Warwolf, the legendary trebuchet built by the English Army to destroy Castle Urquhart, which was located in the Highlands of Scotland, on the shores of the also infamous Loch Ness. Part of King Edward I's Scottish campaign, Warwolf stood some 60 feet high and had a throwing arm over 50 feet long. The model shown at left is a 1/10th scale recreation of Warwolf, constructed by trebuchet enthusiast "Ron Tom" of www.trebuchet.com

According to Ron's research, the original Warwolf was capable of launching a 250 pound rock a stunning 600 feet. If this particular model were to be increased to its full size, it would be capable of hurling 1000 pound boulders, significantly greater strength than its medieval counterpart.

While the invention of the trebuchet has been accredited to the Chinese sometime around 200 AD, it may well have been in use several hundred years before Christ. It is not clear how the technology made its way to the middle east, but suffice to say it was discovered, or rather encountered by the English during the crusades.