off by themselves. A penalty could be assessed if they need an assist getting into the air. This challenge would rely very heavily upon the "experts", but I think that it could be done, and done safely.

I'd also like to say that I would really like to see an additional "DEMOLITION" challenge, like the one they previously ran on Scrapheap. The "Beach Boys" won this challenge, but I really loved the hydraulic muncher that the other team had the guts to build. Too bad it didn't quite work out as well as I thought it would!

-- Brian Rivera (rivera@chopin.bme.ohio-state.edu), January 30, 2001