Can you imagine a television production team trying to get insurance for something like this? Please take a moment to realize that ONLY TOD could give us this, and he does so at considerable expense and personal risk. Thanks Tod!
@@tods_workshop Judging by you and the Mythbusters, there should be a much higher mortality rate in special effects. I remember them doing the JATO car test which just blew up on ignition for *their pilot episode*... :p
@@CasMullac Think of everything you're good at and how much could go wrong. Be it fixing an electronic device, downhill BMX, ... whatever. Are you careless with these things, or did experience teach you what to look out for? Both kinds of people exist, but Tom clearly hasn't launched himself down the range yet, so I'd say he falls comfortably into the latter category.
It would either have to be a really thick Kevlar umbrella or would have to be ballistic glass or something because those plum darts will have gone right through the umbrella, Kevlar is not really meant to stop a cutting motion a broad-headed arrow generally Cuts right through.
@@Tulik2 Odd question, but they're only meant to fire in a (relative to the Trebuchet) forward direction. Also, if the enemy is behind your trebuchet, you've already (Most likely) been overrun, killed or captured.
@@Tulik2Trebuchets are difficult to get working correctly and it takes time and tuning of the system - the darts landing behind the trebuchet was due to a 'missfire', as stated (the sabot broke at launch, scattering the darts) and one would expect and think that such issues would have been resolved before attempting to employ such a munition in actual combat; as said it has to work properly often enough to be confident that it would be effective (or most of the time at least). Once the had been perfected it would have been equivalent to grapeshot in effect I'm sure.
I really truly love this manner of plausible anachronisms. They are so much fun to watch, and if nothing else have a wonderful place in the realm of historical fantasy.
I think one of the biggest problems is, that the trigger is still relatively expensive, as well as the ammunition itself. Seems way more convinient to just put a bunch of rocks into one sling. The advantage of the plumbata would be that they are deadlier per mass (so more deadly than a stone of the same weight). I'm kinda wondering if it would be feasible to simply use a bucket of some sorts. Put a bunch of plumbata in a bucket and launch the bucket as you would a stone normally. You would have to test what size, and orientation in the sling, works.
Tod, you absolutely delightful mad genius. You just invented a trebuchet delivered, armor-piercing, fin-stabilized, discarding indirect sabot munition with secondary time fused flechette cluster munition effects on target. The former 1st Armored Division Soldier in me is freaking out right now.
This clip was madness :D Maybe get a little shed you can pull the cord from next time you decide to do 18 things that could go wrong at once. Awesome experiments man, and it shows maybe why it's not widely known in history that darts where launched from trebuchets? Imagine being a big shot lordy type, paying for research into warfare, and you keep getting reports that your lead scientist is killing off everyone near the experiment site :P
Iirc there's an event line that does basically that in crusader kings 2. You can have a guy bring a military research idea, which has a chance to blow up in some way killing him.
@@patrickdix772 well, historically, cannon 'R&D' was often like that. King wants a bigger, more powerful cannon, engineers make a bigger cannon, cannon explodes killing engineers. Rinse and repeat.
Try a 'sealed' fluid damper - put the little hole in the piston itself so all the drag against the spring is against a captive fluid being moved from one side to the other - easier to repeat, and less likely to leak 'on the pad' and loose timing accuracy - will be harder to prep for a shot though, as you will have to fight that fluid resistance and the spring loading.
@@tods_workshop what about attaching the (longer) timing release rope to the launching hook with this could cause release procedure to start further along in the flight .....
Adding a one way valve for the reset should have been possible way back when. Basically a bigger hole with a flap over it, spring holding it down. While timing it doesn't allow fluid to pass through, when resetting it allows more fluid to pass through than the primary hole.
"this would be devastating" made me laugh so hard . dude its pure bullshit and back in time they had scorpio, 100/150 lbs bows , even more powerful arbalet, and prob use to send fire rocks with trbuchet. your toothpick rain would not bother one of theese worriors lol and fotunatly, you dont have to do war back in time. I think you would be inapropriated. to much psychic. war and fight is about action instinct and concrete mostly. or you'll have super strategy but loose under the enemy determination. like they all did against vikings lol. well, made me laugh a lot but honestly, you could do art , music , studies, dance , IDK . We dont need more weapon, specialy when outdated and unefectiv xD
Nothing can cheer me up as much as watching you playing with your trebuchet, inventing new things to do. I totally love your enthusiasm, even when things don't work out in the first or second instance. So please, do come again! And btw - the trebuchet looks nicely weathered, with a patina of ancientness (if that's a word ...).
Thanks and glad you enjoy my failures too. But basically we know the utility of timers, so if I can get it to work properly it will be fun. I still stand by the comment that if they had seen promise they would have pursued it.
Another great video! I suspect making metal screws was the stumbling block for making reliable timers. Metal screws didn't become a common thing until machine tools were developed toward the end of the 18th century. The creation of the metal lathe is the real trigger for our modern age.
You will see screws albeit not that many going back at least into the 15thC, but simple lightweight screws are dead easy. get two wires and wind them around a pin. Remove one wire and that leaves a coil and solder in place. Nuts to suit are just the reverse into a tube.
The problem wouldn't be making screws, or the rest of the mechanism, the problem would be making it cheap enough to be worth the effort for every shot. And i think it's more likely that this is why it wasn't used rather than that noone thought about it. Yes, a craftsman could easily MAKE it, but that's not the same as being able to make it quickly or cheaply. How many days of extra work for a highly skilled smith would each and every single shot require? And how much of an improvement would they actually give? I'm reasonably sure the answers are "too much" and "not nearly enough".
Very excited to see more trebuchet videos (and Tod videos in general), so I'm loathe to ask this, but is there any news about the upcoming arrows vs armor video? It's been some time since I think we heard anything, just curious what was going on with it. Love ALL your stuff Tod!
"On with it", likely. Give em time. It'll take a LOT of work to do that sort of stuff because there's many people and parts involved. Stuff like this Todd can do in his off-time as just needs himself and maybe the camera-person.
HI Roy and everyone else - We filmed the main film and 5 supplemental films in late July, filmed two more supplemental since then and we have one editor.....It is taking time, but it will get there. I have seen a long rough cut of the main film and I think it will be worth the wait - so not yet, but it is coming. Realistically we are running behind, but I would hope early November, pushed back from Mid October - apologies for the delay, but hang in there
@@tods_workshop No apologies necessary at all for any kind of delay, was just curious. Thanks for the answer, very much looking forward to it and all future stuff!
I think he might be onto something here. 8:10 scale this up. Turn the thing around so it's firing in the right direction. You then have a 1000 armor piercing darts spraying into the battlefield.
I would try using a cone shaped shield for the smaller darts. trying to keep the "master" large dart as aerodynamic as possible, keep everything stable. Best of luck with your next try!
I remember coming up with something like this when I was about 14-15 years old. Massive ballista that fired off massive bolts made from giant trees, or a bundle of thousands of arrows. Had absolutely no basis in reality, but it tickled my juvenile fancy at the time. Thanks posting this and bringing back that memory.
I wonder if the force of the air entering the sabot shell caused it to prematurely open. If you gave the top end of the shell a sort of conical shape, or perhaps just a piece of fabric fixed to the carrier shaft, and the other end tied around the top of the shell. Something to keep the intake of air to a minimum. You might be able to fashion a cone out of a thin piece of metal, and have the center hole be a tiny bit larger than the shaft of the carrier dart, and the open end a tiny bit larger than the dispenser shell. That way you could just slide it down onto the top lip of the shell and the forces on it in motion would keep it there. Just an idea, and if it worked, it's something they could have done in history. If the funnel is very thin, it may need to be a single use item, but that probably wouldn't have mattered in a war.
The timer is pretty clever but there might be a simpler solution: Since the dart or whatever flies through the air you can use the airflow to turn a propeller which releases the payload on a spring. That's how the bombs from ww2 armed and how some early cluster bombs worked too. I think the results may be better if you just went either or, either big dart or clusters not both that complicates things. You could probably stuff the darts in a sort of basketwith a spring loaded mechanism, might be easier to yeet.
I believe there are problems with a propeller, flight time is really short, and speed is fairly slow, so the propeller would need to be really large, and then it will get caught on the trebuchet in launch. But with bigger trebuchet and longer flight time, maybe.
You could also just use a long piece of string to open the bundle at a fixed distance from the trebuchet. Think of it as wire-guided munitions. The propeller fuses used on WW2 bombs had a lot of moving parts inside.
@@alltat This sounds indeex promising, might even be able to just let it activate the moment the big dart is released from the trebuchet, so they all should be going in the right direction triggered by it. The question is than really more if you need tight groupings and if you can affect that. could be that with the simple darts the drag is too much though so you lose all range
Really cool idea. The timer is quite ingenious. A smaller hole, weaker spring, or increased friction might make that really effective. Hope to see a follow up!
Hi Tod How about a parachute as a timer? It takes some time to open and activate, just put a string through the dart and parachute unties a rope holding the nose cone in place, parachute can be stuffed inside the arrow and string can pull it out after the arrow is flying
that's a clever idea! though I don't think it would be consistent enough to be used for warfare. small parachutes can differ wildly in their delay of deployment
@@johansmifthelry9307 Well that is the half of the point. Those little arrows are used against animal and men, not structures. So if the arrow drop area is 60-70ft in diameter while trebuchet aim area is 20-30ft in diameter the variation in the deployment is a good thing
0:59 fun note: the very first steam engine ever made, was built as a part of the library of Alexandria, it's function was to open the doors to the library to give the impression that it was the gods who opened the doors to knowledge
Funny idea. 😅 Where do you attach the trigger line to - the trebuchet foot? Maybe use a longer one, and attach it to the throwing arm, maybe with 5-10 feet or so extra. That way, the big dart should already be flying towards the target before the mechanism is triggered.
Imagine being a footsoldier, with your warfare knowledge basically amounting to having seen swords, bows, crossbows, and maybe some siege weapons, and Tod, with a mischievous grin, pulls up on the battlefield with a ******* fléchettes trebuchet round. "-What do you have next for us tod? -Ion engines."
I love the idea of using hindsight to see what they could have built back in the day and how that would have changed or shaped the world. Would make great stories
Nooooooo!!!! This is too short! It's always just teasing with trebuchet, but what we need is 2 hour long video with HITS! One day, I guess. Keep it up!
I thought the reason we use water as a mechanical medium was because of it's reliability. I know it will expand/contract slightly with temp changes, but that change would be too minor to effect something like his syringe, wouldn't it? Aside of when it is ice or vapor, what would make it unreliable?
A much simpler mechanism for pinpoint timed release would be to have a thin braided cord attached to to the sabot release mechanism and the trebuchet frame (or other post) so that it opens forcefully at a pre set distance from the trebuchet, whether that's 5, 10, 25 or 50 meters it's super robust - drag actuation would also work.
Suggestion: make it more like a modern cluster munition where the fuze is at the front and the munition is aerodynamic until the fuze functions. I think there is a lot of air resistance in the sabot before the fuze has functioned which might have caused it to function early.
I love these hypothetical inventions! There's just something about creating something new using old or ancient techniques and technology that just fascinates me. The nearly endless possibilities of alternate histories can really drive your imagination wild. I look forward to seeing what you come up with next Tod!
I won't lie, this is a cool as heck idea but I can't help but wonder "what if it was launched from a ballista?" And as for that timer? I can't help but think of time-delayed grenades from the trebuchet... Looking forward to what comes next :-)
I can quite easily see this being an effective killer. The problem is whether it's a costeffective killer. How much would it cost to manufacture such a clock? How does the cost scale? How reliable is it at killing? How fast is it to set up?(Depends on the trebuchet, really, but I dunno about that.)
I had the same thought at first, but it's insane the amount of money people are willing to spend in order to more effectively commit mass murder. They sent horses into battle, after all, and I'm sure these were incredibly expensive -and it's not like one could manufacture them. If they could make it reliable and use it without sacrificing too much range, I think they would have used it. In addition, there's a chance they could recover the timer devices after the battle (albeit a small one). The current version is an early prototype though, so it's hard to judge.
I like it and definitely see what you're going for here. You could have a basket or pod loaded with different weighted plumbata or projectiles, these different weights would cause the projectiles to travel different distances and therefor "hopefully" hitting a range of targets. But you're idea definitely shows promise! A slightly longer delay from a smaller hole or a more viscus fluid is all you need to release them at the perfect time. And It's a bloody good job you didn't use you're real plumbata in that first test or you could have had a particularly bad day. And by the way I love these trebuchet videos.
Pretty much agreed - I honestly think it is our first inner cave man. Same reason guys generally like torches and tools; evolutionarily they meant light in the darkness and safety and utility
A simple pyrotechnic fuse would be simpler, cheaper and more reliable/predictable. a piece of string soaked in salt-peter can give a surprisingly repeatable time delay and isn't totally beyond the technological possibility of the pre-gunpowder era. A (relatively) complex and expensive mechanical timer like yours is like using an ICBM instead of a mortar. But with a simpler timing method, it might actually enter the realm of viability, and not just possibility. It's Irrelevant weather it's viable, possible or likely that this sort of device could have been used historically. But it is bloody good fun watching you find out!
Apparently they were experimenting with rockets in the late Middle Ages. Konrad Keyser mentions them in his book bellifortis. Might be something to look into for a future video!
Look up the Korean Hwacha. Dozens or hundreds of rockets fired per volley. Extremely effective when used well in numbers. Supposedly been around since 1409.
I was relistining to the knights of arrithtrae last night cause the Wi-Fi was out and it rekindled my passion for the middle ages, thank you for everything you do on this channel.
Love the laugh right off the bat. As an ex modern armourer I can tell you it's like being a kid in a candy shop. When no one is watching you will try all sorts of crap we shouldn't... I am sure the Roman's and Greeks etc would have been the same. Boys and their toys Awesome fun thanks Todd
I'd love to see more on this theoretical classical timed release! I think a day of prep and practice and one for filming would achieve some result desired - it's a brilliant idea. Other anachronistic tech and methods would be really interesting to see, I'm sure there could be plenty of ideas if an appeal to the audience for other medieval type yet anachronistic technology.
Love this type of video. The historical ones are great, please keep doing those. Yet the application of modern concepts to historical tech is interesting.
My man really tried to make Iron Man's Jericho missile for a trebuchet. Had they have gotten this to work during their time, it wouldve fit right in during the Crusades.
I can imagine the conversation in 'ye olden times' after the first launch "So Engineer Tod, remind me. Who's side are you on again?" I love these experiments, just think how history might have been different if there had been a Tod back then.
tod cutler holding a giant dart: "i still don't understand what is the point of this thing" doesn't matter tod, those at the receiving end will very well know what the pointy end is...
You know, when you really think about it.... filling it with caltrops sounds like a whole lot more effective move. Darts raining down are dangerous only for that moment and can be deflected with armor and shields. Instant caltrop field raining from above at a great speed...
Tod, I LOVE YOUR WORKSHOP!!!! What about simplifying your dart cluster into just a few larger "spears"? For example, skip the timer (not sure if it's appropriate for that period in history) and bundles of darts and just hook up 5-6 spear-sized darts and let'm fly. A hit would be much more leathal. Might even take out two cardboard guys. The tips could be heavy and include a short metal rod to add axial momentum. Also, the shafts should be weak (such as a long pine dowel with feather fins) so the darts couldn't be picked up and used against you with any affect. The weapon would reload faster and 2-4 trebuchet's firing at the same target would be insanely destructive.
“I am going to do something which they historically didn’t do, I have no evidence for it, it’s probably not going to work....” And yet, you did it and that’s why we love you and this channel!
Absolutely fantastic thank you so much for bring history and outside the box thinking in historical what if/might of done. The timed fuse is awsome still a little short, smaller hole maybe?
Yes,like most viewers I love it when you put a new video on, it really makes my day. Sometimes spectacular failures with theoretical ideas makes me think “I wonder if…..” ? Looking forward to another one!!!
Hey I love this idea Tod. If you decide to do another video of it maybe use the trebuchet arm as the tie off point for the release mechanism that way the timer is for sure to release while the device is en route to the target. Another version of this idea I could see is instead of plumbata something similar to steel ball bearings filling the sabot shell. Great video Tod keep up the cool videos.
I saw another comment for an internal fluid damper which is an excellent idea, I also think that having a longer running timer would increase range and effectiveness because the whole unit will keep better inertia and lower drag if kept together a little longer
8:07 oh my goodness, that was scary! Anyway, that timer mechanism was amazing! I did not know they had syringes that early. I can't get enough of these trebuchet videos!
Can you imagine a television production team trying to get insurance for something like this? Please take a moment to realize that ONLY TOD could give us this, and he does so at considerable expense and personal risk. Thanks Tod!
Thanks Kevin, bu honestly I spent 20 years in SFX and that hones your "danger radar" right up and this whole thing feels pretty safe
Hones it!? Looks like it turns the sensitivity waaayy down.
@@tods_workshop Judging by you and the Mythbusters, there should be a much higher mortality rate in special effects. I remember them doing the JATO car test which just blew up on ignition for *their pilot episode*... :p
@@CasMullac Think of everything you're good at and how much could go wrong. Be it fixing an electronic device, downhill BMX, ... whatever. Are you careless with these things, or did experience teach you what to look out for?
Both kinds of people exist, but Tom clearly hasn't launched himself down the range yet, so I'd say he falls comfortably into the latter category.
@@tods_workshop I appreciate your work, but I really think you should have at least worn a helmet for this one.
We need to get you a Kevlar umbrella.
Yes, that definitely would be advisable😅😂👍
Or a ballistic glass booth
It would either have to be a really thick Kevlar umbrella or would have to be ballistic glass or something because those plum darts will have gone right through the umbrella, Kevlar is not really meant to stop a cutting motion a broad-headed arrow generally Cuts right through.
Or…you know….a shield
🤣🤣
Those card board soldiers seem to be standing in the safest spot on that field :D
Directly in front of the Trebuchet 🎉❤
until they one day won't...
@@Tulik2 Odd question, but they're only meant to fire in a (relative to the Trebuchet) forward direction. Also, if the enemy is behind your trebuchet, you've already (Most likely) been overrun, killed or captured.
@@Tulik2 or maybe give the enemy this technology and they will just kill themselves with it
@@Tulik2Trebuchets are difficult to get working correctly and it takes time and tuning of the system - the darts landing behind the trebuchet was due to a 'missfire', as stated (the sabot broke at launch, scattering the darts) and one would expect and think that such issues would have been resolved before attempting to employ such a munition in actual combat; as said it has to work properly often enough to be confident that it would be effective (or most of the time at least). Once the had been perfected it would have been equivalent to grapeshot in effect I'm sure.
I really truly love this manner of plausible anachronisms. They are so much fun to watch, and if nothing else have a wonderful place in the realm of historical fantasy.
yep .something that dwarfs or human engineers in the warhammer setting could have done...
@@thomasbaagaard hahaha I was just about to comment "please hold while I contact Games Workshop about a Dawi DLC"
I think one of the biggest problems is, that the trigger is still relatively expensive, as well as the ammunition itself. Seems way more convinient to just put a bunch of rocks into one sling. The advantage of the plumbata would be that they are deadlier per mass (so more deadly than a stone of the same weight).
I'm kinda wondering if it would be feasible to simply use a bucket of some sorts. Put a bunch of plumbata in a bucket and launch the bucket as you would a stone normally. You would have to test what size, and orientation in the sling, works.
I really like the phrase "plausible anachronism". Does it have a history or did you come up with it?
@@UsoMerit didnt he tried that? Or something like that
I think they didnt fly very far and had a realy big spread
Tod, you absolutely delightful mad genius. You just invented a trebuchet delivered, armor-piercing, fin-stabilized, discarding indirect sabot munition with secondary time fused flechette cluster munition effects on target. The former 1st Armored Division Soldier in me is freaking out right now.
Thanks and loving the long catchy name, so that is a TDAPFSDISMSTFFCM. Not sure that will catch on
@@tods_workshop Thank you! I immediately thought about how we currently classify and name weapon systems and munitions in the US military.
@@tods_workshop “Death Rain”
@@stevesyncox9893 "Uber Migraine" It's delivered, and causes a serious headache.
This clip was madness :D
Maybe get a little shed you can pull the cord from next time you decide to do 18 things that could go wrong at once. Awesome experiments man, and it shows maybe why it's not widely known in history that darts where launched from trebuchets? Imagine being a big shot lordy type, paying for research into warfare, and you keep getting reports that your lead scientist is killing off everyone near the experiment site :P
Iirc there's an event line that does basically that in crusader kings 2. You can have a guy bring a military research idea, which has a chance to blow up in some way killing him.
Don't try this at home lol
yes a defensive shed should help with the flinching upon launch.
@@patrickdix772 well, historically, cannon 'R&D' was often like that. King wants a bigger, more powerful cannon, engineers make a bigger cannon, cannon explodes killing engineers. Rinse and repeat.
@@Tennouseijin Thats the reason the person who made the cannon had to fire the first shot.
imagine trying to burgle tod's shed and looking over your shoulder to see him stepping out of his house with a handful of plumbata
And a particularly stern look on his face, coming your way with a determined stride
And cackling
"Time for the long-awaited plumbata vs flesh test video!"
It's the moment you hear "LOOSE" that you know you fked up
@@TheRaptorsClaw "Plumbata vs moving target video" I think you mean. He's chucked them at a side of pork before, I believe.
Try a 'sealed' fluid damper - put the little hole in the piston itself so all the drag against the spring is against a captive fluid being moved from one side to the other - easier to repeat, and less likely to leak 'on the pad' and loose timing accuracy - will be harder to prep for a shot though, as you will have to fight that fluid resistance and the spring loading.
Nice idea - thanks
@@tods_workshop what about attaching the (longer) timing release rope to the launching hook with this could cause release procedure to start further along in the flight .....
Adding a one way valve for the reset should have been possible way back when. Basically a bigger hole with a flap over it, spring holding it down. While timing it doesn't allow fluid to pass through, when resetting it allows more fluid to pass through than the primary hole.
what is that ?
Tod: a Trebuchet
why do you have that ?
Tod: i think a better question is ...why dnt you ?
Everyone should have a recreational Trebuchet.
Who doesn't have a trebuchet and a bunch of plumbata laying around these days?
Every man should have a trebuchet... and every woman should have a ballista, it's the more feminine piece of ancient artillery.
I think my favorite thing about these videos is that you've been playing with that trebuchet for months now, and have yet to hit a single target! 😂
I know!
@@tods_workshop to be fair hitting your castle is comparable to hitting a rowboat with a torpedo versus a battleship.
@@metsleeth5369 A mark 14 torpedo. 🤣
"this would be devastating" made me laugh so hard . dude its pure bullshit and back in time they had scorpio, 100/150 lbs bows , even more powerful arbalet, and prob use to send fire rocks with trbuchet. your toothpick rain would not bother one of theese worriors lol and fotunatly, you dont have to do war back in time. I think you would be inapropriated. to much psychic. war and fight is about action instinct and concrete mostly. or you'll have super strategy but loose under the enemy determination. like they all did against vikings lol. well, made me laugh a lot but honestly, you could do art , music , studies, dance , IDK . We dont need more weapon, specialy when outdated and unefectiv xD
@@louloup4607 stuff a sock in it.
Plumbata were devastating.
Something that could throw them further and harder wouldn't negate that.
Nothing can cheer me up as much as watching you playing with your trebuchet, inventing new things to do. I totally love your enthusiasm, even when things don't work out in the first or second instance. So please, do come again! And btw - the trebuchet looks nicely weathered, with a patina of ancientness (if that's a word ...).
Thanks and glad you enjoy my failures too. But basically we know the utility of timers, so if I can get it to work properly it will be fun. I still stand by the comment that if they had seen promise they would have pursued it.
This needs a collab with the slingshot channel. Joerg could find a timing/deployment method I am sure.
I think they have collabed before, I would love to see it again.
Instant Legolas Trebuchet edition?
Instant warwolf
Let me show you it's features🫣🤭
Not sure what they would have used to replace the GoPro… maybe a small child with a stick of charcoal? 😂 Keep at it! Can’t get enough treb 👍
Pixies were the ttraditional 'go to'
@@tods_workshop And now I have an image of a English soldier wrestling a tiny pixie onto the side of a dart only to be yeeted into the stratosphere.
The romans would have used small slaves.
@@CF_Sapper There should be a tapestry with that scene.
Another great video! I suspect making metal screws was the stumbling block for making reliable timers. Metal screws didn't become a common thing until machine tools were developed toward the end of the 18th century. The creation of the metal lathe is the real trigger for our modern age.
You will see screws albeit not that many going back at least into the 15thC, but simple lightweight screws are dead easy. get two wires and wind them around a pin. Remove one wire and that leaves a coil and solder in place. Nuts to suit are just the reverse into a tube.
The problem wouldn't be making screws, or the rest of the mechanism, the problem would be making it cheap enough to be worth the effort for every shot.
And i think it's more likely that this is why it wasn't used rather than that noone thought about it.
Yes, a craftsman could easily MAKE it, but that's not the same as being able to make it quickly or cheaply.
How many days of extra work for a highly skilled smith would each and every single shot require?
And how much of an improvement would they actually give?
I'm reasonably sure the answers are "too much" and "not nearly enough".
Very excited to see more trebuchet videos (and Tod videos in general), so I'm loathe to ask this, but is there any news about the upcoming arrows vs armor video? It's been some time since I think we heard anything, just curious what was going on with it. Love ALL your stuff Tod!
this
Last update said mid to late October. So, soonish, I hope. And, yes, I've been thinking this very thing.
"On with it", likely. Give em time. It'll take a LOT of work to do that sort of stuff because there's many people and parts involved.
Stuff like this Todd can do in his off-time as just needs himself and maybe the camera-person.
HI Roy and everyone else - We filmed the main film and 5 supplemental films in late July, filmed two more supplemental since then and we have one editor.....It is taking time, but it will get there. I have seen a long rough cut of the main film and I think it will be worth the wait - so not yet, but it is coming. Realistically we are running behind, but I would hope early November, pushed back from Mid October - apologies for the delay, but hang in there
@@tods_workshop No apologies necessary at all for any kind of delay, was just curious. Thanks for the answer, very much looking forward to it and all future stuff!
As a fantasy writer, enamored with things that could have been done but didn't, I love stuff like this
I think he might be onto something here. 8:10 scale this up. Turn the thing around so it's firing in the right direction. You then have a 1000 armor piercing darts spraying into the battlefield.
I would try using a cone shaped shield for the smaller darts. trying to keep the "master" large dart as aerodynamic as possible, keep everything stable. Best of luck with your next try!
I remember coming up with something like this when I was about 14-15 years old. Massive ballista that fired off massive bolts made from giant trees, or a bundle of thousands of arrows. Had absolutely no basis in reality, but it tickled my juvenile fancy at the time. Thanks posting this and bringing back that memory.
I wonder if the force of the air entering the sabot shell caused it to prematurely open. If you gave the top end of the shell a sort of conical shape, or perhaps just a piece of fabric fixed to the carrier shaft, and the other end tied around the top of the shell. Something to keep the intake of air to a minimum. You might be able to fashion a cone out of a thin piece of metal, and have the center hole be a tiny bit larger than the shaft of the carrier dart, and the open end a tiny bit larger than the dispenser shell. That way you could just slide it down onto the top lip of the shell and the forces on it in motion would keep it there. Just an idea, and if it worked, it's something they could have done in history. If the funnel is very thin, it may need to be a single use item, but that probably wouldn't have mattered in a war.
Quite possibly was a problem, I was just lazy after having spent several hours making the timer
The timer is pretty clever but there might be a simpler solution: Since the dart or whatever flies through the air you can use the airflow to turn a propeller which releases the payload on a spring. That's how the bombs from ww2 armed and how some early cluster bombs worked too. I think the results may be better if you just went either or, either big dart or clusters not both that complicates things. You could probably stuff the darts in a sort of basketwith a spring loaded mechanism, might be easier to yeet.
I believe there are problems with a propeller, flight time is really short, and speed is fairly slow, so the propeller would need to be really large, and then it will get caught on the trebuchet in launch.
But with bigger trebuchet and longer flight time, maybe.
You could also just use a long piece of string to open the bundle at a fixed distance from the trebuchet. Think of it as wire-guided munitions. The propeller fuses used on WW2 bombs had a lot of moving parts inside.
@@alltat This sounds indeex promising, might even be able to just let it activate the moment the big dart is released from the trebuchet, so they all should be going in the right direction triggered by it. The question is than really more if you need tight groupings and if you can affect that. could be that with the simple darts the drag is too much though so you lose all range
You make each episode of “Todd’s Trebuchet” both interesting and fun. Keep moving our knowledge of their use forward. Thanks
When you finally get the trebuchet dialed in I expect there to be a medieval myth-busting episode on trebuchets vs armour.
I dont know what myths you would bust... big 300 pound rock going really fast from a giant siege engine defeats armor 100% of the time
@@selectionn yeahh I was kinda joking, but I do seriously want to see the test.
Really cool idea. The timer is quite ingenious. A smaller hole, weaker spring, or increased friction might make that really effective. Hope to see a follow up!
Trying to make cluster munitions for a treb is truly a noble endeavor! Best of luck to you!
I would LOVE to see this timed out properly! Perhaps with a field of melons as stand-ins for... medieval melons?
I love the final shot of the one dart landing a few feet from the target, one day you’ll hit something!
Hi Tod
How about a parachute as a timer?
It takes some time to open and activate, just put a string through the dart and parachute unties a rope holding the nose cone in place, parachute can be stuffed inside the arrow and string can pull it out after the arrow is flying
that's a clever idea! though I don't think it would be consistent enough to be used for warfare. small parachutes can differ wildly in their delay of deployment
@@johansmifthelry9307 Well that is the half of the point.
Those little arrows are used against animal and men, not structures. So if the arrow drop area is 60-70ft in diameter while trebuchet aim area is 20-30ft in diameter the variation in the deployment is a good thing
0:59 fun note: the very first steam engine ever made, was built as a part of the library of Alexandria, it's function was to open the doors to the library to give the impression that it was the gods who opened the doors to knowledge
Funny idea. 😅
Where do you attach the trigger line to - the trebuchet foot? Maybe use a longer one, and attach it to the throwing arm, maybe with 5-10 feet or so extra. That way, the big dart should already be flying towards the target before the mechanism is triggered.
NEVER stand directly in line with the trebuchet. And ALWAYS pay attention to the "load". Love it!
Imagine being a footsoldier, with your warfare knowledge basically amounting to having seen swords, bows, crossbows, and maybe some siege weapons, and Tod, with a mischievous grin, pulls up on the battlefield with a ******* fléchettes trebuchet round. "-What do you have next for us tod? -Ion engines."
I love the idea of using hindsight to see what they could have built back in the day and how that would have changed or shaped the world. Would make great stories
Note: If you sign up to serve in Tod's army, make sure you're holding your shield over your head when he looses plumbata from his trebuchet
The potential is amazing! While the bolt itself was not perfect you could just see the devastation the payload arrows would have wrought on an army
Pretty much what I thought were it to work properly
Nooooooo!!!! This is too short! It's always just teasing with trebuchet, but what we need is 2 hour long video with HITS!
One day, I guess. Keep it up!
I just love how much agency Todd gives history. Its always a question of "what did they like doing?" and not that oh so boring "only this was done".
Now I’m more interested in the time release mechanism. What other applications can it have for medieval Europe or the Roman Empire?
miracles like crying statues for one thing.....
The attitude this man has brought to this table is excellent.
"Water is always reliable." Oh, my sweet summer child.
Civil engineer right here.
I thought the reason we use water as a mechanical medium was because of it's reliability.
I know it will expand/contract slightly with temp changes, but that change would be too minor to effect something like his syringe, wouldn't it?
Aside of when it is ice or vapor, what would make it unreliable?
Tod’s enthusiasm and excitement is so infectious.
A much simpler mechanism for pinpoint timed release would be to have a thin braided cord attached to to the sabot release mechanism and the trebuchet frame (or other post) so that it opens forcefully at a pre set distance from the trebuchet, whether that's 5, 10, 25 or 50 meters it's super robust - drag actuation would also work.
Seems like the best idea to me. Assuming the ammunition doesnt tumble initially and snag the line.
The world needs more trebuchets...
Tod should make a T Shirt with that written on it.
Suggestion: make it more like a modern cluster munition where the fuze is at the front and the munition is aerodynamic until the fuze functions. I think there is a lot of air resistance in the sabot before the fuze has functioned which might have caused it to function early.
absolutely love the "what if" inventions, your dedication to keeping it plausible and possible is very appreciated, keep it up!
Next Up: Medieval V8 engine with variable valve timing and Turbocharge 💪😎
Next week
I love these hypothetical inventions! There's just something about creating something new using old or ancient techniques and technology that just fascinates me. The nearly endless possibilities of alternate histories can really drive your imagination wild. I look forward to seeing what you come up with next Tod!
Please bring a shield next time just in case they release straight up
A valid point
I always feel better about my life after I see a video of Tod working with his trebuchet.
I won't lie, this is a cool as heck idea but I can't help but wonder "what if it was launched from a ballista?"
And as for that timer? I can't help but think of time-delayed grenades from the trebuchet... Looking forward to what comes next :-)
Likely not as good as wouldn't the energy dissipate into each individual bolt? Whereas this is using gravity to accelerate each down from above.
Really cool! It seems like it flies ok. Just a matter of working out the timing.
I can quite easily see this being an effective killer. The problem is whether it's a costeffective killer. How much would it cost to manufacture such a clock? How does the cost scale? How reliable is it at killing? How fast is it to set up?(Depends on the trebuchet, really, but I dunno about that.)
assuming it takes a couple of days, lets say $500, how much would the military pay for a timer these days?
I had the same thought at first, but it's insane the amount of money people are willing to spend in order to more effectively commit mass murder. They sent horses into battle, after all, and I'm sure these were incredibly expensive -and it's not like one could manufacture them.
If they could make it reliable and use it without sacrificing too much range, I think they would have used it. In addition, there's a chance they could recover the timer devices after the battle (albeit a small one). The current version is an early prototype though, so it's hard to judge.
I like it and definitely see what you're going for here.
You could have a basket or pod loaded with different weighted plumbata or projectiles, these different weights would cause the projectiles to travel different distances and therefor "hopefully" hitting a range of targets.
But you're idea definitely shows promise! A slightly longer delay from a smaller hole or a more viscus fluid is all you need to release them at the perfect time.
And It's a bloody good job you didn't use you're real plumbata in that first test or you could have had a particularly bad day.
And by the way I love these trebuchet videos.
There is no man (or boy, or boy in a man for that matter) who doesn’t love projectile hurtling devices. Of any kind whatsoever😁😂🤣
Pretty much agreed - I honestly think it is our first inner cave man. Same reason guys generally like torches and tools; evolutionarily they meant light in the darkness and safety and utility
A simple pyrotechnic fuse would be simpler, cheaper and more reliable/predictable. a piece of string soaked in salt-peter can give a surprisingly repeatable time delay and isn't totally beyond the technological possibility of the pre-gunpowder era. A (relatively) complex and expensive mechanical timer like yours is like using an ICBM instead of a mortar. But with a simpler timing method, it might actually enter the realm of viability, and not just possibility.
It's Irrelevant weather it's viable, possible or likely that this sort of device could have been used historically. But it is bloody good fun watching you find out!
Apparently they were experimenting with rockets in the late Middle Ages. Konrad Keyser mentions them in his book bellifortis. Might be something to look into for a future video!
Look up the Korean Hwacha. Dozens or hundreds of rockets fired per volley. Extremely effective when used well in numbers. Supposedly been around since 1409.
I really love these experiments where you show 'what could be done' on a battlefield without gunpowder.
I'm here for the algorithm and the war crimes!
😂
That timer is something Heron of Alexandria could have easily dreamed up. Fun, speculative film, Tod!
Thank you for this effort and your honesty. its a great idea 👍👍
Love your ingenuity and thought process.
I was relistining to the knights of arrithtrae last night cause the Wi-Fi was out and it rekindled my passion for the middle ages, thank you for everything you do on this channel.
Seeing Tod this way makes the whole Warwolf story seem so much more relatable xD
Maybe a wider strap to hold the shells closed better with more surface area? Could still be released by a connection to the timer.
Love the laugh right off the bat.
As an ex modern armourer I can tell you it's like being a kid in a candy shop.
When no one is watching you will try all sorts of crap we shouldn't...
I am sure the Roman's and Greeks etc would have been the same.
Boys and their toys
Awesome fun thanks Todd
That smile of yours is contageous and as always great work...the toys we love to play with and the thoughts of what could of been
I'd love to see more on this theoretical classical timed release! I think a day of prep and practice and one for filming would achieve some result desired - it's a brilliant idea. Other anachronistic tech and methods would be really interesting to see, I'm sure there could be plenty of ideas if an appeal to the audience for other medieval type yet anachronistic technology.
Love the historical content from the channel. That said, when you engineer something fun, it's absolutely amazing. Great video.
Love this type of video. The historical ones are great, please keep doing those. Yet the application of modern concepts to historical tech is interesting.
that was awesome, i really like that you were able to take the idea and make it using things that would have been around during the era.
My man really tried to make Iron Man's Jericho missile for a trebuchet. Had they have gotten this to work during their time, it wouldve fit right in during the Crusades.
Glad you're still around after this.
The second launch was awesome.
Just imagine a dedicated team 100 launches later.
And they would be doing it for survival.
Top vid.
I can imagine the conversation in 'ye olden times' after the first launch "So Engineer Tod, remind me. Who's side are you on again?"
I love these experiments, just think how history might have been different if there had been a Tod back then.
This was incredible! I hope you keep iterating on this
tod cutler holding a giant dart:
"i still don't understand what is the point of this thing"
doesn't matter tod, those at the receiving end will very well know what the pointy end is...
Weapons that wipe out their users might be a way to fight the war to end all wars.
Cool video. Stay safe!
Good point
This is great for a fantasy story. What could we imagine an ancient army could have done differently. I love it.
You know, when you really think about it.... filling it with caltrops sounds like a whole lot more effective move. Darts raining down are dangerous only for that moment and can be deflected with armor and shields. Instant caltrop field raining from above at a great speed...
This looks like something straight out of the Emberverse universe. Very interesting.
the sheer potential of this is amazing, great job Tod!
Would love if the editor could stabilize the flight cams on these trebuchet experiments!!!
This was absolutely fascinating and wild, I love researching plausible ancient fictional tech
Tod, I LOVE YOUR WORKSHOP!!!!
What about simplifying your dart cluster into just a few larger "spears"? For example, skip the timer (not sure if it's appropriate for that period in history) and bundles of darts and just hook up 5-6 spear-sized darts and let'm fly. A hit would be much more leathal. Might even take out two cardboard guys. The tips could be heavy and include a short metal rod to add axial momentum. Also, the shafts should be weak (such as a long pine dowel with feather fins) so the darts couldn't be picked up and used against you with any affect. The weapon would reload faster and 2-4 trebuchet's firing at the same target would be insanely destructive.
NIce idea - watch this space
It has MANY points!
“I am going to do something which they historically didn’t do, I have no evidence for it, it’s probably not going to work....”
And yet, you did it and that’s why we love you and this channel!
Absolutely fantastic thank you so much for bring history and outside the box thinking in historical what if/might of done. The timed fuse is awsome still a little short, smaller hole maybe?
This is such a good channel
Tod you mad lad! I love it. I'm confident you'll get those pesky soldiers eventually.
Yes,like most viewers I love it when you put a new video on, it really makes my day. Sometimes spectacular failures with theoretical ideas makes me think “I wonder if…..”
?
Looking forward to another one!!!
Amazing what fantasy and the skills to realise it, can achieve.
That intro shot scared the LIVING HELL OUT OF ME
Hey I love this idea Tod. If you decide to do another video of it maybe use the trebuchet arm as the tie off point for the release mechanism that way the timer is for sure to release while the device is en route to the target. Another version of this idea I could see is instead of plumbata something similar to steel ball bearings filling the sabot shell. Great video Tod keep up the cool videos.
I saw another comment for an internal fluid damper which is an excellent idea, I also think that having a longer running timer would increase range and effectiveness because the whole unit will keep better inertia and lower drag if kept together a little longer
Tod's work is awesome.
MIRV warheads with plumbata! I love it!
8:07 oh my goodness, that was scary! Anyway, that timer mechanism was amazing! I did not know they had syringes that early. I can't get enough of these trebuchet videos!
Imagine having a whole trebuchet. Wild.
Mad genius. I like it. A lot of resources for a grapeshot/buck&ball analog, but definitely has promise.
Love these videos.. Better and more interesting than anything on tv.
You sir are a showman of the highest level! Thank you.