Landship

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This article is primarily about a fictional method of transportation. For the Barbadian cultural tradition, see Landship (Barbados).

3 types of landships.
(Top-Bot.): sail, wheel and caterpillar types

A landship is a large vehicle that travels on land, as opposed to on water or in space where large vehicles are usually used. Because of their large size, their use on land is seen as impractical due to terrain obstacles, and soft ground that cannot support such large weight. Such problems are non-existent on water and in space. However, vehicles similar to the concept of landships have appeared in various forms in the real world, and more commonly in works of fiction.

Compare amphibious vehicles, which can drive on land and on water, and hovercrafts, which travel above the surface of both masses on an air cushion.

1 History
2 Fictional description
3 Methods of propulsion
- 3.1 Self-propelled
- 3.2 External source of motion
4 Fictional appearances
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History

BHC SR-N4 The world's largest hovercraft, is capable of traveling over smooth terrain

Land yachts appeared independently from Pharaonic Egypt, to Ancient China, to 16th Century Holland. These mated sailing rigs to a land vehicle with wheels or in the form of the ice yacht, skis and runners.

Historically, some early (First World War) battle tank designs were referred to as "land ships" by their designers and political proponents, but this term got replaced by today's common name due to the parlance of World War I taking precedence. However, until after the Second World War, the British would continue to think of tanks in naval terms; e.g., the Cruiser tank operating like the ships of the same name. Quickly proving impractical were the battleship-equivalent heavy tanks, such as the multi-turreted Vickers A1E1 Independent and its assorted offspring.

Two super-heavy tanks, the Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte and Landkreuzer P. 1500 Monster, are the closest things ever to be designed that approaches the popular fictional conception of a landship. The Maus was the only super-heavy tank ever built

Bucket-wheel excavators are the biggest land vehicles ever built by man, but do not fit into the popular conception of a landship.

The Mountbatten class hovercraft, is the largest hovercraft ever built, and is capable of traveling over relatively smooth land in addition to water. It is capable of carrying 418 people, and 60 cars. Hovercraft are also used by the military for their amphibious landing capabilities. They are commonly referred to as Air-cushioned landing craft. These vehicles are usually very large compared to other land vehicles, and commonly carry other land vehicles like jeeps and armored vehicles.

[edit] Fictional description

In fiction, a landship is a very large vessel or vehicle designed for travel over land. They can be of various sizes, shapes, made of different materials and have different methods of propulsion. Landships are differentiated from automobiles by their larger sizes and complexity.

Most landships travel over roads and trails, and can cross plain fields, streams, deserts and snow fields. However, due to their relatively low power-to-weight ratios, they cannot climb hills, cliffs, mountains or other steep slopes, and due to their large sizes they cannot cross forests, jungles or other areas with numerous obstacles.

Landships are mostly used for exploration, trade, transport or war. They may or may not be armed, usually with cannons, turrets and large-caliber guns.

[edit] Methods of propulsion

[edit] Self-propelled

Combustion engine + wheels: Like an automobile, the ship has an engine that transfers its power to the ship's wheels to make it move.

Combustion engine + caterpillar: This engined ship has multiple solid wheels wrapped with a flexible tread, and offers more traction than its simple-wheeled counterpart.

Reaction engine: This ship applies Newton's third law of motion to make it move. One or several rockets, jets or ion drives eject hot gases or other particles in the opposite direction that the ship wants to move to bring it into motion.

[edit] External source of motion

Separate motor vehicle: A tug, separate from the landship, attaches to the ship and pulls or pushes it.

Sail power: One or many sails captures the wind, which drags the ship along. The ship usually made of wood, and has large cartwheels.

[edit] Fictional appearances

Due to their large sizes, landships are impractical in real life (except for tanks and other armored fighting vehicles). However, they are featured in works of fiction, as land-based counterparts of water ships and airships.

[edit] Books, comics & manga

The Mortal Engines Quartet series by Phillip Reeve features Traction Cities, giant tracked landships capable of carrying the population of a city

[edit] TV & film

Hannibal-class heavy land battleship Bonaparte, Cosmic Era, Gundam anime metaseries

Landships are featured in cartoons and anime such as:
- Secret of Cerulean Sand (anime)
- The Gundam metaseries of anime (and manga): Land mobile aircraft carriers
- Now and Then, Here and There
The TV Series Thunderbirds - two episodes featured road building landships called Roadlayers.

[edit] Computer & video games

Heavy Gear has large factions who maintain entire navies of landships, ranging from the size of a tugboat to twice the volume of a Nimitz class carrier.
In Supreme Commander, the UEF Fatboy is a prime example of a landship.
In Unreal Tournament 2004 and Unreal Tournament 3, the Leviathan is a massive landship that can be piloted by the player in the Onslaught and Warfare game types.
Super Mario 3 had large landships, hybrids of pirate ships with caterpillar tracks.