Floating Arm Trebuchet FAT Competition Version

This newest version of our 21st century trebuchet is manufactured from top-quality engineered hardwood void-free plywood. Plywood is more dimensionally stable, a lot stronger, and a lot less expensive than natural hardwood.

The F.A.T. is an updated version of the ancient trebuchet, designed from a modern understanding of physics and engineering principles for incredible power and range!

Engineered using modern mechanical principles and computer aided design, this mini-powerhouse can hurl a golf ball over 250 feet. It uses guillotine action and a plunging beam to maximize potential energy and a floating arm to convert that energy into projectile motion. The kit contains everything you need to build a working model.* The trebuchet is essentially a gravity powered energy conversion machine, turning potential energy into kinetic energy and using it to throw a ball. It's a great way to see classical mechanics in action! This machine is only 34 inches tall, 18 inches long and 7 inches wide (12 inches wide including the counterweight boxes) but it can hurl a golf ball more than two hundred and fifty feet! The detailed instructions (14 pages!) are complete with diagrams, photos, tuning tips, equations for calculating the machine's efficiency and more! All parts are pre-cut, pre-drilled and can be assembled to a finished model in one evening (plus glue drying time). "Made in USA"

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

* You'll need to supply the counterweight material. Anything from nuts and bolts, BBs, coins, sand or a good fist full of pebbles will do! Can throw 250 feet when properly constructed and tuned with sufficient counterweights. Your performance may vary.