H.G. Wells's Land Ironclad - Currell.net

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Few science fiction works are as uncannily accurate in fortelling the future as a short story published in 1903 by H.G. Wells. It portrays a conflict remarkably similar to the trench warfare of the First World War, in which the two sides face each other across a no-man's land. Wells describes the invention that breaks the stalemate between the combatants—an armoured, all-terrain vehicle that can withstand small-arms fire and cross trenches. We know these vehicles as tanks. Wells's name for his creations, and the title of his story, was The Land Ironclads.

Wells envisioned a huge, hundred-foot-long vehicle propelled by eight pairs of pedrails, wheels ringed with flexible feet to give traction. He also gave his vehicles innovative weapons: remotely controlled rifles with an advanced sighting system that gave tremendous accuracy even while moving.

Blueprint
Diagram of land ironclad. Strictly confidential!

Although the massive size of the land ironclad is in hindsight clearly impractical, in almost every other respect Wells accurately predicts the coming age of mechanized land warfare.

Few science fiction works are as uncannily accurate in fortelling the future as a short story published in 1903 by H.G. Wells. It portrays a conflict remarkably similar to the trench warfare of the First World War, in which the two sides face each other across a no-man's land. Wells describes the invention that breaks the stalemate between the combatants—an armoured, all-terrain vehicle that can withstand small-arms fire and cross trenches. We know these vehicles as tanks. Wells's name for his creations, and the title of his story, was The Land Ironclads.

Wells envisioned a huge, hundred-foot-long vehicle propelled by eight pairs of pedrails, wheels ringed with flexible feet to give traction. He also gave his vehicles innovative weapons: remotely controlled rifles with an advanced sighting system that gave tremendous accuracy even while moving.

Blueprint
Diagram of land ironclad. Strictly confidential!

Although the massive size of the land ironclad is in hindsight clearly impractical, in almost every other respect Wells accurately predicts the coming age of mechanized land warfare.

Information on the Land Ironclad from other sites:

The Land Ironclads - The complete H.G. Wells short story, originally published in The Strand Magazine.

H.G. Wells - Biography and Works - An online collection of most of Wells's other novels and short stories.

Information on the Land Ironclad from other sites:

The Land Ironclads - The complete H.G. Wells short story, originally published in The Strand Magazine.

H.G. Wells - Biography and Works - An online collection of most of Wells's other novels and short stories.

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H.G. Wells’s Land Ironclad

Illustration of Land Ironclad

Photo of Land Ironclad model

Skill Level 3/5
Previous experience recommended.

This model builds into a detailed 1:110 scale (compatible with 15mm figures) replica of the land ironclad. The completed model is slightly over 10 inches (25cm) in length.

You will need a colour printer capable of handling card or cover stock to print the parts sheets. 67 lb cover stock (approx 8.5 thousandths of an inch or 0.2 mm thick) is recommended.

See photos of the finished model.

Brief history and related links.

The model files

ironclad_instr.pdf - 284 KiB - This document contains the instructions only (5 pages).

ironclad_parts.pdf - 3.49 MiB - This document contains the parts for the model (4 pages).

The parts and instructions are in Adobe PDF format. Your web browser may allow you to read and print these files, otherwise you'll need a PDF reader such as Adobe's Acrobat Reader or Foxit Reader.

Last updated on 5 February 2021
Copyright 2003-2021 by Ralph Currell.