Bigger Isn’t Always Better: A1E1 Independent | Tank Chats Reloaded

A bigger tank is a better tank, right? Wrong. Meet the Interwar Vickers A1E1 Independent: a failed prototype, a prototype that proved bigger isn’t always better. Impractical and expensive, it was never accepted into service – but it is said to have inspired equally cumbersome designs including the German Neubaufahrzeug and the Soviet T-35. Join David Willey, The Tank Museum Curator, as he examines one of the more unusual vehicles in the collection – and discover how it became a focus for political espionage in the early 1930’s. 00:00 | Introduction 02:56 | Tank Design & Vickers 03:28 | Heavy Tank Requirements 05:38 | Initial Blueprints & Prototypes 11:08 | Test-bed Vehicle 14:50 | Myths, Issues and Life after Trials 19:25 | Does it lead to anything? This video features archive footage courtesy of British Pathé. #tankmuseum #davidwilley #Interwar #heavytanks