Composite TrebuchetMath and Modern Materials Science meet a Medieval Menace
Trebuchets are perhaps not as well-known as their milder kin, the catapults. However, among those who are familiar with trebuchets, there is a strong and loyal following. Much more elegant than winding up a spring and trying to fling a piece of timber around, trebuchets harness gravity to function. And they aren't difficult to build; the internet is full of examples. However, most of these fall into two groups. There are small models made of wood, which are either a first attempt at a trebuchet or a test of a new style. And at the other end, there are huge weapons, tens of feet tall, designed to throw pumpkins or bowling balls using thousands of pounds of counterweight. Ours isn't in either group. It's not very big, standing around two feet tall. But it uses 25 pounds of counterweight, subjecting the frame to stresses of more than 1,000 pounds. Every moving part is as lightweight as possible, and every joint uses ball bearings for smooth motion. Range is irrelevant; the bigger it is the longer it will throw. No, our goal is efficiency. We picked a size, and now we must make it throw as far as we can manage. |