Warwolf :3 / Floating-arm trebuchet
A floating-arm trebuchet built around a moving pivot, a vertical counterweight drop, and an adjustable launch. A project in turning a simple physical principle into a repeatable mechanism.
01 / The mechanism
Let the pivot move.
The floating pivot allows the counterweight to fall along a vertical path. A wooden frame guides the arm on bearings, while adjustable weights and the sling give us ways to tune the launch. CAD helped us work through the geometry before fabrication.
02 / Iteration
The small details change the launch.
An aluminum C-channel arm reduced weight, while cross-bracing stiffened the wooden frame. Testing highlighted the importance of arm orientation, alignment, and friction. We collected launch data to build targeting tables and adjust range using the counterweight.
