Boirault machine
The Boirault machine (French: Appareil Boirault), was an early French experimental landship, designed in 1914 and built in early 1915. It has been considered as "another interesting ancestor of the tank", and described as a "rhomboid-shaped skeleton tank without armour, with single overhead track". Ultimately, the machine was deemed impractical and was nicknamed Diplodocus militaris, after a Sauropod from the Jurassic. It preceded the design and development of the English Little Willie tank by six months.
| Boirault machine (No. 1) | |
|---|---|
Top:The Boirault machine used a huge rotating frame around a motorized center. Bottom: Boirault machine underway. | |
| Place of origin | French Third Republic |
| Service history | |
| In service | January 1915–November 1915 (experimental) |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Boirault |
| Designed | 1914 |
| Produced | January 1915 |
| No. built | 1 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 30 tonnes |
| Length | 8.00 m |
| Width | 3.00 m |
| Height | 4.00 m |
| Crew | 2 |
| Engine | petrol 80hp |
| Maximum speed | 3 km/h |
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