rebuchets have been used since the middle ages as an effective siege engine that overcame its predecessor, the catapult, as it offered greater range, faster construction time and was also much simpler and faster to rearm. The trebuchet’s superior range comes from its structural design and the use of a counter weight to produce the energy that’s then transferred into the projectile which launches it over great distances. The siege engine works by having a suspended counterweight that’s connected to the payload via a beam that is able to pivot about a point around three-quarters the length of it which is joined to the base of the structure that is rigid and stable to the ground. The counterweight is on the shorter length of the beam as this provides …show more content…
While the aim of this investigation will be to discover how to achieve a greater flight time as well as a larger distance once payload has been fired from the trebuchet. It is hypothesised that with a counterweight with a greater mass, a longer flight time will be obtained, the payload will cover a greater distance and the object will be launched at a speedier exit velocity. It is also hypothesised that with a greater distance between the payload and the pivot point on the beam, the projectile will travel further, have a higher exit velocity and also extend its flight time when compared to having a lesser distance between the pivot point and the …show more content…
Weight sets were attached to short end of the beam to act as counterweights while the payload was loaded into the longer end. A small pin that was suspending the counterweight was released to fire the trebuchet. The one and a half weight sets were first attached to the counterweight end of the beam and the payload was loaded into the closest casket to the pivot point and the firing pin was released. This was repeated five times. The one and a half weight sets were then attached to the counterweight end of the beam and the payload was loaded into the middle casket and the firing pin was released. This was also repeated five times. The one and a half weight sets were then attached to the counterweight end of the beam and the payload was loaded into the furthermost casket and the firing pin was released. This was also repeated five times. Two weight sets were attached to the counterweight end of the beam and the payload was loaded into the closest casket to the pivot point and the firing pin was released. This was repeated five times. Two weight sets were attached to the counterweight end of the beam and the payload was loaded into the middle casket and the firing pin was released. This was repeated five times. Two weight sets were attached to the counterweight end of the beam and the payload was loaded into the furthest casket and the firing