Why put a propeller on this strange armored car
History of the First world armored car with a propeller
In the history of the development of the automotive industry there are many examples of strange cars. Many of them we never even heard of. Why? Just their creators or people in charge of the promotion of new products to the masses, in order to understand the error of his earlier judgments and the project folded before it could disperse in any mass circulation.
That by the way this strange history was the armored car Sizaire-Berwick…
What began as a promising car company, was undermined by the great war started of the twentieth century.
Before the war, the French engineers – brothers Maurice and George Sizer created the chassis of the car. British F. W. Berwick & Company added to the body, connecting all parts into a single mechanical organism. It happened in London, in 1912. This international created a car unprecedented speed capabilities, range and endurance. It was also patented several new technologies. The following year, the young company began to produce and sell their products. Car liked customers, quickly earning a reputation for high quality machines.
But most of the plans I dreamed of the brothers in France, even teenagers, do not come true. In Europe broke out a great war, which confused the talented engineers of all the cards and began methodically to put a spoke in the wheel. During the war, the brothers moved near London, in the borough of Highgate, where new forces are starting to make planes and cars to win.
Here begins a very brief history of a very unusual car.
The demand for vehicles has led to… interesting innovative solutions. Namely, someone decided to ask the question: “what if we drive an armored car with a propeller?” Probably, at this stage of brainstorming would do well to stop and throw stupid ideas out of her head, but the theory of “like” in practice to understand what happens.
The armored car, but without Lenin
In fairness, it should be emphasized that the propeller was supposed to help the armored cars to move on the sandy terrain. Then a low powered car on thin tires very easily dug into the sandy soil, however, as in the “liquid asphalt” primers of Europe, therefore, Sizer Berwick tried to overcome the obstacle in an original way. Did not work…
Hoisted on the stern 110 strong air plane engine brand couldn’t help the armored car, though, because only installing on the rear of the chassis added a few hundred pounds, changed weight distribution, limited the possibility of installing weapons. Plus some of the flaws in detail. Huge fuel consumption, unmasking on the battlefield, etc.
However, the curious developments of the war years has happened not only in the automotive industry. “Floating shoes” or floating skis
Most interesting is that the development of a “unique” armored car were also in a very strange manner. No one thought about how such exploitation can affect an aircraft engine, they just … they attached it to the chassis, wiped his hands and said, “Done!”. Please note, the engine had no protective covers and apparently in this form, the car had to go into production. That is, all the dirt, moisture and enemy bullet could easily destroy the Assembly by putting the crew into a deadly situation.
However, as we said at the beginning, for many engineers, it was enough to see the prototype in action to understand how good/bad is the implementation of ideas. Fortunately for the English and French soldiers, the car was created for the desert did not get to the front.
So the armored truck was delayed on the shelf, and the plant Sizer Berwick started to do other things:
“On a different chassis other brands, mostly heavy Lalanda built such vehicles as living wagons for crews of anti-aircraft guns, machine-gun and searchlight lorries, mobile darkroom, telephone exchanges, workshops and caravans that were almost miniature hotel on wheels”.
But pictures of polosamota – polotenca preserved and are in the depths of the Internet, amazing rare users accidentally running across them.