Airsoft catapult

[airsofter2105]

I have seen many designs for carapults could one be made for airsoft?

[NickTick]

why?

[Iceman]

What the hell is a "carapult"?

[Locutus]

A device designed to launch automobiles great distances.

[Evil Head]

That is correct. The United States Federal Government has allocated billions of dollars funding alternative fuel research. As to date, the most efficient method of powering a car is the theoretical "carapult". It has absolutly zero CO or CO2 emisions, unless the opperator has been eating Skyline.

[Texx]

I'd like to see the child safety seat for that one...

[Noel911]

Originally posted by Texx
I'd like to see the child safety seat for that one...
Lol, safety? since when?

[Evil Head]

The only thing catapults are good for are hurling poultry, bovine, trojan rabits, and other silly things in order to taunt the English.

[Vex14]

I don't see how a catapult could be a good, efficient weapon for airsoft. I mean, what would you use to catapult? Not BBs, that doesn't leave you with much. If I have to use some sort of ground weapon, I think i'll stick with a mortar.

[airsofter2105]

i dont know it was just an idea

[Red]

Originally posted by Evil Head
The only thing catapults are good for are hurling poultry, bovine, trojan rabits, and other silly things in order to taunt the English.

RUN AWAY!! RUN AWAY!!!

[TunnelRat294]

Originally posted by Evil Head
The only thing catapults are good for are hurling poultry, bovine, trojan rabits, and other silly things in order to taunt the English.
I BLOW MY NOSE AT YOU, YOU ENGLISHH SSSGGGNIICKET, your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberrys! now go away or i will taunt you a second time! LOL

who doesn't love monty python?

[Red]

Ah fart in your gennral dahrekshun!

[Thatfatmacdude]

Instead of spending your R+D fund designing a catapult, devise an airsoft rail-gun.

[Evil Head]

Perhaps, if we build a giant wooden badger.

[Locutus]

Originally posted by TunnelRat294
I BLOW MY NOSE AT YOU, YOU ENGLISHH SSSGGGNIICKET, your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberrys! now go away or i will taunt you a second time! LOL

who doesn't love monty python?

BTW, it's ka nig it (as in knight pronounced phonetically) ;)

[woodchuck]

Seeing as everyone here loves monty python has anyone ever seen the broadway play that is based on it called Spamalot?

[Texx]

I'm sure most of us can think of several airsoft guns they'd like to catapult.

[theblackfox]

Originally posted by Locutus
A device designed to launch automobiles great distances.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/theblackfox/carnablus483.jpg
DO NOT WANT


Edit: for effect

[Theo]

Originally posted by Vex14
I don't see how a catapult could be a good, efficient weapon for airsoft. I mean, what would you use to catapult? Not BBs, that doesn't leave you with much. If I have to use some sort of ground weapon, I think i'll stick with a mortar.

Why *not* BBs? Lob 1,000 BBs on a high arc, and call it a cluster-bomb.

[Iceman]

Because we play milsim, not medieval-sim.

[Theo]

Is it the visual appearance of the launcher in question that you're objecting to, or the means of launching?

If you're objecting to the latter, then I can only assume you object just as much to AEGs, so I'll assume it's the former, and since I've seen regular mention of nerf footballs being used as tank or artillery rounds, it seems like an odd distinction to draw.

The visual appearance can be disguised in any number of ways (depending of course on the type of catapult used) to make it look like field artillery, a missile launcher, or something else mil-sim-ish.

The catastrophic-failure modes of catapults are much less likely to induce shrapnel than the catastrophic-failure modes of equivalent air-cannons. They're also easier, and cheaper to build, and don't fall afoul of most laws designed to reduce/eliminate 'spud-gun' incidents/injuries.

Tossing 1000 .2g BBs (less than .5 pounds) in a sabot round 100-300 yards in a high arc would be pretty easy with a torsion/traction/gravity catapult that can be built in a garage, and transported in a pick-up. A ballista (probably the easiest to disguise as modern equipment) can even be created with a stand marked with multiple angles of elevation and draw lengths, enabling accurate fire from those distances, just do a couple calibration shots before play actually starts, and you can call in artillery fire, potentially even with the 'artillery pieces' sitting outside the actual play area, much like *real* artillery is typically kept out of the actual battle-zone.

[Red]

The content of this thread makes me go "WEEEEE".

Lobbing BB's with a catapult is pointless. It'd be completely innacurate. Not to mention, most places we play in are wooded areas. All this talk of catapults and air strikes...they won't work. If we're in a wooded area, the BB's will hit the tree-tops before even going into the air. Then they have to get back down in through the tree-tops By that time, the BB's on target will be a considerably minimal ammount compared to 1,000. Probably around 200; 20% of the BB's launched. And in open areas like the field at springfield, wind will affect them, and probably quite a bit.

BB's aren't extremely cheap, either. There are more efficient and effective ways of using them. Save up your money and get a smoke 'nade.

We might as well throw BB's, in my opinion.

EDIT:....Who in the world would want to transport a ballista?

[Theo]

I don't know about the BBs aren't all that cheap comment. Can anybody think of a better use for the .12g Walmart BBs? That'd come out to about $2 a shot or less. Cheap enough to make it potentially interesting in an open-area game.

The trees are the real issue when playing in a woodland setting, but most of the BBs would still hit the ground unless you're talking so much top-cover that you can't see the sun.

As for the spread, it'd really come down to the design of the sabot. Nerf folks use sabot rounds to do similar things, and I've seen some of them do pretty accurate targeting, and their ammo is even more effected by wind than ours.

I'm not saying it wouldn't take some serious experimentation, but I'm not convinced it couldn't be done.

Edit:
I know a few people who *do* transport a ballista on a fairly regular basis. They don't have to be *big* to be effective. Something that fits in a pick-up bed can throw a 1 pound combat round upwards of 300 feet. These people have maximum ranges they can shoot due to safety regulations, so these aren't built for maximum power.

[trigrhapy1]

Originally posted by Locutus
A device designed to launch automobiles great distances.

launching cars is fun.... not that i've done it

[airsofter2105]

cut a tennis ball in half then fill the tennis ball with bbs. wrap the tennis ball wits somthing dish towel maybe. it will maybe open up in the air and rain bbs down on the enemy.

[Hexonal]

Hoooray Roman-soft.
<Grabs Gladius, superglue, and BBs>
now will this be an Onager type Ballista?
And can I walk around with my Scutum hanging out?

Seriusly though, there is a real possibility of making a Ballista look sortof like a Howitzer.
Would be no less practical than an air powered one.
Although thats not saying much.

[Theo]

Nah, an onager looks entirely different than a ballista. An onager looks very much like what most people think of when they hear 'catapult'. A ballista looks much more like an oversized crossbow, but has stubby arms powered by torsion springs (usually tightly wrapped & wound rope, but could be done with any material that provides the right tension, even garage door springs would work if you had enough linear space to work with.)

[Red]

I'm saying around 20% of the BB's launched will land in the targeted area on the ground, where they were meant to be.

I don't know about you, but I'm not buying walmart brand BB's, even if they are cheaper. I refuse to buy ****ty brands that often give airsoft a bad name.

The point I was making when I said "Who in the world would want to transport a ballista", was that it'd be difficult to lug around. You've already got all of your airsoft crap in your car, truck, whatever you may drive, I doubt you'll want to clutter anything else in there.

Originally posted by airsofter2105
cut a tennis ball in half then fill the tennis ball with bbs. wrap the tennis ball wits somthing dish towel maybe. it will maybe open up in the air and rain bbs down on the enemy.

Maybe? I don't want to use a weapon that might/might not work. If I'm going to use a weapon, I want to be able to rely on it.

[Gumbizzle]

Um I wouldn't want to be around anything when it had a catastrophic failure, plain and simple. Siege engine made of wood and metal or a stud gun made from PVC.

One of the "small" ballista you speak of Theo, one big enough to throw a 1 pound projectile 300 meters, is under a hell of a lot of stress. A catastrophic failure would send things flying fast and hard enough to inflict SERIOUS damage.

Also making a ballista would be well saying it would be hard, is an understatement.

Now, I do like the idea of air strikes, just not with this.

Because we play milsim, not medieval-sim.

Like the saying and agree :-D

Gum

[Mullet]

It's obviously too complicated and not practical enough to warrant assembling it and figuring a way to put it into play. Better off just just using a rifle with a nade launcher.

[Texx]

Perhaps we could get a swallow to carry BBs and then drop them.... a one ounce bird could carry a .2 gram BB....its a matter of how he grips it...

[Evil Head]

It's not a matter of where he grips it. It's a matter of weight ratios.

[Theo]

Originally posted by Gumbizzle
Um I wouldn't want to be around anything when it had a catastrophic failure, plain and simple. Siege engine made of wood and metal or a stud gun made from PVC.

One of the "small" ballista you speak of Theo, one big enough to throw a 1 pound projectile 300 meters, is under a hell of a lot of stress. A catastrophic failure would send things flying fast and hard enough to inflict SERIOUS damage.

Also making a ballista would be well saying it would be hard, is an understatement.

Now, I do like the idea of air strikes, just not with this.



Like the saying and agree :-D

Gum

Catastrophic failure simply means that the failure resulted in the destruction of the machine in question. When a siege engine like a ballista or other form of catapult has a catastrophic failure, it means the throwing arm has become disengaged for some reason (it broke, or it's mounting point broke). If the throwing arm breaks, in a non-ballista model, it simply falls where it was, and the power system 'unwinds'. Nothing flies anywhere. Even in a ballista, it's really no worse than if a crossbow prod breaks while it's drawn. In a disguised ballista, those throwing arms are going to be boxed in, meaning they don't go anywhere. If the power system or mounting point of a siege engine breaks, it's rope or a spring failing. It loses it's tension and that's pretty much the end of it.

By contrast a pneumatic cannon's catastrophic failure mode is failure of the air tank. In the best case, it's a big crack with no shrapnel, but in the worst case, it's a rapid fragmentation of the tank.

A non-catastrophic failure of a device is simply failure to work as expected. (The air cannon had a leak, so it wasn't up to sufficient pressure and only threw it's ammo a few feet, or the ballista wasn't wound tightly enough, or a support leg broke, so now the thing is lying on its side, but is otherwise functional.


As for the split tennis ball sabot idea, the maybe is because it's an idea, but hasn't been tried yet. Sort of like, "Maybe I'll like this new gun better than my current one.", or "Maybe I'll like this airsoft thing I just heard about." You don't know yet, because you haven't tried it.

If through testing and experimentation you discover that it is 'sometimes' or 'never', then you refine or ditch the idea and try something else because you want something reliable.

[airsofter2105]

instead of an catapult you could use a trebuchet whish would not fly apart in the event of a catostophic failure.

[Red]

"'E could grip it by the husk!"

"LISTEN, GO AND TELL YOUR MASSTAH"

"What if it was an african swallow?" "Oh yeah....But African swallows are non-migratial." "But what if two european swallows carried it together?"

"What else do you burn besides witches? MORE WITCHES!"

[Theo]

A ballista won't either, so long as you take the same precautions you would with a treb.

A treb would be the most difficult to disguise form of catapult, at least in action. At rest it wouldn't be too hard to make it look like a howitzer or something, but in motion, it'd be darned near impossible.

On the other hand, figuring out a gravity-drive system for a tube/track launch device would be the best of both worlds.

[Texx]

Jeez, how bout if you glued the BB to the tip of an arrow and then you would be shooting BBs at people...hehe hehe....

[Evil Head]

Airsoft boomerang! You could glue Crossman .12s to it. It would come back. I tested it at a senario that was video taped last weekend.

Make sure to wait for it! It took me a while to sneek up. I'm wearing the new post apocalyptic BDU.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TL4XZdyo3g

[Theo]

Originally posted by Texx
Jeez, how bout if you glued the BB to the tip of an arrow and then you would be shooting BBs at people...hehe hehe....

Well, aside from the serious potential for injury, it doesn't give the effect we're looking for. (An actual area-effect artillery attack that doesn't rely on people seeing where a football lands, and correctly judging the distance.)

If we can figure out a working delivery system, we can pretty it up afterwards to look like artillery. If you don't think it can be done, or don't think it's worth the effort, we won't try to enlist your input. But unless you think airsofters are less creative and/or capable than nerfers (who already have similar delivery systems), why poke fun?

Does the idea that someone might succeed actually threaten you or make you feel small some how?

[Evil Head]

Here is the actual working mock up of an airsoft catapult
http://www.serve.com/chunter/index/pictures3/catapult.jpg

[Mullet]

Well, aside from the serious potential for injury, it doesn't give the effect we're looking for. (An actual area-effect artillery attack that doesn't rely on people seeing where a football lands, and correctly judging the distance.)

I think, just maybe, that he might have been joking.

[Texx]

Originally posted by Theo
Does the idea that someone might succeed actually threaten you or make you feel small some how?

I feel enormous. If I wanted to feel small, I'd grab your crotch...

[Theo]

Originally posted by Texx
I feel enormous. If I wanted to feel small, I'd grab your crotch...

Now, see. That's *exactly* what I'm talking about. You're so insecure that you've got to belittle people to feel better about yourself.

If you don't want to, or are unable to contribute to a conversation, why do you feel the need to interject insults?

[Shifty]

....and on that note, locked.

Oh, and there was a trebuchet thread on here a while back, look for it.