Article number: 510103105
Product: ITALERI "Leonardo Da Vinci" Catapult
Model Dim.: 26,5 cm
The catapult was a medieval weapon which Leonardo reworked and improved upon.
As shown in the drawings on page 140a/br of the Atlantic Code, which
represent six designs of a spoonshaped catapult, the loading mechanism
is activated by two large flexible wooden arms that increase launching power.
The stone or metal projectile is placed in the spoon-shaped end of a
long lever. The loading operation turns the large central pin and flexes
the curved wooden arm. The safety catch is then released to launch the
projectile straight at the target. The launching power is proportional
to the length of the lever arm and so the energy involved in throwing
the projectile is high, allowing the projectile to cover particularly long distances.