20 August 2026 19:30
David Nicholson - "Dodgy Equipment"
The Talk:
This looks at some odd, weird and, frankly, dangerous equipment produced over the years throughout the world. Countries carrying the badge of shame include Great Britain, France, Canada, Germany and Russia, but this is not an exclusive list. I have broken it down to personal soldiers' weapons, such as the Chauchard light machine gun, a gun probably more dangerous to the man firing it than to the enemy. We move on to some of the most disastrous tank designs in history including New Zealand's "Bob Semple Tank", universally deemed the worst tank design ever. This is likely because they didn't have a design! Then, of course, there is the man who designed, as he would say, the most revolutionary aircraft. The problem was that he had never designed an aircraft, and his planes tended to lose their wings during their maiden flight! However, he did manage to con huge sums from the United States government, so he must have been good at something.
There is also a "special Weapons" section and these will tend to amaze. This is aimed as a light-hearted presentation as we skip through many design disasters.
About the Speaker: To follow.
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