Building a Giant Ballista and Testing its Power

:hammer:The giant ballista is made with a 6-inch by 6-inch steel body and leaf spring arms from a truck.

:crossed_swords:The ballista is capable of shooting arrows at a speed of 107 feet per second, equivalent to 75 miles per hour.

:boom:Targets such as watermelons, cinder block walls, and even a dragon are successfully destroyed by the ballista.

:hourglass_flowing_sand:The building process includes creating a base, a bracket for aiming, and attaching the steel plate head and arms.

:fire:The ballista is designed to store and release energy efficiently, thanks to the tapered shape of the leaf spring arms.

How fast can the ballista shoot arrows?

—The ballista can shoot arrows at a speed of 107 feet per second, equivalent to 75 miles per hour.

What targets were destroyed by the ballista?

—The ballista successfully destroyed a watermelon, a cinder block wall, and even a dragon!

What materials were used to build the ballista?

—The ballista is made with a 6-inch by 6-inch steel body, leaf spring arms from a truck, and a high-strength rope.

What is the process of building the ballista?

—The building process involves creating a base, a bracket for aiming, and attaching the steel plate head and arms. The leaf spring arms are tapered to maximize energy storage and release.

What inspired the creation of the ballista?

—The ballista was inspired by the giant ballista on a ship in Game of Thrones.

00:00Introduction and inspiration from Game of Thrones.

00:22Building the base and bracket for aiming.

00:46Attaching the steel plate head and leaf spring arms.

01:06Making the bow out of special ultra high molecular weight polyethylene rope.

01:30Testing the draw weight of the bow using a scale and GoPro.

02:03Shooting arrows at various targets, including a watermelon and a cinder block wall.

03:57Measuring the speed of the ballista using slow-motion footage.

06:10Shooting fire extinguishers with the ballista.

08:54Exploring the construction details and the effect of the tapered leaf spring arms on energy storage and release.

09:56Final thoughts and appreciation for the ballista's power.