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Jason Catena wrote:
> I just watched the Siege Weapons edition of the Nova "Secrets of Lost Empires"
> miniseries on PBS. Basically, the hour-long show focused on the efforts of two
> groups of people to build two slightly different trebuchets using medieval
> methods, and knock down a typical rubble-filled masonry-shell wall.
Just read an article (I think it was in Smithsonian magazine) about this
"experiment". I can look it up if anyone missed the special.
> It is 10.3 bricks high without the mast, which has its axis of rotation a bit
> more than halfway towards the counterweight side. It rolls on four of the thick
> 4x4 wheels--which I strongly recommend, since allowing it to move increases the
> range by up to a half. Also, it's really cool to watch it roll backwards in
> steps as the counterweight swings.
Have you observed the range difference with a rolling and non-rolling
LEGO model? The article mentioned that they found that the rolling did
in fact make a difference, just curious how observable that was in a
model.
--
Frank Filz
-----------------------------
Work: mailto:ffilz@us.ibm.com (business only please)
Home: mailto:ffilz@mindspring.com
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In lugnet.castle, Frank Filz writes:
> Jason Catena wrote:
> > It is 10.3 bricks high without the mast, which has its axis of rotation a
> > bit more than halfway towards the counterweight side. It rolls on four of
> > the thick 4x4 wheels--which I strongly recommend, since allowing it to move
> > increases the range by up to a half. Also, it's really cool to watch it
> > roll backwards in steps as the counterweight swings.
>
> Have you observed the range difference with a rolling and non-rolling
> LEGO model? The article mentioned that they found that the rolling did
> in fact make a difference, just curious how observable that was in a
> model.
Alas, I was unable to get it to fire properly often enough to make that
observation. The figure of "by a half" I got from the wooden model they used in
the Nova special, which fired 30 feet when rolling, versus 20 feet when
stationary.
Another disadvantage of the stationary approach is that, according to the Nova
special, the model rocks anyway, jumping around a little bit. I didn't observe
this rocking or jumping before I put it on wheels, but I did have it firmly
attached to a very large brick base.
Once I get the thing to fire reliably, I'll post details on its default range,
as well as the effects of various counterweights and power assist (divine
intervention, in the form of my hand:).
Oh, I also need to make a firing pin, I've been cocking and releasing the thing
by hand.
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