# Could Leonardo da Vinci's tank design have worked?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-leonardo-da-vincis-tank-design-have-worked/602337>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 9, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-leonardo-da-vincis-tank-design-have-worked/602337 "2011-11-09T00:35:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-leonardo-da-vincis-tank-design-have-worked/602337/21 "2011-11-10T22:02:29Z")

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> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> Four men inside can move it, that’s a given, but how fast?

I’m not even sure that’s a given. According to Wiki, the first WWI tanks were developed on engines of 45- 75 horsepower, and the first actual combat tanks had 105 hp engines. Now, Leonardo’s design was lighter than the Mark I, but not 100 times lighter I don’t think. And of course, Leonardo didn’t have treads; he had wheels which take even more power to get through mud.

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-leonardo-da-vincis-tank-design-have-worked/602337/22 "2011-11-11T03:02:03Z")

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> [@Quercus](#):
>
> I’m not even sure that’s a given. According to Wiki, the first WWI tanks were developed on engines of 45- 75 horsepower, and the first actual combat tanks had 105 hp engines. Now, Leonardo’s design was lighter than the Mark I, but not 100 times lighter I don’t think. And of course, Leonardo didn’t have treads; he had wheels which take even more power to get through mud.

Well, in [this test](http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/doing-davinci-tank-test.html) four guys could move it. (And shoot the guns effectively, too.) But, they were rolling over pavement, and I don’t know of what they made the shell or how tough it is.

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-leonardo-da-vincis-tank-design-have-worked/602337/23 "2011-11-11T03:05:46Z")

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Of course, it would be different if the tank were moving on a treadmill.

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2011, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-leonardo-da-vincis-tank-design-have-worked/602337/24 "2011-11-12T00:04:34Z")

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> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> Well, in [this test](http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/doing-davinci-tank-test.html) four guys could move it. (And shoot the guns effectively, too.) But, they were rolling over pavement, and I don’t know of what they made the shell or how tough it is.

Also, curiously:

1. They test firing the guns.

2. They test moving the tank with muscle-power.

3. They **don’t** test the durability of the tank’s hull by firing anything at it. That’s a pretty important thing to know WRT a tank.

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