Trebuchet?

[SiWizard]

Has anyone built a successful trebuchet? Basically, you compress something then let it go, and its supposed to go flying back to its original position sending its payload flying.

I've tried a few designs - I first tried a chain to slowly pull it down but I couldn't get the chain to snap so it releases it.

On this design I tried with falling balls. The chain does snap but there's not enough power with it.

The trebuchet is facing the wrong way, I was just using this level to test it. If the sticks are compressed too much they stop springing back to their original position - you can adjust the blue supports (or add more) to make sure you don't compress it too much.

My example is pretty pants, plus I haven't figured out how to shoot the payload (you could put a basket on the end and make part of the top blue so the rolling ball that acts to compress it falls down before the basket I guess...)

Anyway, just wondering

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=154437

[rush02112]

i played around with the design you posted and made more of a sling shot than anything else

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=158054

someone has made a trebuchet, let me dig around and see if i can find the link

[rush02112]

here is the link

http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=8329

was posted by MetallicDragon in this thread

[Hielor]

I think you're confused about what a "Trebuchet" is...trebuchets don't compress anything...

[lootsorrow]

I've seen dozens of contraptions named or labelled as trebuchets, but I have yet to see anything that comes anywhere close to being an actual trebuchet. A trebuchet is *NOT* a synonym for a catapult. The op design has absolutely nothing to do with either. It is a springboard.

edit: I can't watch the link rush posted as I haven't paid for full version yet, but judging from what is visible around the paypal cloud, it doesnt' look like one either.

[lootsorrow]

THIS is a trebuchet, albeit not a pretty one. Not strong enough for both balls, but ample power
for the one. I'm gonna try making a more traditional style trebuchet with the load arm starting
in a near-horizontal position, just because the construction zone on this level still isn't big enough
to make the load arm as long as I want/need it to be.

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=165912

[Hielor]

THIS is a trebuchet, albeit not a pretty one. Not strong enough for both balls, but ample power
for the one. I'm gonna try making a more traditional style trebuchet with the load arm starting
in a near-horizontal position, just because the construction zone on this level still isn't big enough
to make the load arm as long as I want/need it to be.

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=165912

Technically that's not a trebuchet either...trebuchets actually LAUNCH their payload.

Additionally, you may want to try re-doing the connections to make it stiffer toward the fulcrum.

[mgatten]

I tweaked yours a little and added some weight to make it work for both balls:
http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=168741

But it's not a trebuchet - it's just a momentum transfer device. A trebuchet launches it's payload from a sling. If the payload stays connected, then it's not a trebuchet.

But it IS a neat-looking solution to the level.

[Alastairward]

Without registering, the best level I could find to get some sort of trebuchet device was MIssion to Mars.

[NightStryke]

You can't actually make a true trebuchet in this game, due to the fact that a trebuchet has one long arm with a pivot point around the middle; the second link by rush was pretty much as close as you can get to one.

[UltraPig]

Oh, you can build a trebuchet, it just probably won't work e.g. http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=175489
The joints are just way too weak. The contraptions in this game seem to be made of cardboard.

[UltraPig]

Actually here is one that works a bit better: http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=175635

[klefmung]

http://fantasticcontraption.com/?designId=175618
Is the closest thing I've gotten

[stever321]

Thats just a lever.

[ryball23]

I made one, but I had trajectory issues. The closest I could get it was right to the far edge with a chain to slow it... or WAY too far without a chain, and thus no way to slow it down to get it into the target area... so I just turned it into a ramp deploying trebuchet.

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=163400

[ryball23]

Here is a quicky of pretty close to what my original design was...

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=176356

[ryball23]

so close...

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=178972

[kennsington]

Here is a Trebuchet I made. It doesn't get very far, but it does prove the concept.

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=179160

[Andy]

Clears the wall in unpossible. I spent far too much time tweaking this.

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=181665

[Parbreaker]

Using the true design of a trebuchet, here's what I came up with...

As far as I can tell a true trebuchet, just not enough power yet...

http://FantasticContraption.com/?designId=194624