Comments on: The superweapon and the Anglo-American imagination — III http://airminded.org/2009/11/29/the-superweapon-and-the-anglo-american-imagination-iii/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-superweapon-and-the-anglo-american-imagination-iii Airpower and British society, 1908-1941 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:26:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: JDK http://airminded.org/2009/11/29/the-superweapon-and-the-anglo-american-imagination-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-123611 JDK Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:15:34 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=2990#comment-123611 They certainly saw no limitations to electrical experimentation, did they? While there's no real world correlation, it's worth noting that the the Tank was the brainchild of the 'Landships Committee' and that the rhomboid shape of the early tanks was arrived at to develop a trench-crossing 'footprint' that was derived to some extent by just using the critical lower arc of <i>a giant wheel</i>*. So they were onto something. Just a very, very big gap between idea and implementation! *Italicised because of the "dah de dah" ominous music requirement. They certainly saw no limitations to electrical experimentation, did they?

While there's no real world correlation, it's worth noting that the the Tank was the brainchild of the 'Landships Committee' and that the rhomboid shape of the early tanks was arrived at to develop a trench-crossing 'footprint' that was derived to some extent by just using the critical lower arc of a giant wheel*.

So they were onto something. Just a very, very big gap between idea and implementation!

*Italicised because of the "dah de dah" ominous music requirement.

]]> By: Robert http://airminded.org/2009/11/29/the-superweapon-and-the-anglo-american-imagination-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-123556 Robert Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:54:45 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=2990#comment-123556 Nice material. The ironclad landships reminds me of a book I read on the US Coast Artillery Corps during the First World War. The author made sure to inform readers that the CAC did float Fort Monroe over to the Western Front. Nice material. The ironclad landships reminds me of a book I read on the US Coast Artillery Corps during the First World War. The author made sure to inform readers that the CAC did float Fort Monroe over to the Western Front.

]]> By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2009/11/29/the-superweapon-and-the-anglo-american-imagination-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-122524 Brett Holman Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:45:13 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=2990#comment-122524 Thanks, John. It turns out the name was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panjandrum#Development" rel="nofollow">chosen</a> by <a href="http://airminded.org/2007/06/10/what-happened-to-nevil-shute/" rel="nofollow">my man Shute</a>! Thanks, John. It turns out the name was chosen by my man Shute!

]]> By: Airminded · The superweapon and the Anglo-American imagination — IV http://airminded.org/2009/11/29/the-superweapon-and-the-anglo-american-imagination-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-122434 Airminded · The superweapon and the Anglo-American imagination — IV Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:24:25 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=2990#comment-122434 [...] Subscribe to feed ‹ The superweapon and the Anglo-American imagination — III [...] [...] Subscribe to feed ‹ The superweapon and the Anglo-American imagination — III [...]

]]> By: John Shepherd http://airminded.org/2009/11/29/the-superweapon-and-the-anglo-american-imagination-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-122419 John Shepherd Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:08:18 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=2990#comment-122419 WRT the Trench Destroyer. A smaller, but similar contraption - propelled by rockets mounted on the rims of the wheels - was proposed to deliver a large explosive charge against the fortifications of the Atlantic Wall in WWII. Called the _Great Panjandrum_, several versions were actually built and tested. It turned out, however, to be almost as dangerous to those who operated it as it would have been to the enemy. WRT the Trench Destroyer. A smaller, but similar contraption - propelled by rockets mounted on the rims of the wheels - was proposed to deliver a large explosive charge against the fortifications of the Atlantic Wall in WWII. Called the _Great Panjandrum_, several versions were actually built and tested. It turned out, however, to be almost as dangerous to those who operated it as it would have been to the enemy.

]]> By: Chris Williams http://airminded.org/2009/11/29/the-superweapon-and-the-anglo-american-imagination-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-121511 Chris Williams Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:35:34 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=2990#comment-121511 "Giant Radio Robots Play Ice Hockey at 300mph" - best Bruce McCall headline ever. "Giant Radio Robots Play Ice Hockey at 300mph" - best Bruce McCall headline ever.

]]> By: Jakob http://airminded.org/2009/11/29/the-superweapon-and-the-anglo-american-imagination-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-121496 Jakob Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:30:42 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=2990#comment-121496 I'm currently re-reading Don MacKenzie's 'Inventing Accuracy,' and now whenever he uses the term 'gyro culture' I'm going to think of GYRO-ELECTRIC DESTROYERS! Although I suppose a Trident D5 could be described as one without stretching the truth too much... I'm currently re-reading Don MacKenzie's 'Inventing Accuracy,' and now whenever he uses the term 'gyro culture' I'm going to think of GYRO-ELECTRIC DESTROYERS! Although I suppose a Trident D5 could be described as one without stretching the truth too much...

]]> By: Ted Samsel http://airminded.org/2009/11/29/the-superweapon-and-the-anglo-american-imagination-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-121480 Ted Samsel Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:22:10 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=2990#comment-121480 This is where Bruce McCall (illustrator for the National Lampoon/ New Yorker) got a lot of his schtick from. Weren't we supposed to have antigravity by 1995? This is where Bruce McCall (illustrator for the National Lampoon/ New Yorker) got a lot of his schtick from. Weren't we supposed to have antigravity by 1995?

]]> By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2009/11/29/the-superweapon-and-the-anglo-american-imagination-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-121449 Brett Holman Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:07:35 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=2990#comment-121449 Chris: Yes, Wells for the non-visual side of things, and Wells was not without imitators himself. But he was far less optimistic than Gernsback that technology was a panacea. John: Yes, the battleship-on-wheels is my favourite! It's just so crazy it might work ... actually, no. Erik: Metrics would be nice, but having access to full runs of these magazines would be nicer! Chris:

Yes, Wells for the non-visual side of things, and Wells was not without imitators himself. But he was far less optimistic than Gernsback that technology was a panacea.

John:

Yes, the battleship-on-wheels is my favourite! It's just so crazy it might work ... actually, no.

Erik:

Metrics would be nice, but having access to full runs of these magazines would be nicer!

]]> By: Notional Slurry » links for 2009-11-29 http://airminded.org/2009/11/29/the-superweapon-and-the-anglo-american-imagination-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-121432 Notional Slurry » links for 2009-11-29 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:02:17 +0000 http://airminded.org/?p=2990#comment-121432 [...] Airminded · The superweapon and the Anglo-American imagination — III awesome (tags: illustration engineering retrofuture weaponry science-fiction steampunk) [...] [...] Airminded · The superweapon and the Anglo-American imagination — III awesome (tags: illustration engineering retrofuture weaponry science-fiction steampunk) [...]

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