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Nova Medieval Siege DVD


"If you've ever had a hankering to build a full-sized trebuchet, but have yet to get that project together, this video will either satisfy that urge or make you crazy . . . An absolutely fascinating look at what was the equivalent of field artillery in the 13th and 15th centuries, this episode from NOVA is highly recommended."
- Video Librarian

Watch a team of timberframers construct two full-scale trebuchets!
In 1304 the Scots must have felt safe inside the massive stone fortress that was Stirling Castle, and well prepared for a long battle with the army of England's King Edward the First. But then 50 of the King's carpenters showed up to create the medieval equivalent of the atomic bomb- a massive trebuchet they called "Warwolf".

In this video you will see a team of timberframers, using medieval tools and techniques, re-create two competing versions of the Warwolf on the banks of Loch Ness, and use them to hurl 250 lb stones into a castle wall!

About the video-
Two competing theories about trebuchet design, the fixed counterweight vs. the hanging counterweight, are tested as the English land owner Hew Kennedy oversees the fixed counterweight machine, and Renaud Beffeyte, the French medieval expert and master carpenter oversees the hinged counterweight machine.

Each design has its advantages and potential problems. The fixed counterweight machine requires wheels in order to prevent it from becoming unstable. This makes the frame more complicated, but surprisingly the wheels increase the machine's performance!

The hinged counterweight machine is bigger in order to accommodate the large hanging basket of sand, but it is more stable and can be set firmly on the ground, making a simpler frame. And it's able to be constructed in much less time.

Both are impressive machines, and amazingly accurate considering the weight of the missiles and and the distance they are thrown. Also included is a demonstration of a traction trebuchet, not powered by counterweights, but by teams of men pulling on ropes. And a longbow archer tries his hand at picking off a soldier at 200 yards! This is a fabulous video!

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    Price: $21.95
    Minimum age: 3
    Availability: out of stock

    Item code: 93008

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.