Amidst all our challenges, a lot of things went well for my team with our trebuchet. We achieved good distance (av. 30 M) and outstanding accuracy (within 0.50 M). Our trebuchet was well built (solid and steady) and held for as many trials as we needed (for the most part anyway). We had ample materials and resources available to us for this project, and we worked well as a group.
For future groups, I recommend using a fairly heavy material for the frame (solid wood or metal) to provide strong solidarity and stability. Use a narrow and tall design with a long throwing arm to achieve good distance. Use a strong enough metal for an axle so it doesn't bend or break with a heavy counterweight (ours was 120 pounds). Finally, use counterweights that are easily massed and changed to allow for quick adjustments, and use a simple angle of release mechanism that is easily and quickly adjusted. Make sure a safe release mechanism is installed.
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