Play Catapult

Catapult games provide fun and addicting game play for casual and serious gamers alike. Numerous catapult games are available online and as mobile apps for players looking for fun games on their phone. More complex challenges range from destroying polar bears to conquering neighboring kingdoms, while other games are based on simple goals of distance that require catapulted objects to be thrown as far as possible.

Crazy Penguin Catapult

Crazy Penguin Catapult is available online and as an app, including a free lite version for download. The game has received several recognitions and awards for its creative game play, sleek design, controls and user interface. The game premise is simple, as penguins are launched to complete missions against polar bears who have invaded and taken many of the flightless birds captive.

Catapult Madness

Players of Catapult Madness must save a kingdom under siege by throwing peasants as far as possible to get help from neighboring castles. The goal of the online game is to throw one of the peasants 50,000 feet. If you achieve this goal, players will unlock endless play mode or extra characters. High scores can be submitted online as well. Catapult Madness can be played online or downloaded as an app from Armor Games, Inc. It is their No. 1 selling game in the U.S. and abroad.

Crush the Castle

Crush the Castle is another popular series from Armor Games developed for the computer, iPhone and other mobile devices. In the game, players must destroy neighboring castles using careful aim and timing to knock the adjacent structures down. Crush the Castle 2 and Crush the Castle 3 offer similar storylines and game play with slightly more complicated maps and challenges.

Other Games

Armor Games has produced similar catapult games including Ice Castle Blaster and The Great Seige. The Great Seige provides more intricate story and complex game play, while Ice Castle Blaster offers arcade-style gaming. A variety of other generic catapult games are available from numerous gaming sites as well, involving launched animals and other objects.

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When you think of a catapult, you probably think of that huge wood structure ancient armies used to throw large rocks and other projectiles at the opposition. But the term "catapult" can be used to describe more than just these archaic weapons; think of a slingshot or the tool on aircraft carriers that launches fighter jets---these are both catapults. To create your own small and easy catapult, you'll only need a few office supplies.

Instructions

1 Make your elastic band smaller and tighter by looping it around itself.
2 Place the elastic bland around the metal ends of the paper clamp. The elastic should fit snugly around the clamp, but it should not force the clamp open. The elastic should be about a 1/2 inch away from the black part of the clamp.
3 Place the paper clamp upright on a flat surface so that it is standing on its metal ends. With the elastic around the clamp, the clamp should look like an "A."
4 Insert a pen through the structure beside the right metal end. Insert it under the black clamp and on top of the elastic band. Pull the pen through until half of it is sticking out on either side of the clamp.
5 Lay the clamp down so that the left metal end is lying flat. The right metal end should be perpendicular to the left metal end and the flat surface. The pen should be sitting atop the black part of the clamp horizontal to the flat surface.
6 Place a projectile---such as a crumpled piece of paper---on top of the pen where the elastic meets the metal end that is perpendicular to the flat surface. Hold the projectile in place with one of your hands.
7 Pull back the metal end of the clamp with your other hand and let it go. The projectile will go flying.

Building a catapult serves as an excellent class activity for lessons on projectile motion or medieval warfare. An engaging project, catapult building requires inexpensive construction materials -- such as wood or PVC -- and encourages as much innovation as possible in the designs. A catapult project challenges students to fulfill three main objectives: longer range, higher projectile weight capacity, and greater accuracy. Students are free to choose among several types of catapults which they can modify for optimum performance.

Trebuchet

The choice speed weapon in medieval Europe, the trebuchet -- also called the "Ingenium" -- survived up to a century after the invention of gunpowder. A trebuchet has four main parts: the frame, the beam, the counterweight, and the sling. It harnesses the potential energy of the suspended counterweight and uses that to hurl the projectile. Ideally, the counterweight weighs as much as 80 to 100 times the weight of the missile. Trebuchets are an excellent choice for catapult projects because of the straightforward scaling involved -- areas as the square of the lengths, and volumes and weights as cubes.

Ballista

Ballistas were the giant crossbows of the Greeks, which propelled massive darts or arrows along a straight trajectory using the torsion in two twisted skeins of rope, hair, or sinew. Because they have more moving parts than the trebuchet, model ballistas are slightly harder to scale, design, and build. Braided nylon is an excellent material for the cord bundle. The strength of this bundle will determine the ballista's missile weight capacity. Provided the frame is strong enough and the cords sufficiently twisted, a projectile can cover a long range with superb accuracy.

Mangonel

A mangonel, whose name comes from the Latin word "manganon" meaning "engine of war", is in essence a torsion catapult. Like the ballista, a sturdy twisted skein provides the driving force for its missiles. It has a throwing arm similar to that of the trebuchet, but instead of a sling, it uses a bowl- or spoon-shaped extension. It loses to the ballista in accuracy and to the trebuchet in the size -- though not necessarily the weight -- of the projectile it can throw. However, it can cover a longer range than the trebuchet and achieve faster missile speed. Students usually find mangonels the easiest to build.

Leonardo da Vinci's Catapult

Many consider da Vinci's catapult a vast improvement on the catapult designs of his age, although no records exist of their being built or used in battle. The design relies on a simple leaf spring for the energy needed to throw the projectile. This catapult uses a throwing arm similar to the mangonel, but longer and attached to a rotating drum at one end. Cocking the throwing arm causes the accumulation of energy in the leaf spring. When the throwing arm is released, this energy rotates the drum and gives the arm a huge amount of acceleration. This design is efficient and excellent for illustrating energy transfer among a machine's components.

Toy catapults are available in stores, but they are more fun to make at home. The most creative and determined catapult enthusiast will build a large backyard machine which will throw water balloons across the street. Those who are looking for a simple toy will build smaller machines for launches across a room. There are many types and sizes of catapults from which to choose for those who need distance or just some fun.

Mouse Trap Catapult

The mouse trap catapult is built from a wooden mousetraps with a metal clasp. This clasp will break fingers so caution in using this catapult is wise. The trigger mechanism, which is the loose piece of wire on the trap, is removed. A spoon is taped to the metal square, which is the piece of the trap that snaps onto the mouse. Tape the whole square and then pull the taped piece back. Load the spoon and let go. This is the simplest homemade catapult.

Backyard Ogre Catapult

The backyard ogre catapult shoots projectiles approximately 10 yards. The catapult is approximately 3 feet tall and is built with 2-by-3 or 2-by-4 boards. A simple square base supports a 3-foot-long arm which is attached to a bungee cord. The bungee cord pulls the arm forward to propel the object at the top of the board. A small basket, such as a cup or box, is attached to the top of the arm. The arm is attached to the base with a pin and hook, enabling movement.

Table Top Troll Catapult

This catapult resembles the ogre catapult on a smaller scale. The table top is approximately a foot high, including the base. The arm is attached to the base with a metal bar inserted through the wood. The bar is attached to the base and allows for ease of movement. The top of the arm includes a basket similar to the ogre. While the ogre uses a bungee cord for launching, the table top uses a rubber band cut into one long piece.

Teeny Tiny Catapult

The teeny tiny catapult is perhaps the least dangerous of all the catapults because it is so tiny. It is made from Popsicle sticks and masking tape. The arm is held with masking tape and the basket is a masking tape box. A rubber band, cut to a length of 5 inches, is attached to the arm and causes the slingshot action. This little catapult is perfect for kids as a craft project and for home use. The basket is only big enough to shoot small pieces of paper or other soft projectiles.

In "Hamtaro: Ham Ham Heartbreak" for the Game Boy Advance, you play as the cartoon hamsters from the anime series "Hamtaro." The adventure takes you across the small world of "Hamtaro" to battle a bad hamster named Spat. To face Spat toward the end of the adventure, you must enter his tower. When you approach the tower, you will find the front gate locked. You must get in the door without using the front gate.

Instructions

1 Complete the marble puzzle in the Wild Woods. Ride the minecart south until you see a sword in a stone. Put one red, one blue and one green marble, in no particular order, into the three slots under the "sword." You will automatically remove the sword from the stone. The sword is actually a spoon.
2 Give the inventor's wife the spoon in the Wild Woods. The wife will give the spoon to the inventor and he will complete the Hamapault 2 catapult for later use.
3 Approach the front gate of Spat Tower. You must see a scene in which you discover you cannot open the gate in order to continue.
4 Visit the inventor in Wild Woods. He will now let you use his Hamapault 2 catapult to fly over the gate and into Spat Tower. Approach the Hamapault 2 and select "Stickie."

Many children owned a catapult back in the 1950s, when catapults were popular. The catapult craze didn't come without its share of broken windows and serious head injuries, which is why the craze nowadays encourages the use of soft items to pelt a target (one that doesn't breathe). Soft items for your catapult might include water balloons or marshmallows.

Instructions

1 Take a 1-inch PVC section and two 6-inch lengths of PVC pipe. Mop primer into the "V" ends of the "Y" section. Top the primer with glue and fit the two straight pipes into the "Y" section. Allow the sections to dry.
2 Drill two holes opposite each other on each stem of the "V" near the edge.
3 Sand rough edges of the pipe to prevent injury.
4 Thread each end of the elastic through the holes and tie the ends securely.
5 Retie the elastic if it is too long and stretches out too far for the reach of your arm. Cut off the excess elastic and discard.

Dionysius the Elder invented the basic catapult in 399 B.C. Some catapults were able to throw stones weighing as much as 350 pounds. The amount of force with which these stones were launched made catapults primary weapons of war even into medieval times.

Variations

Two variations of the catapult design were created from the original machine. The single-armed catapult was designed for throwing large objects, such as rocks, into the air. The two-armed design, known as the ballista, was used to shoot large arrows. The Romans added wheels to both designs so that the siege engines would have more maneuverability.

Invention of the Cannon

The cannon is one of the first forms of artillery that used gunpowder. Early cannons were not particularly safe, and could only be fired a limited number of times per day. The earliest use of a cannon is not known; however, the Scots defended Stirling Castle in 1341 with at least one cannon, and three were used in the battle of Crcy-en-Ponthieu in 1346. Between 1350 and 1400, use of cannons as weapons became more widespread.

Early Cannons

When cannon use first began spreading, 600-pound machines were considered "large guns." Although pieces weighing as much as 1,000 pounds, and one as heavy as 9,500, existed before 1400, these were so immobile that they were generally considered useless. As a result, heavy cannons stayed in the 700-pound range, with some as light as 43 pounds.

Similar Artillery

The cannon's use of gunpowder as a projectile method is what separated it from earlier siege weapons. Three variations on the cannon were developed and commonly used as artillery. Mortars were short-barreled machines that had little range, but were often used for hurling bombs over obstacles such as walls. Bombards were very heavy pieces that had moderate range and were used for battering walls down. Culverins were light and fit small to medium-sized cannon balls that could be hurled over large distances.
Although armies experimented with other types of weapons, the development of these was often expensive and more dangerous than more traditional firearms, which prevent their widespread use.

Legos are ideal buildings blocks for children who enjoy exploring architecture and model building. Not only are they great toys for children, but they can also contribute to a child's understanding of physics and engineering. Lego catapults are creative structures that can be used to thrust small objects into the air, either as an experiment or just for fun.

Instructions

1 Take a Lego block that is 1-by-10 sections long and another that is 1-by-12 sections long. Place the 1-by-10 horizontally on top of the the 1-by-12 piece so that one side is evenly lined up and the other is not. Repeat this for two more blocks of the same size.
2 Attach these pieces on either side of the width of a flat Lego piece that is 8-by-12 sections long. Take two Lego pieces that are 1-by-10 and secure one on top of the other. Secure it to the front edge of the catapult between the two pieces attached to the sides.
3 Take one blue sign connector and insert a long Lego beam piece into one of the bottom holes from the center of the 1-by-10 front Lego piece. Secure a small bowl-like object you wish to use for the catapult to the end of the beam with duct tape.
4 Insert a "plus sign" Lego piece on the other side of the hole to stop the arm of the catapult at a certain point. Insert a circle connector with three holes through the plus sign connector and insert each end into the third hole from end of the front facing 1-by-10 Lego piece.
5 Place two stacked 1-by-10 Lego pieces at the back edge of the catapult and push a beam through the sixth hole from one end, making sure that it is long enough to be secured on either side. This will stop the catapult arm from launching too far forward.
6 Secure a plate piece that is 2-by-3 sections long in the center of each 1-by-10 piece. Place a plate that is 1-by-2 sections long on the top center circles of both 1-by-10 pieces once again. Stretch a rubber band between those two places where the catapult sits and hook it on to each end.
7 Place an object in the small bowl at one end of the catapult, pull back on the rubber band and release to launch the object into the air.