Onager 1999 - Improvements and Upgrades

This time we're gettin serious!

Here is a front view of Onager 1999. Bigger, beeffier, and more solidly built. The Onager is so much heavier than the previous version that a new set of leaf springs was needed on the trailer it's mounted on. Though it's not easy to see in these photos, much of the joinery used in the new machine is mortise and tenon, with bolts used instead of wooden pegs to secure the joints. All in all a much more serious machine!

A striking and majestic profile at the top secret test site for Team Carbo. The new Onager is made from solid oak timbers. The arm also is new - it's made of ash, which replaces the oak arm of past years. More rope is loaded into the torsion spring than we have ever used before. In this photo the arm is up because the torsion spring has been twisted forward in preparation for a shot.

        Here you can get a good look at "Bad Ash"  -  the new arm for Onager 99. You can also see the new arm catch mechanism. Those are two auto suspension springs mounted to the back of the Onager. There is a rope which runs from the springs to the top of the machine. When the arm is released it will strike this rope at the top of it's arc (after releasing the projectile) and the springs will absorb the shock, thus protecting the arm, another innovation for 1999.

Dave the Slave pedals the winch to cock the arm back for another test shot. The bottle on his head is his own "unique" attempt to cool off in the 100+ degree heat. The long rod with the rope attached is the release mechanism. When the arm comes to horizontal the release is pulled and the arm snaps forward, and the sling hurls the projectile.The sling has been made from heavier, stronger leather and we are using bigger grommets. On this July day we're tossing watermelons, as pumpkins are not in season yet. We found that, unlike pumpkins which chunk nicely on impact, when watermelons are tossed over 500 feet they disintegrate when they land.

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