Adventures from the Technology Underground: Catapults, Pulsejets, Rail Guns, Flamethrowers, Tesla Coils, Air Cannons, and the Garage Warriors Who Love Them by William Gurstelle

Author:William Gurstelle [Gurstelle, William]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-51065-5
Publisher: THREE RIVERS PRESS
Published: 2006-09-22T04:00:00+00:00

1. The throwing arm (A) is pulled down toward the ground and latched (B).

2. The operator pulls on the trigger pull (C), releasing the counterweight (D).

3. The arm spins free and rotates. As it does so, it whips the sling around (E).

4. Based on the machine's geometry, the projectile leaves the sling at the optimum position. One end of the sling flies off the notch (F).

5. The projectile soars downrange (G).

The rapidity of firing was always a major concern for army commanders. So how fast could a trebuchet fire? There are historical records describing an immense trebuchet designed by Bishop Durand of Albi, used to besiege the stronghold of Montsegur in Italy during a religious war called the Albigensian Crusade in 1244. The fortress of Montsegur had rock walls several feet thick and was sited high atop a solid rock outcrop.2 It enjoyed a commanding defensive position over any besieging army that was brave (or foolish) enough to try to attack it.

But even with all these natural advantages, the castle still fell to the Crusaders because of the power and accuracy of their big trebuchet. Durand's rock tosser threw rocks, some weighing as much as 175 pounds, at the castle walls at twenty-minute intervals, day and night, for weeks on end. Finally, the onslaught opened holes that allowed the fanatical crusaders to enter the fortress and doomed the defenders hiding inside. >

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