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Trebuchet Plan
The Free Trebuchet Plan - this plan shows the layout and design of the Little Dragon Trebuchett. It is an easy to make Trebuchet with one moving part and is powered by a simple counterweight and has a base that is twelve inches (12") in length. The swinging arm is sixteen inches (16") This is a pretty easy project to make and you can do it in a couple of hours. It is quite poweful and of course the power is dependent on a few factors that you should experiment with like the length of the swing arm and how heavy the counterweight is.
One big factor in the efficiency of the trebuchet is the location of the pivot point on the swing arm. The free plans for this project recommend you drill several holes so you can experiment with this factor. I recommend you screw and glue all the parts together for maximum strength. Of course everything is just recommended and you should feel free to modify anything you like and substitute anything for the parts you have available.
The Free Trebuchet Plan is located at the bottom of this page:

If you came to this webpage directly from a link or a search engine: This Trebuchet plan is the plan that accompanies the tutorial on how to make a trebuchet. The tutorial takes you through all the steps, complete with lots of pictures, on how to make the Little Dragon Trebuchet. . You can find the assembly tutorial here: The Lttle Dragon Trebuchet (There is also a video of the Little Dragon firing off)
I have also put a larger version of this trebuchet plan on a clean webpage so you can easily print it out. Here
About the Trebuchet Plan
There are a couple of things I want to point out about the plan:
- The Red Marks are screws or nails and glue. This shows how the different parts of the trebuchet are affixed to each other
- Dotted Lines - if you are not familiar with blueprints the dotted lines represent parts that are behind other parts.
- The plan points out the location of the pivot point. This is four inches (4") from the counterweight side of the swing arm. This is a location that worked well for my trebuchet but you may want to tinker with this. How heavy your counterweight is has an effect on this.
- The Pivot Point: is the axle from a toy car
Here is the Trebuchet Plan:

Want to build a bigger, better, more powerful or fancier siege engine? There are some great books available to you. These books, available at Amazon.com, will help take your trebuchet or catapult building to new heights! Pun intended!

The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, and More Ancient Artillery - Nice book that shows you how to build ten different catapult projects, moderate wood working and pvc piping kind of stuff. Good book with complete instructions and materials lists.

Backyard Ballistics: Build Potato Cannons, Paper Match Rockets, Cincinnati Fire Kites, Tennis Ball Mortars, and More Dynamite Devices Want to get a little more creative? This book is off the hook!
 Desktop Trebuchet Defend your desktop! The mere presence of this striking machine on your desk will induce fear and respect among your peers. Take charge and besiege your opponents with a fully functional, genuine trebuchet for your desk! It really works! It takes about two to four hours to assemble, which is a joy in itself with the hand selected wood and computer-controlled, precision cut parts. The professionally designed kit and fully detailed instructions - 10 pages of descriptions and tips, with of photos of every step - makes assembly a breeze. All you really need is some glue and a pair of scissors. For a more refined look, a little sandpaper and a small, round file would be helpful, but are entirely optional. Performance! This mighty desktop artillery is capable of hurling the wooden ball projectiles (included) over twenty feet! Just load-up the counterweight bucket with about 150 pennies and you are ready to go!

The Miniature Trebuchet - The trebuchet was the ultimate artillery weapon of the medieval period and early renaissance. A large and unwieldy weapon, it was typically built on-site during battle, and tuned to lob great weights - such as the carcasses of rotting horses and pots of burning pitch, over the castle walls and onto its inhabitants. This is our newest and smallest trebuchet design in a long line of catapult kits. Designed by master trebuchet expert Ron Toms, this machine is ideal for the student on a budget or as a wonderful display piece for any desktop or bookshelf of any history enthusiast. Precision carved by computer controlled machinery for guaranteed fit and accurate joinery. The detailed instructions include loads of photos of each step of the construction process, tuning tips and safety notes. Included in the kit are four wooden projectiles, all the necessary components for the sling, trigger, and counterweight bucket as well as all the parts for the kit. The only thing you'll need to supply are 64 pennies for counterweight and a few simple tools - Scissors, a ruler, a utility knife, wood glue and a few rubber bands to hold the pieces together while the glue dries. Tools required: Scissors, Glue, Ruler, rubber bands and a utility knife. Sandpaper is optional. Additional Counterweight Required: 64 pennies. Range: About 10 feet.
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