Torsion Ballista

Developed from earlier Greek weapons, it relied upon different mechanics, using two levers with torsion springs instead of a tension prod (the bow part of a modern crossbow). The springs consisted of several loops of twisted skeins.

Who invented the torsion ballista catapult?

Stone-Hurling Catapult, Greece, 400 BCE Some catapults could throw stones weighing as much as 350 pounds for distances greater than 300 feet. The Greek Dionysius the Elder of Syracuse, who was looking to develop a new type of weapon, invented the catapult about 400 BCE.

How far could a ballista throw a ball?

The Ballista It could fire a 60lb (27kg) stone forward or a 3ft bolt (100m) and was capable of hitting a wall up to 550 yards (503m) away. This was far outside the range of enemy bowmen who could only fire the arrows to a distance of about 110 yards (100m).

What is a torsion catapult?

The Torsion Catapult is a siege weapon from the Middle Ages. It was the long-range weapon of William the Conqueror. Horses were normally used to pull the catapult back, giving it more tension than a crank powered or human powered catapult.

What is the best angle for a ballista?

This project evaluated ballista launch angles for a variety of conditions and determined that launch angles of 45° or a little less resulted in the longest projectile travel distance.

Does a ballista use tension?

A ballista uses a similar concept to the previous catapult as it uses tension and stored potential energy to work. With a similar look to a crossbow, a ballista uses ropes and tension by pulling back a projectile.

How fast does a ballista bolt go?

Performance of a personal torsion weapon There is evidence that a properly designed Orsova ballista reconstruction with inswinging arms can consistently reach velocities of 300fps (90 m/s) with ~400 gram ammunition and 5000 pound draw weight.

When did the ballista stop being used?

The ballista was a Roman artillery weapon which used torsion to propel bolts or stones over several hundred metres. They were in use from the 3rd century BCE to the 4th century CE.

What are the 4 types of catapult?

The main types of catapults used were the trebuchet, mangonel, onager, and ballista.

Can a ballista damage a tank?

If even these bounce off of the front and some of the sides of modern tanks, a ballista has no possibility of doing anything but superficial damage.

Could a ballista destroy a ship?

They were used as anti personnel weapons or to destroy rigging, as a ballista shot would not be able to sink a ship. Creating a hole at the waterline, while not impossible, was difficult, and the resulting hull would be tiny, not enough to bother the enemy crew.

Is a catapult better than a ballista?

A Ballista is an ancient military siege engine in the form of a crossbow. Typically it was used to hurl large bolts, and had better accuracy than a catapult at the expense of reduced range.

How does a torsion ballista work?

Ballistas were powered by torsion derived from two thick skeins of twisted cords through which were thrust two separate arms joined at their ends by the cord that propelled the missile.

What are the disadvantages of torsion?

The disadvantages of torsion are that they are more expensive than spring suspensions and more expensive to repair or replace. There is also no impact distribution, so if you hit a curb, the full impact is on one wheel or a set of wheels.

What is the most efficient catapult?

The Trebuchet: The Trebuchet was one of the more accurate and efficient types of catapult used in ancient times. It worked by using the energy of a falling counterweight to rotate a beam around a pivot resulting in the release of whatever projectile was loaded into the sling at the other end of the beam.

What are the weaknesses of a ballista?

Disadvantages of the Ballista were that it it took al long time to pull back the winch because of the force needed to pull it back, which means lower firing rate, and it was not a long ranged weapon and were not effective if the catepults and trebuchets were further away from the Ballista's reach.

How many pounds of force does a ballista have?

It shoots arrows that weight around 100g (1/4 lb) that are capable to pierce 3cm (1,2") thick wood. I have built it with my friend in 2 weeks during my summer holiday in 2009.

How much does a ballista cost?

As an example: a ballista is basically a giant heavy crossbow. It fits nicely because a ballista just also happens to have 3x the damage dice a heavy crossbow does. So we take the price of a heavy crossbow (50gp) and multiply it by three. Ballistas cost 150gp.

How strong is a ballista?

Some facts about the ballista: The largest ballista could fire a 60-pound projectile up to 500 yards. Ballistae could require a crew of as many as eight men. A single ballista crew could launch up to 1,000 missiles in a day.

What are the strengths of a ballista?

Ballista fired large arrows or bolts, known as javelins, which could be lit on fire. A ballista could fire one or many javelins at a time, making them effective against dense infantry formations. Due to their great accuracy and range, ballistae were effective against ships.