TORNADO - The Team with the Comedy Flying Cow
IMAGES 2000

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The first work on the chassis.

The completed lower section of the chassis.

The layout diagram we sent to Mentorn, and some of the tyres we got from the kart track.




Assembly of the speed controller begins.


Chassis progress - top and bottom halves complete, some uprights and the round spikes welded in.


More chassis progress - the uprights are mostly in.

Another sucessful visit to the kart track.

Bryan empties the Fire Extinguishers we used as buffer tanks.

The wheels fit into the chassis...

Who needs axles stands? My car shows just how tough the robot chassis is.

Our original spike guards, and the towing/tethering loop.

Fitting the motor mounts into the chassis.

The nicely machined spur gear, and the pinion fitted to the motor.


The motor/pinion, and spur gear/go-kart clutch assemblies fitted into the chassis.

Driving practice using RC cars.

The complete speed controller, and the controller and decoder boards.

The pneumatic ram mounted in the chassis.

The Comedy Flying Cow.

Our logo - left, the original version and right, the official Tornado logo.

The infamous sequence from Twister!

The "car sticker"...

Our supporters banner.

Dave went Storm Chasing in America.

Longhorn cattle.

The National Weather Service doppler radar.

Golf ball hail.



Night-time lightning.

The Tornados Dave saw on holiday in the States.

Some wet tyres, picked up from Buckmore Park kart track, and work continues on the armour.

The idler in the chassis, showing the route of the chain.

Beginning assembly for Wilsons Day, and the removable link.

On the bench testing when first assembled.

First run under radio control - robots create divets in uneven lawns.

We demonstrate that we can melt our tyres - we have enough torque to wheelspin up against a wall!

The complete top armour with access flap, and the replacement front guard.

Preparations for Robots@War (Wilsons Day).

Testing Tornado - and the arena - at Wilsons Day.


More testing of Tornado and the arena.

Tornado on the trolley after testing and Stinger being tested.

Wolverine, which uses 2 Sinclair C5/Philips motors.


Other robots at Wilsons Day: Velocirippa, Razer, Chaos 2, KillerHurtz, Raizerblade, Toecutter 2, Splinter, Typhoon, plus Hard Cheese, Zippy, 101, Onslaught, Oblivion, Orac's Revenge, Miss Struts, Behemoth, Wild Thing, the Savage Toaster, Mortis and Dantomkia.

Daisy Chopper, and Tornado keeping out the rain.

Our first battle was against Dantomkia, so we checked them out.


The first heat was between Splinter and Orac's Revenge, and the second between Onslaught and Chaos 2.

We were up next...


Our battle with Dantomkia.

The turning point in the battle - Tornado repeatedly ramming Dantomkia. Then we went airbourne...

We held Dantomkia to the side of the arena as the battle ended.


The damage to Dantomkia.


And the damage to Tornado.


Our battle with Stinger - until our link got knocked out we were pushing them where we wanted.

Another picture of Stinger, and some damage done to Stinger by Tornado.


More detail of the damage done in the fight with Dantomkia.


Finally we assemble and test the weapon.


Driving tests at the old cafe.

Painting the chassis begins...

Bryan fine tunes the pneumatics.


Spike assembly and painting.


Demonstrating Tornado to my work colleagues, and towing my car.


Towing Bryans Land Rover, and more driving practice.


The backup speed controller, the underneath of Tornado (that we hope you will never see!), and the spike in action.

The Series 3 incarnation of T2; the robot we beat at the Series 4 audition.


Team photoshoot after the Series 4 audition.

Where Shunt hit our battery cover and battery.


Damage to the chassis and sprockets caused by the chain coming off.


The damage caused by Shunt's axe.

The motor we burnt out whilst fighting Wheely Big Cheese.

Pictures of us in the pits working to fix Tornado, taken by the Mousetrap team, who kindly lent us their motor.

The final state of Tornado after fighting Wheely Big Cheese and Chaos 2.

The photo from the Daily Mail Weekend article.

Tornado is shown at the beginning of Series 4 Heat A.

We are in the background as Philippa hands over to Jules.

The big motor we were donated, compared to a Bosch.

We appear in the background again in Heat E, and our supporters are shown in the crowd.


Photos from the Hunts Post.

Our proper TV appearance with Tornado - Heat F.


The first battle - the Melee with Katerkiller and Gemini. Katerkiller were eliminated.


Still the first battle - we pushed Shunt and took Katerkiller's tail off.

Our second battle, against Beserk 2.




The heat final, versus Gemini. We won!

Again our supporters can be seen, this time in Heat G.

In Heat H, our supporter Adrian can be seen in the crowd.

We attempt to tow Bryans 101 Land Rover.

At the Debenham Robot Rumble event, Rex Garrod was judging, and we got to meet him. He brought along Cassius 1&2, and Brum!

Left, Bigger Brother vs Henry 2, and right, Wheely Big Cheese vs Stinger.

Left, Chaos 2 vs Skab, and right, Suicidal Tendencies vs Steel Avenger.

Left, Our first fight was against Invertibrat, whom we beat. Right, Venom vs Rambot.

Left, Dominator 2 vs Toecutter 2, and right, Chaos 2 vs Humphrey.

Left, Antweights Ickle Xno and Ickle Behemoth, and right, Bigger Brother vs Stinger.

Our next fight was against Suicidal Tendencies, to whom we lost, putting us out of the morning session.

ST gave us some puntures that we had to repair...

Dominator 2 vs Venom.

The morning session final: Stinger vs Dominator 2.

The afternoon session: Chaos 2 dispatched Velocirippa...


Our first fight of the afternoon was against Sump Thing. We beat them, and in the process broke the arena!

Left, Rambot got stuck whilst fighting Humphrey, and right, Judge Mech vs Henry 2.

Left, Wheely Big Cheese vs Skab, and right, Bigger Brother vs Toecutter 2.

Left, Dominator 2 vs Venom again, and right, Suicidal Tendencies vs Stinger.


Our last fight of the day was against Chaos 2, whom we were beating until George propped us against the barrier.

Bigger Brother took out Wheely Big Cheese, puncturing their tyres.


Dominator 2 and Suicidal Tendencies had a very tough fight.

The final: Dominator 2 vs Bigger Brother.


Our supporters Chris (top left), Anna (top right), and Alex.


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