Chinese history records ‘wheel ships’ powered
by foot treadle being used in the Liu Song Dynasty (420–479). By the time of the Song Dynasty (960–1276) they were a significant part of the navy and had up to eleven wheels a side.
In an age of sail, a warship that could manoeuvre in still conditions would provide a winning advantage in any naval engagement. Da Vinci sketched a number of designs for paddle wheel ships including this side-wheel design to be powered by the crew using crank handles.
In 1803 the steam-powered paddle wheeler Charlotte Dundas towed two barges along the Forth and Clyde canal in Scotland and ‘paddle steamers’ dominated cargo and passenger ship design for the next fifty years.
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