January 5, 2023

WHY ARE SHAPED FIREWORKS SO HARD TO GET RIGHT?

To this day, patterned fireworks are one thing that even the experts can’t seem to master…

But why? Surely this is something that technology should have caught up with by now.

Patterned fireworks are essentially shells which are designed in such a way that the stars are shot out into a pattern, which then supposedly forms a shape.

See here a pattern shell which had a particularly good launch:

The problem with this theory? It rarely goes to plan. So many different elements go into a successful pattern firework, which is not upside down, sideways, back to front or distorted in some way.

Some of the shapes which have been attempted are hearts, smiley faces, cubes, squares, jellyfish, and footballs.

Have you ever wondered why Disney don’t utilize their iconic ‘’Mickey’’ shape within their firework displays? Thankfully, this YouTuber investigated it, so we don’t have to! He also gives a brilliant explanation as to why pattern shells are so much more difficult to use and control.

As seen on this video at around the 3 minute-mark, heart shaped shells are fired, and out of the ten-ish that were let off, only 2 resembled the intended shape at all

Understandably, 2D shapes are much easier to recreate than 3D shapes, but even still, there is no way to determine the direction a shell will burst once it is already in the air.

To clarify, these shells are beautiful, and when the pyrotechnician is lucky, the shapes and pictures that can be created are mind blowing! But no amount of technology can perfect what fireworks essentially are… explosives.

And explosions always have an element of unpredictability!