# A Virtual Trebuchet site **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 19, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666 "2004-11-19T15:43:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TwoTrouts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/1 "2004-11-19T15:43:54Z")
Here’s an amusing diversion. A challenge using virtual trebuchets. Compete for distance, accuracy and power in three contests. So far, I am very poor at this. [The Trebuchet Challenge](http://www.globalspec.com/trebuchet/). ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/2 "2004-11-19T15:56:57Z")
2453 overall score on the first attempt, but damnit, I’ll improve that. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/3 "2004-11-19T15:57:08Z")
Crap!!! This and the [Space Penguin](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=287411) game in the same week. This is not going to look good on my review. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/4 "2004-11-19T16:09:31Z")
Bah. For real fun, try building your own. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/5 "2004-11-19T16:36:33Z")
:mad: Damn you. ---
**Author:** ![My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Darn_Snake_Legs)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/6 "2004-11-19T17:00:22Z")
This is sweet. Good find! ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/7 "2004-11-19T18:14:14Z")
Here’s a [video](http://www.punkinchunkin.com/images/movies/2004_yankee_siege1.avi) of a trebuchet at this year’s Punkin Chunkin World Championships. The trebuchet pictured is throwing an 8-pound pumpkin, and set a world record for its class of 1,394 feet this year. I was downrange and didn’t see this particular throw – I was down around the 3,500 foot mark watching the air cannon class impacts. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/8 "2004-11-19T18:18:56Z")
> [@Jurph](#): > > I was downrange. Didn’t I see you at the Olympics in the Javelin Catching competition? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/9 "2004-11-19T18:54:28Z")
1. Has anyone taken out the wall in one shot? Takes 2 for me. The closest it’s been has been 300 yards. ---
**Author:** ![Lockz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Lockz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lockz)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/10 "2004-11-20T03:10:35Z")
This is fun!! I’ve gotten distance down to perfect (650), been getting between 500-750 for accuracy, and demolished the wall in 2 shots. But how do people get those awesome scores on the high score page? :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/11 "2004-11-20T04:13:02Z")
Virtual Trebuchet, eh? Makes me wonder what the “web hunting” folks will get into next…hmmmmm ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/12 "2004-11-20T06:52:18Z")
Cute, but I’ll stick with my real treb. It may be small, but it does the trick at work - I’ve been able to launch small candies into the laser printer at the end of the aisle - about 35 feet. ---
**Author:** ![InvidiousCourgette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@InvidiousCourgette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InvidiousCourgette)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/13 "2004-11-20T15:18:53Z")
3474 including a time bonus of 400 ish. I can’t figure how people get those big scores either. Oh well, back to the trebuchet drawing board. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/14 "2004-11-20T17:43:34Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > Bah. For real fun, try building your own. 😃 I built one out of a cardboard box, a chopstick, and a pill bottle full of pennies once. It hurled aluminum foil balls across the apartment in a very satisfactory fashion. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Keapon\_Laffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@Keapon\_Laffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keapon_Laffin)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/15 "2004-11-21T02:14:59Z")
Man, this reminds me so much of Gorilla, the old Basic game. I used to love that game. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/16 "2004-11-21T04:15:27Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > I built one out of a cardboard box, a chopstick, and a pill bottle full of pennies once. It hurled aluminum foil balls across the apartment in a very satisfactory fashion. 🙂 Mine hurled Barbie dolls over a hundred feet. And was painted pink. ---
**Author:** ![InvidiousCourgette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@InvidiousCourgette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InvidiousCourgette)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/17 "2004-11-21T08:14:51Z")
> [@Lockz](#): > > But how do people get those awesome scores on the high score page? :mad: I think I might have figured it out … possibly. I have found it is possible to change parameters in mid flight. So if you shoot with the max counterweight, minimum gravity and projectile mass and near enough staright up with a tailwind, then straight away max out the mass and then max out the gravity after a few seconds you end up with a big old mass coming down real fast. Trouble is it is tricky to hit the wall with this technique. I think it might give you a nice score if you did though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2004, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-virtual-trebuchet-site/275666/18 "2004-11-21T08:20:35Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > Mine hurled Barbie dolls over a hundred feet. And was painted pink. Yes, but did you build it out of things you had lying about your apartment one cold, winter evening, and get to play with indoors? Hmmm? 🙂 Plus it happened that right about that time my nephew was learning about medieval castles at school, and so I gave the thing to him to take to school, where it was reportedly quite a hit. Flying Barbies sounds fun, though. I keep intending to build one out at the farm out of scrap iron, which could potentially do some extremely serious hurling of significant projectiles, but I’ve never gotten around to it.