Medina High School Trebuchet Launch-Record

[brettohio]

the key to the success was the angle of the pin. if the sling isn't released at the right time, the pumpkin will go into the ground, or the opposite just straight up. The pin was adjustable so that different weights could be used for the counter weight and items launched. At one point in time we put a ton of bricks in the counter weight and launched an old school 21 in tube computer monitor. In this video, it is just 1/2 ton counter weight.

[brettohio]

the weight drop, as previously discussed appears to be about 7-9 ft, however you will notice that it doesn't reach the ground, there was 12 in. clearance from the ground, therefore, just barely over 6 ft weight drop. I remember the beam being 17 ft long. Interior width of structure: 5 ft. oh, and btw, the axle did bend some, so it was pain dismantling it. Major props involved to all involved, special credit to Carter East and Cris LaBonty.

The Professor in charge did take great safety measure.

[brettohio]

So ya, I'm Brett, one of the designers/builders. Major props to Carter East for the model, he did the vast majority of the calculations. Yes, everything was designed and reviewed in great detail before building commenced. I had a chance to check out Idaho State University's pumpkin launching challenge (they have actual business and such enter), and this trebuchet even beat their records.

Anyways, here's some specs: the axle was a special heat treated steel i remember it being about 3 in diameter

[thestampede80]

I'm seeing that tomorrow!!!!!!!

[PivotChipmunk]

Nice! :D I saw a real Trebuchet in action in England :D

[marktimmer2212]

CAR!!!!!!!

[omgflyingbanana]

coooool

[quadbravo]

they should have charged admission. I live in cleveland, I would have gone. i bet hundreds would have if they knew it was going to happen.

[77theflame77]

wow, i live like 10 mins south of Medina. how did i not hear of this?

[tehKoreanKiDavid]

sweet traction trebuchet :D

[andrejthegreat]

wow that thing on the left from yours is BEAST :D

But i know it's not about size. We did the same thing but we had to use potates so we would not build huge ones and hurt ourselves. :D

Our wasn't neraly the biggest but we got it over 200ft (overshot the target by 70ft :D)

good job though, pumpkins must have been do much more fun :-)

[Cheezweasel96]

whoa thats cool

[InsaneBarryZane]

This year one split the target

[Riptor552]

Haha, Epic win followed by epic fail...

..either that or the pumpkin traveled around the world 0.o

[snogirl08]

i go to medina high scool

[Rudy727]

wow......

all my my skool did was a mini rocket launch... :/

which i broke record for ha...

52 yards....

[Madmachine73]

That's stupid of the watchers they should always be left or right of the trebuchets, this shows what can happen when it misfires and shoots backwards.

[s90Jimmys90]

hahaaahaa that would be epic fail

☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺

[raw157]

O how I miss you MHS.

Pumpkin Launch only got better every year..

[fighterpilot079]

Your school KICKS ASS!

[rasputingrinder]

nice!

[Ryuuzaki467]

OMG I know that one kid in the blue jacket O_O

[awol09]

how did you make your throwing arm?

it looks like you attached multiple 2 by 4's, but how did you attach them to each other?

[sesshomaru8806]

I think they were 2 by 6's. We put 3 of them sandwhiched together bolts. Not very complicated.

[zxxxxxxxxxc]

i go to meidna high school i was there! it was so cool! o by the the way hey justin! and hey ash my bfff for ever

[sk8ersteve101]

i was thier it was cool

[paaiyan]

About how far is the weight drop, and what did you use for the axle? I'm building one and can't figure out what to use for it.

[benchmaster430]

Solid bar of 2" steel was the axle. I'm guessing the weight drop was about 8 or 9 ft., but that is just a guess- as you can see, they also strapped a line across the bucket and pulled it down to add some force

[benchmaster430]

There is another video of the same trebuchet. Check it out. You can get a better view of how far the bucket drop is. It may be closer to 6ft. I'll try and find out for you! Check back later.

[gmsherry1953]

@benchmaster430 Strapping a line across the bucket and pulling down was not cheating?

[sesshomaru8806]

Heh, thats my machine at work... the trigger is completely safe. I guarantee none of us could have been injured unless the one of the axel snapped... which I don't see 2 inch solid steel doing...

[Zephym]

For my part, I would have rigged a lanyard to stand a bit farther from the thing... but then my big ASOK had a bad tendency to launch skew. Never built a hanging counterweight taller than my knees, so I guess you're right.

Anyways, trigger's too short to compete in the comp my old high school attended.

[Zephym]

that trigger is *not* safe. All I could think untill it launched was that the kid was gonna die.

Impressive machine, though. I've yet to build something that large- my largest to date is a 6-foot weight drop ASOK, for water balloons.

[TwiztidLife]

lol thats just dangerous, i thought you were going to hit a car too, lol...If i had a chance to build a catapult, i would of did it like the Romans did. More Effective.

[benchmaster430]

You have to understand that the old school record was 156 yards, no one expected any team to be able to launch a pumpkin that far (214 yards) therefore, no one thought about any danger to cars!

[dorcus2]

i thought you were going to hit the car.