posted 02-27-2006 12:18 PM           

Paul.

posted 02-27-2006 12:56 PM           

Take a look here http://www.tasigh.org/ingenium/physics.html

I can't vouch for its accuracy, but then again the trebuchet couldnt always be relied upon.
I believe that the Chinese developed the first siege engine but the Arabs developed it further by adding the counterpoise box.

Regards, Paul.

posted 02-28-2006 07:48 AM           

"Trebuchet is Old French, from trebucher "to throw over" < tres "over, beyond" and buc "torso" < Latin trans and a Germanic word."

The biggest problem with these large siege engines was that of finding the correct range as they were heavy to move and labour intensive.
The stone balls were made by stone masons and had to be of the same weight to maintain the correct range when that range was found.
The head of a trebuchet crew would have been a well paid man and many are known changed sides during conflicts.
During the siege of Rochester castle in 1215, http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/castles/page34.html King John employed five trebuchets but they had little effect, so the importance of the siege engine has to be questioned.
As for being the "nukes" of their age? they were the ultimate siege weapon of the time but not as effective as undermining.

posted 02-28-2006 09:49 AM         

I'm seriously considering making and trying to learn how to use this weapon considering it's cheapness of construction and the plentiful quantity of ammunition around where I live.

posted 03-06-2006 09:22 PM            

On the second try, I was able to fling a really lousy stone 135 feet, to about the area I was aiming for. Sadly, the brass links I had used stretched open at that point, effectively destroying the sling.

I then tried throwing the rock the same way. The rock flew out of my hand at a 45 degree angle to the left, nearly breaking a window a few feet away...

posted 03-07-2006 07:33 PM            

Chosen designs included cross-bows made from former axel leaf springs and from skis. Other teams made spear throwers of various kinds (the cross-bow designs were by far the most accurate and powerful).

posted 03-10-2006 09:28 AM           

(Some slingers will rotate the sling slowly once or twice to seat the projectile in the cradle.)

One makes an overhand throw, using the sling to extend one's arm. The motion is similar to bowling a cricket ball. This is relatively accurate, instinctive and quite powerful. One faces 60 degrees away from the target, with one's weak hand closest to the target. The coordinated motion is to move every part of the body, legs, waist, shoulders, arms, elbows and wrist in the direction of the pocket in order to add as much speed as possible to the stone. One releases the projectile near the top of the swing, where the projectile will proceed roughly parallel to the surface of the earth.

Another method of release said to be favoured by slingers firing into grouped or massed targets is an underhand throw. The motion is similar to that of throwing a softball. The trajectory arc is relatively high. The thrower stands 60 degrees away from the target, and takes one step forward from the trailing foot, letting the sling swing forward. Range is said to be increased with this method, sacrificed for accuracy. Several historians have conjectured that this was the most commonly used method in ancient warfare due to its practicality.

There are also sideways releases, in which the swing goes around. These throws make it very easy to miss the target by releasing the projectile at a slightly wrong time. Other slinging methods can be seen, but many authorities deprecate them.

The clumsiest part of using a shepherd's sling is to regain control of the release cord. Conventionally, the loop of the retention cord is placed around a finger of the strong hand. Several projectiles may be held in the weak hand. After the release, an expert will continue the motion. The cradle will catch around a stone held out with the weak hand, so that the end of the release cord swings back to the strong hand retaining the loop. Just after the knot begins to swing, slightly before the knot reaches the strong hand, one drops or throws the projectile toward the ground with the weak hand, starting into the next release. Some persons braid the end of the release cord around a weight to help perform this manoeuvre. With this method, a skillful user can throw an aimed stone every few seconds in a cyclic coordinated movement, until the weak hand is empty.

posted 03-10-2006 07:52 PM            

But are there any records (aside from the pictures of guys with slings and staff slings) of slings having been used for warfare during the Middle Ages?