How to Make a Medieval Trebuchet Out of Cardboard

Step 2 Trebuchet Design

Getting the measurements for your trebuchet is one of the most important steps. Below is a picture of my initial design, with the measurements that I ended up using.

Part A - This is the counterweight and consists of two different pieces, pieces A1 and A2. The more A2 pieces you have, the wider your counterweight is and therefore the more weight you can put in.

Part B - This is the "arm" of the catapult and has two joints, one where it meets the counterweight, and one where it meets Part C

Part C - Raises the throwing mechanism off the ground. Has one joint where it meets Part B. If this part is too short, the counterweight will hit the ground instead of sliding smoothly through the movement

Part D - Provides stability and keeps the trebuchet from knocking itself over. The longer it is, the more stable the trebuchet

Part E - Adds necessary strength to Part C