New thread: Bad Engineering ideas

[sapper740]

Here's a thread we can have a little fun with Gentlemen; "Bad Engineering Ideas". We already know many of the failed ideas such as ditch jumping rocket propelled Universal Carriers, ice and sawdust islands bearing aerodromes floating in the middle of the Atlantic, jet engine bearing tanks to blow mines away, and the German Maus to name a few. I'm sure there are lots more so dig deep and post a few. Here's one to start: The Gas Bag.


CHIMO! Derek.

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

What about that eight-wheeled armoured 'thing' in Dr Gregg's book that ran backwards? Mind you the CAPLAD comes a close second, surely?

[gordon]

I don't have the tech stuff here, but in the 50's or 60's the US made a jeep that would launch thier smallest nuke in a battlefield situation.

Not a bad idea? ah well, the point was the range of the missle was maybe five miles, and the blast radius of the warhead was about 50% bigger than that. Volunteers to fire that one?

[sapper740]

In February 1915, after many months of static warfare, M. Boirault built this queer but ingenious machine to crush barbed wire entanglements and to cross 6 footwide trenches. Built with 6 metal frames sliding on a pyramidal structure. In trials his machine showed its limitations as it can only be driven straight ahead with no ability to turn. Re-fitted with lifting jacks to allow it to turn, the machine was still difficult to control and impossible to fit with weapons or armour.

Technical data :

Height: 4 m
Base length (on ground): 8 m
Weight : 30 tonnes
Power : 80 HP
Max. speed : 3 kph

[Clive_Dakers]

Originally Posted by gordon

I don't have the tech stuff here, but in the 50's or 60's the US made a jeep that would launch thier smallest nuke in a battlefield situation.

Not a bad idea? ah well, the point was the range of the missle was maybe five miles, and the blast radius of the warhead was about 50% bigger than that. Volunteers to fire that one?

Same problem with hand grenades.

[Grant Bowker]

At the risk of upsetting some of the "purists".... I nominate the Cab 11 design, so terrible that even the Cab 12 was an improvement.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Grant Bowker

At the risk of upsetting some of the "purists".... I nominate the Cab 11 design, so terrible that even the Cab 12 was an improvement.

Burn the heretic!!

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

In actual fact with the Number 11 cab you really have to blame the Chief Inspector of Armaments at the Woolwich Arsenal in London. In late 1935, December I think it was, the CIS issued Specification Spec. 36 Parts I and II relating to War Department specifications for military vehicles. In the end this was amended and went to Spec. 36A/B/C/D and E, by spring 1939. The Department of National Defence elected to abide by Spec. 36 and thus slavishly adopted what was required as regards forward-control and detailed measurements relating to the driver's position. They also covered such aspects as ground clearance and cooling, but that's beside the point. Morris Commercial Cars and Guy Motors abided by the specifications and in many respects Sid Swallow of Ford, Windsor, adopted the MCC CS8/AT and Guy Quad Ant tractor cab designs (and tractor designs for the FATs) based on drawings sent through from London in fall 1939.

[sapper740]

Despite an extensive internet search I have been unable to uncover any further info regarding the "Bomb Snuffer". I found this picture on a military WWII site with only the caption and no explanation as to it's developement or use. The cars in the background look to be civilian pattern but are definitely WWII era. I'd appreciate any further info someone may have regarding this device. I'm not sure if it is even military as it may have been used by Police units or possibly commercial blasters, although it's relatively small size would make it useless for anything larger than perhaps half a stick of Dynamite. Although it would provide better protection than a helmet, I must nominate the "Bomb Snuffer" as a bad engineering idea.


CHIMO! Derek.

[Phil Waterman]

Originally Posted by sapper740

Despite an extensive internet search I have been unable to uncover any further info regarding the "Bomb Snuffer". .... I'd appreciate any further info someone may have regarding this device. I'm not sure if it is even military as it may have been used by Police units or possibly commercial blasters,....the "Bomb Snuffer" as a bad engineering idea.

I've seen this one before I suspect that what the intended use was for "snuffing out small incendiary bombs" remember during the war standard civil defense procedures called for buckets full of sand to smother fires.

[cletrac (RIP)]

This one gets my vote!
During WW2, the Royal Navy's Department of Miscellaneous Weapon Development. (DMWD aka "Wheezers and Dodgers") was a highly irregular group of scientists and engineers gathered together to develop innovative weapons outside of normal channels. One of these was the "Great Panjandrum" This was a device designed to blow holes in coastal fortifications. It consisted of an explosive filled drum fitted with a 10 foot diameter wheel on either end. The wheels had cordite rockets attached for propulsion. The Great Panjandrum was to be launched from a landing craft, roar up the beach, hit the target and then explode. It was guided by two cables which operated brakes on each wheel.

[RHClarke]

How about a jet aircraft that is recovered by snagging a nylon line with a hook on the front...

http://www.unrealaircraft.com/gravity/ryan_x13.php

[alleramilitaria]

how about the home guard device that threw glass bottles of flameing fluid at enemy tanks. nearly 1/2 of the bottles broke when fired and would splash the crews with burning liquid.

the same inventor made the PIAT

also there was a nuc charge that was suposed to be fired from the M-110 SPG. the problem was that the charge was so heavy that when the gun fired it it blew the recoil system and would total the gun and kill the crew. also the round was known to land short.

again on the nuc issue, there was a plan at one time to fire vollies of NIKE-AJAX and NIKE-HERK rockets armed with nuc warheads over canada to make a line of fire do soviet aircraft could not fly through. just a little problem with fallout.

dave

[Les Freathy]

The great Panjan drum, thats the one on the film clip when fired from the water line was chased by a stupid dog which in turn ended up at full pelt in reverse being chased by the drum
cheers
Les

[Kuno]

Makes me happy that not only the Germans had some really crazy people & weird employed to develop "Wunderwaffen" :witch

[sapper740]

Let's resurrect an old thread. Tsarist Russia experimented with a large (60t) tricycle tank that they thought would be able to roll over German trenches to bring fire to the rear of the German lines. The tank was called both the Lebedenko tank or Tsar tank. Personnaly, I think Bsar would be more appropriate. The tank was cancelled when the Russians realized that it would be very susceptible to artillery fire and mop handles placed in the spokes.

CHIMO! Derek

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

A mockup was created and featured in a DADS ARMY episode though in the TV segment it was radio controlled.

There was a serious attempt at producing a rocket (like a small model aircraft with wings) that could be fired vertically up at Luftwaffe bombers, and one supposedly knocked down a He111 over Southampton (probably Southampton Water).

[Treadhead]

I'd have to say, the 1942 Baker 8x8 Armoured Car also known as the "Jumping Tank"
Designed to Jump obstacles & Trenches it was a bit like "re-inventing" the wheel since Track laying vehicles had proven their ability to negotiate said obstacles 20 years earlier.