Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood – Yes, Da Vinci Did Design a Tank

Well, there are many other things exciting about this new Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood trailer besides Ezio driving a tank, but think about – Leonardo Da Vinci actually designed a tank in the 15th century. Check out his actual blueprints:

Leonardo designed this ”tank” as a safe way for soldiers to move through the battlefield. Inspired by turtles he envisioned a turtle-shaped shell surrounded by cannon. Inside the armored carrier were to be two giant cranks to be operated by eight men. The sloped, armor-plated exterior was deigned to deflect projectiles protecting those inside.  Yes, it looks outlandish so the question has been raised – could this tank have worked?

In 2009 a team of builders and scientists from the Discovery Channel put it to the test.  Immediately, they noticed something was wrong with Leonardo’s design.  It was not unusual to see in Leonardo’s other designs something reversed or unfinished.  It’s been widely believed he did so in case others stole his work they would not be able to create it properly.  With a little tinkering, the scientists were able to create and operate Leonardo’s tank.

As you can see the tank could have worked. One has to remember what a true “renaissance man” Da Vinci was. His contributions to art, anatomy, medicine, mathematics and science are all well documented. While the tank may seem astonishing, he is known for designing, among other things, plans to build a glider (which Bob Kane said inspired him to create Batman), a helicopter and a robot (which was actually used by NASA in designing space suits).

Had Da Vinci’s tank actually been created, it’s possible that Ezio and and 7 of his friends could have operated it. Yep, Leonardo was a good friend to have.

Check out the 4:20 mark in the new Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood trailer below to see Ezio operate Leonardo’s ‘finished’ tank.