The Ballista is an ancient missile weapon that launched a large projectile at a distant target. It was first developed by the Greeks and then modified, enhanced and widely used by the Romans. Many say it is akin to a giant crossbow. This ballista was the brainchild of Robert McGillivray and Michael Halwes when they were pre-engineering students in the MSTC program at Dunbar High School in Lexington. They found a design they liked in a book and proceeded to build a small replica. Once the design was proven Bill Cloyd worked with them over a three month period in 2012 to complete the full scale example you see on this page.
