Since you asked about the parts of a catapult, I imagine you have chosen this as your science project. Therefore, you will need some plans to follow and the proper materials to make your project successful. Your project, I presume will not be a large catapult, which could be costly, but rather a model; a model, which works just as any catapult is designed to work. One of the first catapults we become familiar with is the slinghost used by Samson, which we read about in the Bible. The bow and arrows of the early Indians were also catapults. The main difference between these and the ancient catapults used in war. The sling shot and the bow and arrow use the arm of the shooter as the throwing arm. The history of the ancients is very interesting and we discover, within that history the many types of catapults used. Prior to the discovery of gun powder catapults were the most powerful weapons of war. Although, in ancient times there were not schools of technology, in which men could be educated as design and mechanical engineers. The men who designed, built and used these instruments of war were among the top engineers of ancient times. For instance the Roman army possessed stone-throwers, which were capable of hurling a projectile weighing 27 kg up to 150 meters. Some stone-throwers/catapults could throw a projectile three times heavier much further than 150 meters. In time designers and builders of catapults were given financial support of governments to build bigger and better catapults, to protect their cities and of course this strengthened the power of the kings and emperors. In Sicily, as early as 399B.C., Donysius, known as the tyrant of Syracuse, paid high wages to skilled craftsmen to build these weapons of war. The more skilled men, were daily treated to meals at his table, gifts and encouragement as he visited the building yards daily. In the 9th century B.C. Catapults are a known weapon in Nimrud, which is now known as Iraq and in the 4th century B.C. They were being built and used in the Mediterranean. The earliest known Greek catapult was known as a "belly bow. It was mounted on a case and rested on the belly of the one using the bow. As the demands of war increased through the centuries stronger, faster catapults were designed and built with enlarged, winch pull-back systems and bases to hold them. In time under Phillip of Macedonia, the bows were designed and built with springs made of tight bundles of sinews and ropes wrapped around two frames. These were fixed on cases and connected to a release mechanism. A wooden arm replaced the human arm, and torsion catapults resulted. The torsion catapults could throw arrows and various other projectiles. The parts of a catapult including the projectile are the frames, a base, torsion spring and a release. These are basic parts, but the crucial weight and length of the projectile must be proportional to the size and strength of the torsion springs. The building of catapults brings together knowledge and skill in design, physics and mathematics/geometry. The life of a catapult was twenty years and sometimes longer. A really great website to visit to learn more and see pictures of all kinds of catapults is
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www.siege-engine.com ltGeekCalculator.shml On this site you can read about all kinds of catapults, see pictures, get explanations of the different designs and document your catapult online once it is built. You get directions, catapult kits, advice and just about everything you need to build a catapult, accept the materials you will need to gather to build your catapult. On this site you will be in good company and be able to share information with catapult lovers! For more great sites, just type the words
catapult designs and kits into your browser search bar and click. You will be amazed at how much information is available. You can also go to the library and gets lots of information, designs and directions free of charge. Have fun!
