|
Britain's Greatest Machines With Chris Barrie
''Britain's Greatest Machines with Chris Barrie'' is a documentary television series from National Geographic Channel. It is showing the technological progress of the 19th and 20th centuries from a British point of view. Chris Barrie is the host and is testing various means of transportation. Series 1 Series 2 {, class="wikitable plainrowheaders" , - ! style="background: #A91F00; color:#000000; width:3%;", Episode !! style="background:#A91F00; color:#000000; width:12%;", Title !! style="background:#A91F00; color:#000000; width:8%;", Original air date {{Episode list , EpisodeNumber=4 , Title=Trains: The Steam Pioneers , OriginalAirDate= {{Start date, 2010, 02, 22, df=y , ShortSummary = Boulton and Watt West Cornish Engine, Coalbrookdale Locomotive, London Steam Carriage, Locomotion No 1, Rocket, Liverpool & Manchester Railway and Planet A planet is a large, Hydrostatic equilibrium, rounded Astronomical object, astronomical body that is generally require ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Barrie
Chris Barrie (born Christopher Jonathan Brown; 28 March 1960) is a British actor and comedian. He worked as a vocal impressionist on the ITV sketch show '' Spitting Image'' (1984–1996) and as Lara Croft's butler Hillary in '' Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' (2001) and '' Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life'' (2003). Barrie starred as Arnold Rimmer in 13 series of the sci-fi space comedy ''Red Dwarf'' between 1988 and 2020, and as Gordon Brittas in seven series of the BBC leisure centre sitcom '' The Brittas Empire'' (1991–1997). Early life and career Barrie was born on 28 March 1960 in Hanover, Lower Saxony, West Germany, to a father who was serving in the British Army, and later attended Methodist College, a boarding school, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. After dropping out of his Combined Studies course at Brighton Polytechnic, he became a grave filler. He began his television career as a sports personality impersonator on '' The David Essex Showcase'' in 1982. He ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan (later Hawker Siddeley Vulcan from July 1963) was a jet-powered, tailless, delta-wing, high-altitude, strategic bomber, which was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A.V. Roe and Company ( Avro) designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced, the Vulcan was considered the most technically advanced, and therefore the riskiest option. Several reduced-scale aircraft, designated Avro 707s, were produced to test and refine the delta-wing design principles. The Vulcan B.1 was first delivered to the RAF in 1956; deliveries of the improved Vulcan B.2 started in 1960. The B.2 featured more powerful engines, a larger wing, an improved electrical system, and electronic countermeasures, and many were modified to accept the Blue Steel missile. As a part of the V-force, the Vulcan was the backbone of the United Kingdom's airborne nuclear deterrent during much of the Cold War. A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lotus Esprit
The Lotus Esprit is a sports car built by Lotus Cars from 1976 to 2004 at their Hethel, England factory. It has a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Together with the Lotus Elise / Exige, it is one of Lotus' most long-lived models. The Esprit was among the first of the (near) straight-lined, hard-edge creased, and sometimes wedge-shaped, polygonal "folded paper" designs of the prolific, and highly successful Italian industrial and automotive designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. The Esprit's backbone chassis was later adapted to carry the body of the DeLorean car, another low-bodied, Giugiaro-drawn, sharp-creased, wedge-shaped sportscar design. In 1978, the first updates led to the series 2 and engined Esprit S2.2, made until the 1982–1988 Series 3 and Turbo Esprit models, that used a 1980 Giugiaro designed aerodynamic and aesthetic restyling package. The Lotus Esprit however, lived on through the 1990s, and into the 2000s. It received its first significant restylin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
FV107 Scimitar
The FV107 Scimitar is an armoured tracked military reconnaissance vehicle (sometimes classed as a light tank) formerly used by the British Army, until it was retired from active service in April 2023. It was manufactured by Alvis in Coventry. It is very similar to the FV101 Scorpion, but mounts a high-velocity 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon instead of a low-velocity 76 mm gun. It was issued to Royal Armoured Corps armoured regiments in the reconnaissance role. Each regiment originally had a close reconnaissance squadron of five troops, each containing eight FV107 Scimitars. Each Main Battle Tank Regiment also employed eight Scimitars in the close reconnaissance role. Development The FV107 Scimitar is one of the CVR(T) series of vehicles. The first prototype was completed in 1971. After being accepted for service in 1973, deliveries to Belgium and the UK commenced in 1974. Initially, the engine was the Jaguar J60 4.2-litre 6-cylinder petrol engine, the same as used by se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose twin-engined military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants. The Lynx went into operational usage in 1977 and was later adopted by the armed forces of over a dozen nations, primarily serving in the Utility helicopter, battlefield utility, anti-tank warfare, anti-armour, search and rescue and anti-submarine warfare roles. The Lynx is a fully aerobatics, aerobatic helicopter with the ability to perform loops and rolls. In 1986, a specially modified Lynx set the current Fédération Aéronautique Internationale's official airspeed record for helicopters (category excludes compound helicopters) at , which remains unbroken as of January 2022. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sinclair C5
The Sinclair C5 is a small one-person battery electric vehicle, battery electric Recumbent bicycle, recumbent tricycle, technically an "electrically assisted pedal cycle". It was the culmination of Sir Clive Sinclair's long-running interest in electric vehicles. Although widely described as an "electric car", Sinclair characterised it as a "vehicle, not a car". Sinclair had become one of the UK's best-known millionaires, and earned a knighthood, on the back of the highly successful Sinclair Research range of home computers in the early 1980s. He hoped to repeat his success in the electric vehicle market, which he saw as ripe for a new approach. The C5 emerged from an earlier project to produce a small electric car called the C1. After a change in the law, prompted by lobbying from bicycle manufacturers, Sinclair developed the C5 as an electrically powered tricycle with a polypropylene body and a chassis designed by Lotus Cars. It was intended to be the first in a series of increas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. One of the most influential computers ever made and one of the all-time bestselling British computers, over five million units were sold. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and around the world in the following years, most notably in Europe and the United States. The machine was designed by English entrepreneur and inventor Sir Clive Sinclair and his small team in Cambridge, and was manufactured in Dundee, Scotland by Timex Corporation. It was made to be small, simple, and most importantly inexpensive, with as few components as possible. The addendum "Spectrum" was chosen to highlight the machine's colour display, which differed from the black-and-white display of its predecessor, the ZX81. Rick Dickinson designed its distinctive case, rainbow motif, and chiclet keyboard, rubber keyboard. Video output is transmitted to a television set rather than a ded ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
DMC DeLorean
The DMC DeLorean is a rear-engine, two–seat sports car manufactured and marketed by John DeLorean's DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) for the American market from 1981 until 1983—ultimately the only car brought to market by the fledgling company. The DeLorean is sometimes referred to by its internal DMC pre-production designation, DMC-12, which was never used in sales or marketing materials for the production model. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the DeLorean is noted for its gull-wing doors and brushed stainless-steel outer body panels, as well as its lack of power and performance compatible with its looks and price. Though its production was short-lived, the DeLorean became widely known after it was featured as DeLorean time machine, the time machine in the Back to the Future (franchise), ''Back to the Future'' films. With the first production car completed on January 21, 1981, the design incorporated numerous minor revisions to the hood, wheels and interior before producti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jaguar E-Type
The Jaguar E-Type, or the Jaguar XK-E for the North American market, is a British FMR layout, front mid-engined sports car that was manufactured by Jaguar Cars, Jaguar Cars Ltd from 1961 to 1974. Its sleek appearance, advanced technologies, high performance, and competitive pricing established it as an icon. The E-Type's claimed top speed,New Jaguar Car Has Top Speed of 150 M.P.H. ''The Times'', Wednesday, 15 Mar 1961; p. 7; Issue 55030 sub-7-second 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) acceleration, largely unibody, unitary body construction, front and rear independent suspension with disc brakes, mounted inboard at the rear, and rack-and-pinion steering spurred industry-wide changes.Jaguar Model Guides: The E-Type , www.jcna.com, accessed 1 October 2019 The E-Type was based on Jaguar's Jaguar D-Type, D-Type rac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a family of light commercial vehicles manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1965, primarily as a panel van, cargo van, but also available in other configurations including a large passenger van (marketed as the Ford Tourneo in some markets since 1995), cutaway van chassis, and a pickup truck. The vehicle is also known as the Ford T-Series (T-150, T-250, T-350), a nomenclature shared with Ford's other light commercial vehicles, the Ford F-Series trucks, and the Ford E-Series chassis. , 8 million Transit vans have been sold, making it the third best-selling van of all time and has been produced across four basic platform generations (debuting in 1965, 1986, 2000, and 2013 respectively), with various "facelift" versions of each. The first product of the merged Ford of Europe, the Transit was originally marketed in Western Europe and Australia. By the end of the twentieth century, it was marketed nearly globally with the exception of North America until 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leyland Comet
The Leyland Comet was a long running badge used by Leyland for a series of trucks (and the occasional bus) intended mainly for export markets. The name lives on in India, where Ashok Leyland still uses the badge today. First generation The semi-bonneted original Comet was first shown in December 1947. While intended mainly for export, it was also sold in the home market. The wheelbase is and the gross weight . A coach model seating 33, sharing the same front design, appeared in 1948. The cab was built by Briggs Motor Bodies and was shared with the Ford Thames ET6 and Dodge 100. Ford purchased Briggs in 1953, meaning Leyland (and Dodge) were forced to develop new cabs. The original engines were a diesel or a petrol unit; the petrol version was rarely seen in Britain. In 1950 the diesel engine was updated to the new 5.76 litre Leyland O.350 unit, now with . Maximum weight was increased to ; models for tropical zones received a considerably lower rating. In 1955 the maxim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BT Tower
The BT Communications Tower, also known simply as the BT Tower, is a Listed building, grade II listed Radio masts and towers, communications tower in Fitzrovia, London, England, owned by BT Group. It has also been known as the GPO Tower, the Post Office Tower, and the Telecom Tower. The main structure is high, with aerial rigging bringing the total height to . Upon completion in 1964, it was the tallest structure in London and remained so until 1980. Butlins managed a revolving restaurant in the tower from 1966 until 1980. A 360° LED screen displays news across central London. In February 2024, the sale of the tower to MCR Hotels was announced. History Design and construction The tower was commissioned by the General Post Office, GPO. Its primary purpose was to support the microwave Antenna (electronics), aerials then used to carry telecommunications traffic from London to the rest of the country, as part of the General Post Office microwave network, GPO microwave network. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
