05-26-2009, 09:28 PM
Salve, Nerva.
Well, you look to have a whole lot of work ahead of you to be real artillerymen. Accuracy is your biggest challenge right now, I think, and learning the machine inside and out. How it shoots up and down slopes, from the top and bottom of earth works, in towers, and in an open field. I'd suggest you visit Nick Watt's homepage, and take a good look at his accuracy tests...very much eye openers. He tests on things like phone books and heavy wooden logs, but go check it out. He posted on the archeology page, so you can find the link there.
There is no way around having to put thousands of bolts through your machine to get that kind of proficiency. All the may variable are going to rear up and bite you now, such as lenght of draw, poundage at given draw, what kind of target you are firing at, tension in the springs, stretch in the bow string itself, and differnt weather conditions you are shooting in.
It strikes me that a catapult that is outranged and outclassed by a bowman or a slinger is not particulary useful. You'd have a quickly dead crew and pehaps captured machine for your efforts. Why do you think this machine is shooting the way it is? The trajectory should be much flatter and faster for the weight it is pulling. Maybe the bolts are a culpret? The old formula is 9 x spring diameter, and would that be applicable to the iron framers? A longer, lighter bolt may help in accuracy testing. And smaller diameter arrows can have more lethal penetration in self archery, so why not in catapults?
I'd have a number of extra strings on hand too. Not hard to make, but maybe you got exta ones from Wilkins / Morgan?
I think you already know, but a pig test would not be, I think, a little cute hunk of ham (I name all my Xmas hams, which always makes guests nervous
) Making friends with a butcher or a pig farmer would be a good Idea, I think. Please, dead ones only. Then, you have to dress her up in proper armor with sub armor padding, and a really well made shield and see what it does.
Getting that chronograph up and running would be a good idea, too. I think taht is what you meant by a ballistic radar?
Don't waste that ham, by the way. It sill looks delicious.
Dane
Well, you look to have a whole lot of work ahead of you to be real artillerymen. Accuracy is your biggest challenge right now, I think, and learning the machine inside and out. How it shoots up and down slopes, from the top and bottom of earth works, in towers, and in an open field. I'd suggest you visit Nick Watt's homepage, and take a good look at his accuracy tests...very much eye openers. He tests on things like phone books and heavy wooden logs, but go check it out. He posted on the archeology page, so you can find the link there.
There is no way around having to put thousands of bolts through your machine to get that kind of proficiency. All the may variable are going to rear up and bite you now, such as lenght of draw, poundage at given draw, what kind of target you are firing at, tension in the springs, stretch in the bow string itself, and differnt weather conditions you are shooting in.
It strikes me that a catapult that is outranged and outclassed by a bowman or a slinger is not particulary useful. You'd have a quickly dead crew and pehaps captured machine for your efforts. Why do you think this machine is shooting the way it is? The trajectory should be much flatter and faster for the weight it is pulling. Maybe the bolts are a culpret? The old formula is 9 x spring diameter, and would that be applicable to the iron framers? A longer, lighter bolt may help in accuracy testing. And smaller diameter arrows can have more lethal penetration in self archery, so why not in catapults?
I'd have a number of extra strings on hand too. Not hard to make, but maybe you got exta ones from Wilkins / Morgan?
I think you already know, but a pig test would not be, I think, a little cute hunk of ham (I name all my Xmas hams, which always makes guests nervous
) Making friends with a butcher or a pig farmer would be a good Idea, I think. Please, dead ones only. Then, you have to dress her up in proper armor with sub armor padding, and a really well made shield and see what it does. Getting that chronograph up and running would be a good idea, too. I think taht is what you meant by a ballistic radar?
Don't waste that ham, by the way. It sill looks delicious.
Dane
Dane Donato
Legio III Cyrenaica
Legio III Cyrenaica
