History Main / GasCylinderRocket

* Turned up a few times in ''London's Burning'', usually played somewhat more realistically in that the source of the explosion was the building or vehicle the cylinders were stored in ''being on fire'', which is easily the most reliable way of getting this effect in real life. The seventh season ended with a particularly memorable example after a fire broke out in a builder's yard behind a row of terraced houses, with about fifty of them shooting off like bottle rockets and crashing down all around whilst Blue Watch tried frantically to evacuate the local residents and get the fire under control.

Whether accidentally or as an ImprovisedWeapon, the nozzle of a pressurized gas cylinder is easily broken off in fiction. When this happens, the canister will go shooting away like a rocket, blasting itself into the air and smashing through any thing (or anyone) unfortunate enough to be in its way. Sometimes this serves as an attack or a battering ram; occasionally, a reckless character will actually ''ride'' the thing.

* Averted in ''Film/{{Jaws}}'', when the gas canister merely explodes rather than takes off (but see ''{{Mythbusters}}'' example below).

* On ''CSILasVegas'', a canister of nitrous is ruptured by a stray bullet during a shooting at a rave. The canister lifts off, trailing sparks, and flies erratically back and forth before slamming down among the party-goers, injuring several who were too high to get out of the way.

* In ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'', gas cylinders typically behave like that when someone shoots them.

** Subverted when they tested an UrbanLegend about a propane tank that blasted off like a rocket, as every attempt to rupture or ignite one merely blew it to pieces.

** Subverted when they tested an UrbanLegend about a propane tank that blasted off like a rocket, as every attempt to rupture or ignite it merely blew it to pieces.

Sister trope to AerosolFlamethrower. Subtrope of ImprovisedWeapon and ExplosivePropulsion.

* Turned up a few times in ''London's Burning'', usually played somewhat more realistically in that the source of the explosion was the building or vehicle the cylinders were stored in ''being on fire'', which is easily the most reliable way of getting this effect in real life. The seventh season ended with a particularly memorable example after a fire broke out in a builder's yard behind a row of terraced houses, with about fifty of them shooting off like bottle rockets and crashing down all around whilst Blue Watch tried frantically to evacuate the local residents and get the fire under control.

Sister trope to AerosolFlamethrower. Subtrope of ImprovisedWeapon.

* In ''Film/{{Transporter}} 2'',

Both variations are partially TruthInTelevision. The valve ''is'' the most fragile component of a pressurized gas cylinder, and the gas inside ''does'' store more than enough energy to hurl the cylinder around the room. For just this reason, gas cylinders are supposed to have a protective cap screwed over the valve at all times when not actually in use. However, breaking the valve isn't exactly easy, and punching a hole in the cylinder itself is much, much harder. A gunshot may not even make a dent.

* ''Series/MythBusters''

** They also got this effect accidentally when they simulated the ending to ''Film/{{Jaws}}''. Rupturing the gas cylinder didn't cause it to explode, but it did blow backwards with sufficient force to tear their foam-latex shark head to pieces ''and'' deform the shipping container they were using as a bunker.

** They also got this effect accidentally when they simulated the ending to ''Film/{{Jaws}}''. Rupturing the gas cylinder didn't cause it to explode, but it did blow backwards with sufficient force to tear their foam-latex shark head to pieces.

* One victim in the ''FinalDestination'' films was killed when a ruptured gas canister pushed a fence into them and reduced them to confetti.

* In ''{{Bolt}}'', a gas canister at the animal shelter is damaged and goes shooting into the parking lot, where it knocks down an illuminated sign that topples onto a car.
* In ''Freddy Vs. Jason'', Freddy launches a series of scuba tanks at Jason when they're battling at the abandoned Camp Crystal Lake.
* In ''[[Film/TheBourneSeries The Bourne Identity]]'', Bourne blows up a large household propane tank by shooting it with a shotgun.

* There is a literal variation in ''Film/{{SpaceCamp}}'' that is definitely not PlayedForLaughs. After Andie is successful in supplying the starship ''Atlantis'' with an extra supply of oxygen, she forgets to turn off the oxygen tank when she takes the hose off, which results in the oxygen tank rocketing backwards with her holding on to it, until she gets knocked unconscious from running into the side of the ship.

* Averted in ''{{Jaws}}'', when the gas canister merely explodes rather than takes off (but see ''{{Mythbusters}}'' example below).

* The ''{{Mythbusters}}'' tested this one, and confirmed that a large gas cylinder under sufficient pressure could smash its way through a concrete wall (!), although it slid across the floor rather than taking off and flying.
** They also got this effect accidentally when they simulated the ending to ''{{Jaws}}''. Rupturing the gas cylinder didn't cause it to explode, but it did blow backwards with sufficient force to tear their foam-latex shark head to pieces.
* In an episode of ''StargateAtlantis'' Ronon tried to use an oxygen tank rocket to break down a sealed door, having gotten the idea from watching ''Film/{{Jaws}}''. It didn't work.

* ''DueSouth'': In 'Mountie on the Bounty', Fraser and Ray K use ruptured air tanks as rocket packs to escape the sinking ship.

* In ''MaxPayne'', gas cylinders typically behave like that when someone shoots them.

* You can place these in Forge mode in ''{{Halo}} 3'' and ''Halo Reach''.

-> ... the force of the explosion was directed upward and propelled the cylinder, sans bottom, through the concrete ceiling of the lab into the mechanical room above. It struck two 3 inch water mains and drove them and the electrical wiring above them into the concrete roof of the building, cracking it.

Both variations are partially TruthInTelevision. The valve ''is'' the most fragile component of a pressurized gas cylinder, and if you break the valve off, the gas inside has more than enough stored energy to hurl the cylinder around the room. For just this reason, gas cylinders are supposed to have a protective cap screwed over the valve at all times when not actually in use. However, breaking the valve isn't exactly easy, and punching a hole in the cylinder itself is much, much harder. A gunshot may not even make a dent.

Both variations are partially TruthInTelevision. The valve ''is'' the most fragile component of a pressurized gas cylinder, and if you break the valve off, the gas inside has more than enough stored energy to hurl the bottle around the room. For just this reason, gas cylinders are supposed to have a protective cap screwed over the valve at all times when not actually in use. However, breaking the valve isn't exactly easy, and punching a hole in the cylinder itself is much, much harder. A gunshot may not even make a dent.

Both variations are TruthInTelevision, to the extent that pressurized gas can potentially exert enough force to launch its bottle into the air or tear the canister apart. (There's a reason pressurized gas cylinders are shipped and stored with metal caps that cover and protect the valve.) However, breaching the canister is ''much'' harder than it is in fiction, and for good reason.