• chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        But I still love the Ballista.

        I’ve made several over the years for demonstrations using a couple 2x4s, 2 oak dowels, a steel rod, and nylon rope that’ll hurl a “bolt” (tube used to separate clubs in a golf bag with a tennis ball on one end) 400 yards.

        They’re just fun.

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Depends on the mass of the projectile, and how the throwing arm is tuned.

      If its release is tuned for distance and they’re flinging period-accurate projectiles, tuned firmly distance a typical period tree could throw stones about 300 meters.

      Depending on the kind of fortifications they were against (and if they had siege engines of their own, or other artillery- bow and arrows, whatever) they might set up a little closer and tune instead for more forward velocity rather than range.

      The typical mass was about 200-300 kilograms, or a small sedan. You could go heavier, but that typically reduced range.

      • scutiger@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        200-300 kilograms, or a small sedan

        A small sedan weighs about four times as much as that

          • autriyo@feddit.org
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            1 month ago

            You sent me down a little rabbit hole, depending on how one defines sedan, the lightest I could find is the Peel P50 at roughly 60 kg. A better fit weight wise could be the Isetta at roughly 350 kg.

            But neither option, including the robin feels like a proper sedan to me, and only the robin really checks the basic requirements.

            Afaik the term “sedan” doesn’t really define the amount of wheels, but I don’t tend to think of a three wheeled vehicle.

            So the first four wheeled sedan style car that came to mind was the Trabant, but that’s still 600kg.

            Idk what the point of this text is…

            Have a nice day, I guess?