Ancient Engineering SeriesMANGONEL.com
Ballistic Technologies of Antiquity

Ballista Plans

Downloadable Ballista Plans


What's included with these plans:

* Detail drawings of all wooden parts.
* Notes on working with wood.
* Detailed assembly instructions with lots of photographs!

These plans are available in downloadable PDF format only. The download instructions will be emailed to you on receipt of payment.

This model of the Greek and Roman Ballista can demonstrate all the principles of the device as best we know them from what little actual history has survived the ages. How they really worked. How to make springs out of rope. This is the most accurate of the catapults too! Great for hitting a target.

The completed model is 41 inches long and 24 inches wide (not including the sweep of the arms). It stands 31 inches tall and is capable of hurling a golf ball over 200 feet! (Or more, depending on how you construct and tune it.)

The detailed instructions are complete with diagrams, photos, tuning tips and web links for even more information about catapults!

It's a great science experiment, and a great model just to have fun with for a different kind of target practice.

Tools you will need to make this kit:
- Table saw
- Miter saw or chop saw
- Drill press or power drill
- Screw driver
- Glue
- Clamps
- Scissors
Optional Helpful tools : Router table, Files and Chisel.

Designed by catapult and trebuchet expert Ron Toms, this machine is easy to assemble, and it really works!

We've put a lot of time and effort into making this plan as easy and complete as possible. It's a great way to learn about ancient catapults!

$12.95
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    Price: $12.95
    Minimum age: 10
    Availability: In stock.

    Add to Cart
    Item code: 92009


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Interesting Notes

What is a Mangonel?


The term "mangonel" literlally means "engine of war." It is a ballistic device, usually some type of artillery. In other words, a catapult. But "catapult" is a more general word that includes a broad range of things that use mechanical means to shoot a projectile, including slingshots and aircraft carrier launch systems. So a mangonel is a unique type of catapult.

The word Mangonel derives from the ancient Greek word "Manganon", literally meaning "engine of war". The Romans called it a Manganum. In pre-medieval French the word Manganum was changed to Manganeau, and the English changed that to Mangonel in the 1300s.

The history gets a little sketchy in the middle ages, but some historians believe that "mangonel" was shortened to the word "gonnel" about the same time that cannons were being developed, and later still, "gonnel" was shortened to "gun." And to this day, in the military a gun is strictly big artillery. (Rifles and pistols are referred to as "weapons", NOT "guns".)

The three most common types of ancient mangonels are the Greek Ballista, The Roman Onager, and the Trebuchet.

In France, the word Mangonel is used for a Trebuchet that uses a fixed counterweight for power. (The other kind of trebuchet, the hanging counterweight type, is called a "Trebuchet". Go figure!)

The English use the term Mangonel and Onager interchangeably for the Roman single-arm torsion machine.

The Greek catapult, probably the first machine to be called a mangonel, was also known as the Ballista and is where we get the word "ballistic".