To help fire this trebuchet, I climbed inside it

They manually wound a massive trebuchet, then helped fire it. The machine is 18 meters tall, weighs 22 tonnes, and launches an 18kg rock up to 200 meters.

• ⚙️ The trebuchet is based on 1300s manuscripts.
• ⚠️ Historically, trebuchets were used to throw burning pots, dead animals, or lime over walls to defeat castle inhabitants.
• 💪 Manually winding the trebuchet arm down is a strenuous workout, requiring multiple people in a treadmill crane system.
• 🚀 The projectile is a concrete block weighing 18kg, about the weight of three bowling balls.
• 🗣️ The operator yells "Have a care!" before firing, an old-fashioned way of yelling "Heads!"

A man wearing a helmet smiles at the camera in front of a large wooden trebuchet.