Ancient Engineering SeriesMANGONEL.com
Ballistic Technologies of Antiquity
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Torsion and Tension Catapult Plans CD


This CD includes plans for a variety of torsion and tension catapults and more! Including:

The Greek BallistaThis model is 41 inches long, 24 inches wide and stands 31 inches tall. 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.

The Mighty Roman OnagerAlso known as a Mangonel, this model is 16" long, 12" high and 8" wide. This historically accurate, compact and portable catapult uses the exact same principles as the ancient Roman war machines.
Petraria ArcatinusPowered by a steel bow, this is the catapult you've seen in ancient drawings and Hollywood movies, but with a difference... This one really works! This model is 18 inches long and 10 inches wide. The arm reaches 18 inches high at rest.
Scorpion IIThe completed model is 18 inches long and 9 inches wide. The arm is 28 inches long. The Scorpion II main fulcrum is attached to an aluminum linkage for smoother action and a more dynamic arm tip movement.

And the new Rat-trap Spoon-a-pult!
Designed to be easy to build using simple household items and common tools like pliers and a hammer, and using a Rat Trap for power (available at most hardware stores). Great for school science experiments!

This disk also includes these additional manuscripts:
  • Historical conjecture on the Petraria concept
  • Useful information on scaling
  • Safety notes on working with wood
  • and more!

Tools you will need:
For all projects (except for the rat-trap model) you will need a table saw, drill press, screwdrivers, carpenter's square, scissors, needle-nose pliers (for the petraria) and if you have a router, that would be useful too. But these can be made without a router.


BONUS MATERIAL!
Our two highly popular e-books are also included:
The Projectile Throwing Engines of the Ancients, By Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey
And
Catapult Design, Construction and Competition. By Dr. Bernard F. Barcio

$29.95
Our Price: $8.95
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    Price: $29.95
    Our Price: $8.95
    Minimum age: 8
    Availability: In stock.

    Buy Now or Add To Cart
    Item code: 99014


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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".