Are there any successful egg drop solutions?

Answer 1

Sure. I always win egg drop contests. Here's one way. It is necessary to soften the deceleration when the egg hits. One good way is to take several foam cups and space them so that the stack collapses on impact. Use masking tape between them to delay the collapse. When the stack hits, you should hear a pop-pop-pop-pop. It is necessary to guarantee the stacked cups hit instead of the side, so some fin or spin or drogue chute stabilization is needed. The system you use depends on the size/volume/weight contest constraints. Make the largest, lightest structure you can. The "passenger" compartment is another foam cup with basic padding--tissues or foam. Spray insulation or silly string would be good, but almost any soft, compliant material should work. Lastly--If you want to win--Get a guarantee from the person running the contest that the rules WILL BE FOLLOWED. Usually violators are allowed to compete anyway, and win prizes too.