Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"People are choosing to allow television and Electronic Arts to do all their imagining for them."
- Peter Watts
 |
| Knockdown Cabin | ||
| A portable shelter; had solid walls and could be assembled quickly. |
Portable shelters (rather than tents) had been used for at least a short time by the military. The British Nissen hut, was a semi cylindrical steel hut, named for it's designer Captain Nissen.
| His goods filled every compartment of the compact little freighter. He checked the last item from his inventory and ran a satisfied eye down the list. Any explorer or adventurer of the past might well be pleased with such equipment, he thought. He could imagine showing Jack London his knockdown cabin. See, Jack, he would say, it's proof against any kind of weather- perfectly insulated walls and floor- and can't rust. It's so light that you can set it up in five minutes by yourself, yet it's so strong that you can sleep sound with the biggest grizzly in the world snuffling right outside your door. And London would scratch his head, and say, Dave, you're a wonder. If I'd had that in the Yukon, it would have been a cinch! |
| From Coventry,
by Robert Heinlein. Published by Not Known in 1940 Additional resources -
|
In March, 1941 the navy requested the George A. Fuller Co. to make a prefabricated, "knockdown shelter" to be built in the United States. The intent was that these multipurpose shelters could be shipped to distant bases, there to be assembled by troops in the field.
The contractor decided the Nissen hut was too complicated. Their first design was created at their Quonset Point, Rhode Island facility; it was a half-cylinder made of corrugated steel with arch ribs. It was insulated, had a pressed-wood interior; it could be put up on concrete, on pilings, or on the ground. The wood ends had a door and two windows. The first units were 16 by 36 feet but soon they made them in 20 x 40 foot and 20 x 56 foot models.
The army ordered 16,000 of them after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 4 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Coventry
More Ideas
and Technology by Robert Heinlein
Tech news articles related to Coventry
Tech news articles related to works by Robert Heinlein
| Kinetic Buildings And Psychotropic Houses |
| Jupe Urban Escape Pods Have Tesla, SpaceX Roots |
| 3D Printed Dubai Building Is World's Largest |
| Driverless Hotel Rooms Predicted In 1828 |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'We saw the gardens, flooded with artificial sunlight, planted with everything imaginable, that supplied the necessary food.'
'Employees... were implanted with advanced microprocessors...'
'... sweating, heat-blistered engineers at every interplanetary radiograph station on three planets.'
'The huge plow... seemed to shake itself - and began to move back southward.'
'... he went to the hall closet to get his pith helmet and his mandatory cooling-unit.'
