Catapults

Catapults. Leonardo da Vinci Weapons of War and Invention. , The basic design of the catapult had been in use for hundreds of years before da Vinci embarked on improving it. He actually came up with different models. This particular design used a double leaf spring to produce an enormous amount of energy in order to propel stone projectiles or incendiary over great distances. Loading of the two large leaf springs was accomplished using a hand crank on the side of the catapult. , His quick-load catapult only had a short firing range, but this mattered little, as guns then were slow-loading and heavy. The catapult could be loaded quickly and, if necessary, left loaded in case of a surprise attack. They did not need gunpowder, and could be safely mounted on walls. With this catapult, a man climbed the attached ladder, places a stone in the cup, and then the flexible arm was bent back using a rope and winder mechanism. This was released by striking a pin and the procedure repeated. , For his catapult, Leonardo designed finned missiles with warhead. Similar to modern design, it had two fins on the tail for stability. Upon impact, strikers would ignite the gunpowder inside.