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Ancient Engineering SeriesCatapult Kits
Have you hurled today?

Scorpion II


The Scorpion's sting is a wicked one, and this version of the scorpion is the most wicked yet! It's a new advance in catapult technologies, based on the the power of bungee cords!

The Scorpion II main fulcrum is attached to an aluminum linkage for smooth action and a dynamic arm tip movement. Double bungee and double pulleys give this machine super power to hurl golf balls as far as 300 feet.

The Scorpion II was designed from the start to hurl golf balls and tennis balls, but you can try it out on just about anything small and round. In our tests, golf balls shoot about 280 to 300 feet, and tennis balls about half that far (due mostly to aerodynamic drag from the fuzz).

This model kit is fully functional, easy to build, and a whole lot of fun to shoot. The completed model is 18 inches long and 9 inches wide. The arm is 28 inches long.

The kit is hand crafted from high quality hardwood and includes custom made pulleys, heavy-duty bungee cord, aluminum linkages and steel axles. This powerful machine also has a super-easy to pull trigger that is as smooth as glass. The first time you fire it, you'll probably be shocked at how efficient it is, so be careful!

The detailed instructions are complete with diagrams, photos, and tuning tips. All parts are pre-cut, pre-drilled and can be assembled to a working model in one evening.

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

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    Price: $69.00
    Minimum age: 14
    Availability: out of stock

    Item code: 10700

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.