Have fun storming the castle: Mongo the Trebuchet

As featured on http://www.geeksaresexy.net

Mark Winkler decided, in infinite wisdom, to spend six months building a full-scale trebuchet. In the next installment of Geeks Are Sexy's series on crazy inventions and crazy inventors, we introduce Mark's brainchild, "Mongo, the Trebuchet."

Mongo often launches watermelons, but the 25Gs of force put on the melon as it launches often causes it to burst in mid-air. In the video, Mark throws a 16 pound (7.25 kg) fireball yes fireball about 250 meters or so with 1200 pounds (550kg) of counterweight. (Mongo can handle up to 1600 pounds/725kg of counterweight.)

From: http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2009/01/20/feature-have-fun-storming-the-castle-m...

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• trebuchet
• catapult
• mangonel
• onager
• ballista
• cannon
• siege weapon
• warfare
• war
• siege engines
• medieval
• military
• physics
• engineering
• math
• history
• mathematics
• gravity
• hobby
• austin
• texas
• fair
• renaissance fairs
• slingshot
• artillery
• Maker Faire
• Maker Fair
• DIY
• invention
• inventor
• fire
• kerosene
• ballistics

[brianboyko]

Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

[geeksaresexytechnews]

Translation: I have a catapult. Give me all your money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head

[headinjuredkeeper]

Throwing the fireball....impressive.

The fact that you know where it will land so you can extinguish it....WAY impressive!

[FLIHC]

My own private contribution to the world of Medieval Revival...The Florida Ice Hurler!

Still in its testing phase, but a Mighty Hurler, nonetheless!

It took me 9 months of work, and was built virtually by myself and engineered to be operated by one man. (although it's always nice to have some help loading the counterweight) So far I've only loaded about 650 lbs, but this weekend I plan on bumping it up another 200 lbs.+ during the second tuning.

youtube.com/user/FLIHC

[diecastd]

Mark, thanks for the vid. My son and I built one, smaller, for his school Ren Faire. We had a blast. Thanks for supporting inventions and ingenuity... and make. Love the fireball. Once you see/build one, the accuracy is realized. Loved the end comment.

[akkudakkupl]

nah basic phisics :D but still impressive :D

[azgrem]

he said pink mist... lmfao

[Threbs]

It's because trebuchets are accurate motherfuckers.

[sharkey1066]

very nice - but no where near full size

[tomcatmwi]

Heh, just like the one we built... stupid youtube removed our video :(