Ancient Engineering SeriesCatapult Kits
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Greek and Roman Ballista kit in Red Oak

Cut from Red Oak!


Designed and made in the USA for better quality, better performance!

This version of the kit is cut from high quality Red Oak instead of the
whitewood (Poplar) used in the other version of this item.

Customer review: The new Greek and Roman Ballista Kit is
fantastic. I just bought one and am in the process of putting it together. There
is quite a bit more finishing work but the results are well worth the extra
effort.
- Will B.

The Ballista was an engine of war invented by the Greeks in 800 BCE, and later
adopted by the early Romans. Ballistas were constructed of different sizes for
the various purposes of siege and field warfare. The largest ones could throw
projectiles weighing up to fifty pounds as far as 400 yards!

The ballista uses a pair of skeins (bundles of twisted rope) for power. Similar
to the working of a crossbow, the Ballista actually preceded the crossbow in
western culture by over a thousand years and is where we get the word
"Ballistic".

This model shoots five-inch long, 1/2" diameter bolts (also called darts) about
thirty to forty feet (when property constructed). It stands ten inches tall,
twenty inches long and the arms sweep an arc over twenty inches wide. When not
shooting bolts, this model is a great addition to your bookshelf or
desktop.

More than thirty five parts are included in this kit, but it can be easily
assembled in one day. Everything you need is included except for glue and a few
simple tools like scissors, sandpaper, a file (a utility knife would be helpful
too) and about three to six hours of your time from start to finish.

Features include:

  • Made from high quality, solid Red Oak.
  • Precision cut by computer -- All parts guaranteed to fit properly!
  • Authentic trigger and winch mechanism
  • True skein torsion power- not a wimpy spring
  • Actual range from 20 to 40 feet or more!

The instructions are highly detailed and complete with full-color photos,
diagrams and historical notes. This kit can be assembled to a finished model in
three to five hours, plus glue-drying time. Some light sanding may be necessary
to smooth any rough edges.

We've put a lot of time and effort into making this kit as easy and complete as
possible. It's a fun way to learn about history and engineering!



* Warning: This is a representative model of a real ancient military weapon. Use
only with competent adult supervision.
* Shown stained as red oak. The kit ships as a natural, unfinished poplar wood
product. Colors may vary.
* Can throw 40 feet when properly constructed and using appropriate missiles.
Your performance may vary.

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    Price: $99.00
    Minimum age: 16
    Availability: out of stock

    Item code: 10502

Notes:
Why should a kid
build a catapult?

Because the world needs good engineers and scientists, and because the kids who will grow up to become engineers and scientists need a way to get hands-on experience with physics, math and engineering.

In this age of 200-plus channels of TV, the Internet and computer games, kids are also spending far less time building tree houses, tinkering with engines, or designing downhill racers. We believe those are important skills to have. They help form the basis for good problem solving skills and an innate understanding of the real, physical world that you just can't get from a computer game, no matter how good its physics simulation software is.

Ballistic motion was one of the key players in the development of the science of physics. The word "engineer" even originated as the builders and designer of Siege Engines

Why is a budding engineering student expected to take a year or two of calculus in high school, but she isn't expected to have any real-world experience in building or working with machines and materials? Pencil and paper (or computer screens) are only one part of the learning experience. Where will she apply all of the stuff she learned in geometry and trig? Without physical projects to touch, feel and see, the lessons become abstract, their utility questionable.

A catapult project gives students a chance to see that science and engineering really can be fun, and it's a lot more than just numbers on paper. The real payoff for an engineer is in the field, where she can see and enjoy the results of her ingenuity. And it may seem counterintuitive, but engineering projects not only help kids learn math and science, they are also great at getting kids back outdoors, away from the massive over-exposure to video games, TV and the Internet.

Why all this interest in getting kids to study science and engineering? Because it's important to our society, and it's great mental cross training regardless of what field of work the kids eventually go into. Most people develop a sense for what they want to do in life while they are still in high school or even earlier. A catapult project is fun and interesting enough to inspire some kids to study the science behind how they work, and then go on to become the engineers and scientists of tomorrow.