Play Catapult

A catapult, or trebuchet, uses a counterweight to fling a stone or rock. The catapult has a long arm with a heavy weight on one end and a sling on the other. The weight falls, pulling the other end of the arm up. The sling rotates around the catapult vertically, going over the top of the catapult. One end of the sling unhooks from the arm and the rock is thrown down range. Loading and firing a catapult should be done safely.

Instructions

1 Aim the catapult by sighting along the trough or tray where the sling rests and point it toward the target. Catapults must be aimed using two components: direction and range. Sighting along the tray will give you the direction. Range must be determined by trial and error.
2 Calculate the range of the throw. Catapults have an ability to throw rocks high and short or midway and long. The angle of the peg and the length of the sling determine the trajectory of the throw. Bending the peg toward the back of the catapult will result in a late release of the weight, which means the rock will be thrown low and short. Bending the peg away from the back will give the shooter a high, short shot which will drop down on the target. It might also send the stone straight up or backward. Beginning users of the catapult should always use the neutral setting of the peg. This produces a shot that leaves the sling at a consistent 45-degree angle.
3 Arm the catapult. Pull the long arm of the catapult down and hook it into the trigger attached to the frame. Ancient catapults used horses or men walking inside large barrels like those used by hamsters for exercise to pull the arm down.
4 Load the catapult. Place the rock or other object in the sling and lay it down along the trough. Hook the end of the sling onto the peg or notch at the end of the long portion of the arm.
5 Pull the trigger and watch the rock slide along the trough and gain speed as it is lifted in the air and flies down range.

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