Visions of Future

[Antonio]

How many times have you read articles on "visions of future", this topic is related to conceptual and pure fantastic (although with a minimum interest and value) art shown in this kind of articles.

I want to start the topic with this dramatic illustration from a british magazine from 1916. The scan comes from a facsimil reprodution in a Spanish newpaper. It shows the horror of war in a far future. A "Gyro-cruiser" battle with an enemy "Mobile-trench" while a town is anhilated under its colossal wheels. A terrific view but nothing compared with the real war machine to come.

Pure fantasy, but anyone knows if it any real basis under that "Gyro-cruiser" and "Mobile-trench"?. 1916 saw the debut of the Tank but this invention would be based on a engineering background?. Land vehicles would have been in many engineer's mind in early XX Century.
In fact I have found this real beast which is not quite different (despite of the size) from the 1916 art. The Lebedenko tank comes from this link posted by Overscan

http://www.lonewulfmodels.co.uk/

 

[Matej]

Here we go...

 

[Antonio]

More

http://www.landships.freeservers.com/lebedenko_info.htm

Thanks for your help Matej, this web is fantastic!

Antonio

 

[sferrin]

Damn crazy Russians

 

[flateric]

We are trying hard as we can.

 

[Antonio]

We are trying hard as we can.

Never give up, russian tech is great! :

 

[Kim Margosein]

This was the big wheel concept. The larger diameter the wheel, the rougher terrain the vehicle could traverse, all other things being equal. However, all things are not equal. You have a high profile on the battlefield, although your casement has its own high ground, as it were. Then you deal with the inertia of the massive wheel, requiring a much larger powerplant. The solution was the caterpillar tread, which essentially provides a wheel of essentially infinite diameter with low weight and low profile.

Kim M

 

[Deltafan]

I seen similar things before, but where ???


Oh, I remember ! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far far away ;D

 

[Antonio]

Found that ad from 1943. Total fantasy design about what they think the future will look. Simply wonderful!

http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1943/1943%20-%202369.html