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Ballistic Technologies of Antiquity
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Mini Desktop Trebuchet


This product is manufactured in Canada.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • WORKING MODEL TREBUCHET
  • IDEAL FOR INDOOR USE
  • STURDY WOODEN CONSTRUCTION
  • PARTS PRE-CUT AND DRILLED
  • EASY TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS
  • LIGHTWEIGHT AND PORTABLE


FINISHED SIZE:

Eight inches long, Four inches wide and Six inches high at axle. The arm is Eight inches long. This machine can hurl the included missiles about 20 feet.

OVERVIEW:

The trebuchet was the ultimate artillery weapon of its time and the most highly evolved catapult type weapon. It could be built on location, and was able to hurl carved stone balls weighing up to 300lb (136 kg) at enemy fortifications. The trebuchet could be fired from a safe distance, outside the range of its victim's arrows.

"Ideal for classroom demonstration"

The design for our tabletop trebuchet kit has been refined and optimized over four years using computer aided design technology. It will stand up to rigorous use, safely and reliably firing the included projectiles. The sturdy wooden construction of this miniature trebuchet model is ideal for classroom demonstration, but it is equally at home on the desk of any medieval enthusiast. As part of a project on medieval history, as the centerpiece of a science project, or sitting on the mantel, it is sure to draw attention and generate interest.

"Accurately machined"

Each piece has been accurately machined from carefully chosen lumber, and precisely drilled to allow easy assembly. Detailed, clearly illustrated assembly instructions guide the builder through each step of construction. A how-to section demonstrates loading and firing the completed model, including tips on tuning the finished kit.

"Safer than a pointy stick"

This tabletop kit has been designed to safely demonstrate the operation of a trebuchet. With a simple, reliable trigger, a low counterweight mass and lightweight projectiles this kit is ideal for indoor use, even in a crowded classroom setting. Three easy-to-follow rules for public demonstration are provided to ensure everyone's safety.


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    Price: $39.00
    Our Price: $29.00
    Minimum age: 9
    Availability: out of stock

    Item code: 11001

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Definitions

Catapult

A catapult is any kind of device that shoots or launches a projectile by mechanical means. In England, a catapult is what we call a slingshot in the US. A catapult is also the part of an aircraft carrier that launches airplanes off the deck.

But for our purposes, a catapult is any of the ancient types of artillery, including Onagers, Scorpions, Trebuchets, Ballistae, Springalds, Coullards, Bricoles Perriers and more.

But most people tend to think of a catapult as the one-armed torsion machine used by the Romans. This is also known as the Onager or Mangonel.

Mangonel

The word Mangonel derives from the ancient Greek word "Manganon", literally meaning "engine of war". The Romans called it a Manganum. In pre-medieval French the word Manganum was changed to Manganeau, and the English changed that to Mangonel in the 1300s.

The history gets a little sketchy in the middle ages, but some historians believe that "mangonel" was shortened to the word "gonnel" about the same time that cannons were being developed, and later still, "gonnel" was shortened to "gun." And still today, in the military a "gun" is strictly a piece of big artillery.

Onager

Onager is originally the name for the wild Asian donkey. This donkey bucks like a bronco if anyone gets too close to it, and it is known to kick stones at people and predators too. So when the Romans needed a name for their one-armed torsion catapult, they called it the Onager!

The Onager (catapult) has a single arm that is powered by a large skein of twisted ropes. The ropes were usually made from hair or sinew for their elastic properties.

Trebuchet

The word "Trebuchet" is originally French, and meant something like "to fall over or rotate about the middle" as in a see-saw rotating on its axle. It also seems to have meant a big, heavy beam. Today a Trebuchet is any kind of catapult that is powered by a massive counterweight on one end of an arm, and a sling on the other end. This includes Perriers, or "traction" trebuchets which are powered by a mass of people pulling one end of the arm with ropes.

Ballista

This is a two-armed torsion device invented by the Greeks. It works similar to a crossbow, but instead of a flexible bow, it uses two stiff arms powered by twisted rope skeins like an Onager. The ballista predates the Onager by several centuries and was used to hurl stones (lithobolos style ballista) and also bolts or darts.

Obviously, this is where we get the word "ballistic".

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