How+we+created+our+design

Using the internet and viewing different designs helped us to create scale models. A video from [|NOVA] helped us better understand the concept of trebuchet and the necessary steps to construct one. After studying trebuchets and the different styles of medieval catapults, we created four different designs. We wanted this many groups so we could test different variables and see how different concepts performed.

Click on the picture to enlarge it. Pictures of the surving scale models:



Cadd drawings- The four thumbnails seen here are our concept drawings for our trebuchets.

Each of the four groups had about four of our classmates in it. One had wheels and a swinging counterweight, one had no wheels and a swinging counterweight, one had wheels and a fixed counterweight, and one was an FAT (floating arm trebuchet), with no wheels and no swinging counterweight. This was not a typical medieval design but we were curious as to how this would compete with the other models. The FAT is generally a good design, but the group assigned to it had difficulties, such as too much friction. The FAT did not survive its first launch.

An example of floating arm trebuchet (not our design)

From these 1/4th scale models, we discovered that the one with wheels and a swinging counterweight worked most efficiently. The wheels gave us more motion of the base which allowed for more momentum and a further throw. We then created a final drawing and based our final trebuchet on this model. Only two of the scale models survived through the beginning of this year for us to take pictures of.

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