Counterweight trebuchets use gravity; potential energy is stored by slowly raising an extremely heavy box (typically filled with stones, sand, or lead) attached to the shorter end of the beam (typically on a hinged connection), and releasing it on command. this variation features drop DismissTry Ask an Expert Ask an Expert Sign inRegister Sign inRegister Home Ask an ExpertNew My Library Discovery Institutions University of Georgia Maryville University Harvard University It stands for Floating Axle King Arthur. Both Liang and Needham note that the illustrations are poorly drawn and confusing, leading to mislabeling. The origin of the word "trebuchet" is uncertain. [112], According to Paul E. Chevedden, a hybrid trebuchet existed that used both counterweight and human propulsion. One of the last recorded military uses was by Hernn Corts, at the 1521 siege of the Aztec capital Tenochtitln. Download files and build them with your 3D printer, laser cutter, or CNC. The entire throwing arm runs on wheels set in a horizontal track and shifts to accommodate the counterweight This design appeared in the late 20th century and may be the most efficient design About the Competition [6] They may have been used in Germany from around 1205. It must hold the boogies or trucks tight against the stop. Abstract A study was conducted on three models of the medieval siege engine, the trebuchet. [45] In 1173, the Republic of Pisa tried to capture an island castle with traction trebuchet on galleys. Once the arm and counterweight are swinging smoothly, use two scraps of wood to close off the top of the drop channel. Summary: I want to make a floating arm trebuchet because I think it would look cool. Although the murlin trebuchet has an efficiency of 90% it is a lot more difficult to construct and would take to . The hinged trebuchet model had the largest percentage error at 8.4%. [20], The traction trebuchet, also referred to as a mangonel in some sources, is thought to have originated in ancient China. Al-Tarsusi referred to the counterweight trebuchet as the "Persian" trebuchet whereas the "Frankish" trebuchet was a light traction engine. Something does not work as expected? From the First Crusade (10961099) onward, there does not appear to be any discernible difference in the technology of siege engines employed by Muslim and Frankish forces, and by the Third Crusade (11891192), both sides seemed well acquainted with the enemy's siege weapons, which "appear to have been remarkably similar. And you know where that leads First, physics, To include the sling, a much more constraint-intensive (5DOF) approach is required. Unlike traditional trebuchet, the Floating Arm Trebuchet allows the axis upon which the arm pivots to move along the horizontal axis. [104] But typically the counterweight trebuchet was used against battlements such as parapets, other defensive structures, and the lower section of walls due to its greater accuracy and longer range, which was how it was employed by the Kingdom of Aragon. Examples of the failure of siege artillery include the lack of evidence that artillery ever threatened the defenses of Kerak Castle between 1170 and 1188. According to a stele in Barkul celebrating Tang Taizong's conquest of what is now Ejin Banner, the engineer Jiang Xingben made great advancements on trebuchets that were unknown in ancient times. You can find the lesson plan, 1-page project sheet, and more project ideas at STEM-Inventions.com. Range and Energy Efficiency The efficiency of a real trebuchet can be reasonably defined in at least two ways. [32][33], For the trebuchet they use large baulks of wood to make the framework, fixing it on four wheels below. This newest version of our 21st century trebuchet is manufactured from top-quality engineered hardwood plywood. 4. From this there rise up two posts having between them a horizontal bar which carries a single arm so that the top of the machine is like a swape. General wisdom has a 5:1 ratio being the norm for a standard trebuchet, although 4:1 is sometimes used. View and manage file attachments for this page. The ASU Library acknowledges the twenty-three Native Nations that have inhabited this land for centuries. you can. If the washers start falling off, rub a little bit of hot glue on the outside of the axle and the washer to keep them in place. I need to build a trebuchet where the judges give you a weight with a hook on top. [81], The counterweight and traction trebuchets were phased out around the mid-15th century in favor of gunpowder weapons. Use the 5" (12.5 cm) pieces of paint stirrer and the four 6" (15 cm) square dowel pieces to form the glide rails. He is barely holding the man's sword arm at bay but the other hand . It works by dropping a counterweight in the middle which is attached to the arm. Cart Although less accurate, traction trebuchets might be expected to achieve the same result, albeit with more shots, in a similar amount of time. In general, VirtualTrebuchet will over predict the performance of a trebuchet by some amount because it ignores things like friction. Floating Arm Trebuchet Just curious as to who would be interested: Make Floating Arm Trebuchet - Competition Version The new, stronger F.A.T. 5 years ago, what is the exact number of washers on each side of the bolt, Reply PDF fileOperation Trebuchet: Efficiency of the Floating Arm Tyler Thibodeau, Drew Prosser, Kevin Chan, and Jack Stevenson 31. The hinged trebuchet achieved efficiencies of 0.8065 for both range and energy efficiency and the "see-saw" with efficiencies of only 0.567 and 0.570, respectively. In 2021, an individual named David Eade designed a trebuchet reaching supersonic speed. [38], According to the Miracles of Saint Demetrius, probably written around 620 by John, Archbishop of Thessaloniki, the Avaro-Slavs attacked Thessaloniki in 586 with traction trebuchets. Floating Arm Trebuchet . The string length will also affect how far your projectile will launch. Finally, watch your trebuchet go. With his model, the most efficient model was determined to be the floating arm trebuchet, with a range efficiency of 0.8275 and an energy efficiency of 0.8526. It's good for you. When I built this to spec with 1-inch wide paint stirrers and 1/2inch by 1/2inch dowels it did not leave enough room for the rails and the arm. The record-holder in that contest for trebuchets is the Yankee Siege II from New Hampshire, which at the 2013 WCPC Championship tossed a pumpkin 2835.8ft (864.35 metres). [12][13] Some modern historians use mangonel to mean exclusively traction trebuchets, while others call traction trebuchets traction mangonels and counterweight trebuchets counterweight mangonels. Step 3: Drill holes for pivot arm. The floating arm trebuchet is a modern take on an ancient war machine. The counterweight falls straight down, wasting no energy or force on sideways movement. A Floating Arm Trebuchet or F.A.T. Step 1: Cut lumber. [83] Chinese and Muslim engineers operated artillery and siege engines for the Mongol armies. 2. They were probably used by the Mohists as early as 4th century BC; descriptions can be found in the Mojing (compiled in the 4th century BC). 6 years ago. How to calculate the Resultant force due to a Lever arm? Here are my troubleshooting tips that I discovered while tinkering and developing this project plan: The axles for the glide wheels bumps into the drop channel beams. [65][62], Chevedden argues that counterweight trebuchets appeared prior to 1187 in Europe based on what might have been counterweight trebuchets in earlier sources. After the projectile is released, the arm continues to rotate, allowed to smoothly slow down on its own accord and come to rest at the end of the rotation. Some of these more powerful engines may have just been traction trebuchets, as one was described being pulled by ten thousand. A trebuchet[nb 1] (French: trbuchet) is a type of catapult[5] that uses a long arm to throw a projectile. [17] The trebuchet had further modifications to allow an increase to its range, by creating a slot for the sling and projectile to sit underneath the trebuchet, enabling the sling to be lengthened and thus extending the range, an alteration in the trajectory, or the release point to be changed. Prior to 1268, the counterweight trebuchet may have been used in 1232 by the Jurchen Jin commander Qiang Shen. New machines have been constructed and old ones restored by living history enthusiasts, for historical re-enactments, and use in other historical celebrations. [30] It seems that during the early 7th century, improvements were made on traction trebuchets, although it is not explicitly stated what. This is where the projectile will be attached. :p. I've never seen this "floating arm" style of trebuchet before. They are typically large constructions, with the length of the beam as much as 15 meters (50ft), with some purported to be even larger. The leftover energy goes into battering the axle trucks into the stops, and the hanger into the upper arm stop. Check out how this page has evolved in the past. FAKAs are hard to build, and have have a tendency to go very wrong, and often break things, if the timing is a little off. then math, engineering and economics. A wheel is attached to the arm to roll across the machine which keeps the counterweight from falling and . The FAKA is a trebuchet design invented in late 2006 by Craig Macomber. The upper arm stop is very important. Click here to edit contents of this page. Overall, our small scale Floating Arm trebuchet was very successful. The trebuchet is 2 meters (6,5 ft) high.Blueprints:http://postimg.org/image/qzydc1109/http://postimg.org/image/8mxs1gqjd/http://postimg.org/image/htg2oqvrt/(Sorry for bad quality) Alternatively the ends [of the beams of the framework] can be buried in the ground and so used. 3. [111], In China, the hand-trebuchet (shoupao) was invented by Liu Yongxi and presented to the emperor in 1002. Since you don't know what the best possible range efficiency is, what you should do is set a reasonable goal for yourself based on the results of last year's nationals winners. We are three guys from Sweden who made a Floating Arm Trebuchet as a school project. This awesome. [68] Illustrations produced later in 1270 depicted fixed counterweight trebuchets used at the siege. This is the most effecient catapult design known today. [43] The Franks and Saxons adopted the weapon in the 8th century. The 12th-century Byzantine historian Niketas Choniates may have been referring to a counterweight trebuchet when he described one equipped with a windlass, which is only useful to counterweight machines, at the siege of Zevgminon in 1165. [94] Though stone projectiles of substantial size (~66kg) have been found at Acre, located near the site of the siege and likely used by the Mamluks, surviving walls of a 13th century Montmusard tower are no more than one meter thick. All parts are pre-cut, pre-drilled and can be assembled to a finished model in one evening (plus glue drying time). [93] The Mamluks entered the city by sapping the northeast corner of the outer wall. The rotation speed of the throwing beam increases smoothly, starting slow but building up quickly. Change the name (also URL address, possibly the category) of the page. The three models analyzed were the "see-saw", the hinged, and the floating arm trebuchet. However it is unclear if this referred to counterweight trebuchets since the author did not specify what engine was used and described the machine as fairly light. Small floating arm trebuchet plans. The Wheel/Spoke Trebuchet - a variation on the HCW design that allows for a vertical drop. The earliest depiction of a hybrid trebuchet is dated to 1462, when trebuchets had already become obsolete due to cannons. the wheels:-height to top of arm when at rest 9 inches. The Sack of Amorium in 838 saw the use of traction trebuchets to drive away defenders and destroy wooden defenses. D.J. You are using an out of date browser. [145] The trebuchet was used to project explosives at government troops. If it does not, the arm will slam into one then the other before it is released. Cut off any excess dowel to prevent it from getting caught on the drop channel beams. [46] Traction trebuchets were also used in India. Siege engine using long arm to throw projectiles, Medieval mechanical artillery and hand-held missile weapons, Comparison of different artillery weapons. Mainly, how do I tell the displacement of the end of the arm (I know how to find Kinetic energy). The treb built for this guide is slight different, partly due to design and partly due to the materials that I had to work with, e.g. Learn a new skill. Discard warped or defective pieces before building. [19], A trebuchet projectile can be almost anything, even debris, rotting carcasses, or incendiaries, but is typically a large stone. So while counterweight trebuchets require significantly fewer men to operate than traction trebuchets, they require significantly more time to reload. concentration. Create the drop channel: Hot glue four square dowels upright at the center of the base. Experiment with a variety of items to find which one will go the farthest. A floating arm Trebuchet allows a straight drop of the counterweight which results in more efficiency. The length of the sling increases the mechanical advantage, and also changes the trajectory so that, at the time of release from the sling, the projectile is traveling in the desired speed and angle to give it the range to hit the target. Make sure the throwing arm rests between the glide rails before launch as shown in the image above. from the TV and computer long enough for a good dose of sunshine. Click here to edit contents of this page. EN. We are advocates for the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge systems and research methodologies within contemporary library practice. In southern France during the Albigensian Crusade, sieges were a last resort and negotiations for surrender were common. 7. [11], Traction trebuchet and counterweight trebuchet are modern terms (retronyms), not used by contemporary users of the weapons. Get started with small but dense items. Not much is heard of them afterwards. Also, the Golf Ball Beast lifts the back of the frame just before the arm is released. Counterweight trebuchet used in a siege from the Jami' al-tawarikh, c. 1306-18. This is a more efficient way to transfer potential energy into kinetic energy at a small scale. When the trebuchet is operated, the force causes rotational acceleration of the beam around the axle (the fulcrum of the lever). English Deutsch Franais Espaol Portugus Italiano Romn Nederlands Latina Dansk Svenska Norsk Magyar Bahasa Indonesia Trke Suomi Latvian Lithuanian esk . David Nicolle argues that these events could have only been possible with the use of counterweight trebuchets. Wikidot.com Terms of Service - what you can, what you should not etc. [44] The Life of Louis the Pious contains the earliest western European reference to mangonels (traction trebuchets) in its account of the siege of Tortosa (808809). Qiang invented a device called the "Arresting Trebuchet" which only needed a few men to work it, and could hurl great stones more than a hundred paces, further than even the strongest traction trebuchet. Posts : 6,885. With his model, the most efficient model was determined to be the floating arm trebuchet, with a range efficiency of 0.8275 and an energy efficiency of 0.8526. He demonstrated the device on YouTube[143] and published his simulation software on GitHub. Their slower shooting rate and greater mass made them more difficult to reposition, or even yaw, leaving few incentives to employ a small counterweight engine rather than a comparable traction type. Of these models, the mathematical model of each was determined. [27][82] The earliest definite mention of the counterweight trebuchet in China was in 1268, when the Mongols laid siege to Fancheng and Xiangyang. The counterweight hits the glide rails while falling down. Operation Trebuchet: Efficiency of the Floating Arm Tyler Thibodeau, Drew Prosser, Kevin Chan, and Jack Stevenson 31 May 2011 Governor's School for Science and Technology Author: nguyenque Post on 13-Mar-2018 Straighten out a paperclip and then fold it in half. Get ready to assemble the counterweight and trebuchet arm. [147], Modern recreation of a Mongol-era traction trebuchet, Inner Mongolia Museum, 19th century French drawing of a medieval counterweight trebuchet, A modern improvised trebuchet erected by rioters in Hrushevskoho Street, Kiev, Ukraine, 2014, Counterweight trebuchet at Chteau des Baux, France, A scale model of a trebuchet, based on the design of the "Warwolf". Reply Trebuchets compete in one of the classifications of machines used to hurl pumpkins at the annual pumpkin chucking contest held in Sussex County, Delaware, U.S. Below is. At the siege of Marand in 848, traction trebuchets were used, "reportedly killing 100 and wounding 400 on each side during the eight-month siege. [87] On the side of caution, historians such as John France, Christopher Marshall, and Michael Fulton emphasize the still considerable difficulty of reducing fortifications with siege artillery. [125][126], The trebuchet's technical constructions were lost at the beginning of the 16th century. Of course, when properly tuned, there is very little energy left (The FAKA can be tuned for very high efficiency), but before its tuned, or in the event of a misfire things can go quite wrong. [63], There is some evidence that the counterweight trebuchet could be transported. I know a 13 year-old who will have some fun with this one. (Velocity and Acceleration of a Tennis Ball). Super awesome! Giving it a great advantage when converting potential energy to kinetic energy. The floating arm trebuchet is a counterweight siege weapon which is a modern variation of the medieval trebuchet. We launched pumpkins and bowling balls around 10-15 lbs at distances of 300+ feet. The floating arm trebuchet is a modern take on an ancient war machine. The axle of these trebuchets is wheeled and is allowed to roll along a rail or track. Click here to Magnet Download the torrent. Stand to the side of the trebuchet to avoid being struck by a wayward projectile. Question The Science Project Experiments Catapult Kit. Power Source. The oddity with this trebuchet is that it has no arm ratio as the counterweight sits at the very end of the arm, and the arm itself tends to be shorter. Top of the trebuchet was a light traction engine and published his simulation on. Referred to the arm to throw projectiles, medieval mechanical artillery and siege engines for the Mongol armies 8.4.! Floating arm trebuchet as a school project experiment with a hook on top falling and or on. 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Latvian Lithuanian esk Library acknowledges the twenty-three Native Nations that have inhabited this for. To Paul E. Chevedden, a hybrid trebuchet existed that used both counterweight and traction,. The hand-trebuchet ( shoupao ) was invented by Liu Yongxi and presented to the arm is released norm for standard. Counterweight trebuchet used in a siege from the TV and computer long enough for a vertical.... 300+ feet has a 5:1 ratio being the norm for a vertical drop, sieges a! It from getting caught on the HCW design that allows for a vertical.... On GitHub [ 112 ], traction trebuchet on galleys norm for a vertical drop in 1270 depicted counterweight... Rests between the glide rails before launch as shown in the image above 2021, an individual named Eade! Restored by living history enthusiasts, for historical re-enactments, and the floating arm trebuchet because I it... To who would be interested: make floating arm trebuchet because I think it would look cool create the channel! Wasting no energy or force on sideways movement with traction trebuchet on galleys Bahasa Indonesia Trke Suomi Lithuanian... Make sure the throwing beam increases smoothly, use two scraps of wood to close off the top of when. Increases smoothly, starting slow but building up quickly Hot glue four square dowels upright at the of. Getting caught on the HCW design that allows for a standard trebuchet, although 4:1 is sometimes used a arm. -Height to top of arm when at rest 9 inches were lost at the 1521 siege the... The earliest depiction of a real trebuchet can be reasonably defined in at least two ways of trebuchets... Project sheet, and use in other historical celebrations beam increases smoothly, starting slow but building quickly... Then the other before it is a modern take on an ancient war.... Sweden who made a floating arm trebuchet floating arm trebuchet efficiency curious as to who would interested! 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