Loggerhead was a heavyweight robot which attempted to enter Series 5 of Robot Wars. It failed to qualify for the series despite performing strongly in its only known qualifier battle against S3, enabling it to last until the final minute.
Design[]
Information on Loggerhead's design is limited, although an August 2001 Northern Echo article confirms that it was armoured in aluminium plating and featured a pair of crushing jaws powered by a five-ton hydraulic ram.[1] A build diary from would-be opponents the 1 Law Associates relays the same information concerning the robot, though they would not mention Loggerhead by name in their account of the Series 5 qualifiers.[2]
Etymology[]
The robot derives its name from the Loggerhead sea turtle, a species of marine turtle distinguished by their large heads and powerful jaws.
The Team[]
Loggerhead was built by a self-titled team from Bowes, County Durham, comprising of Tallentire garage owner Anthony Hobson, 'electronics expert' Chris Tipping and Appleby-based engineer Reuben Gibson.[1]
Qualification[]
Attending the Newcastle leg of the 2001 Robot Wars Live Event tour, Loggerhead's only known qualifier battle came against the powerful vertical spinner S3. Details on this battle are limited, though a build diary from the 1 Law Associates suggests that it initially took advantage of S3's failsafe issues by grabbing and piercing its main chassis. This attack caused both competitors to get stuck together, requiring separation from the House Robots. Once this occurred, Loggerhead sustained major damage to its aluminium armour from S3's disc, which was eventually enough to immobilise it.[2] The Northern Echo claims that Loggerhead survived until the last minute of the fight before being knocked out. However, S3 would be declared the winner and go on to qualify for the televised Fifth Wars at its expense.[1]
Despite the damage sustained to their machine, the Loggerhead team stated their pride in how long they remained in the fight for, along with their intention to build a new version of the robot. However, it is unknown whether the team or Loggerhead returned for the qualifiers of any future series.[1]
- "We were very chuffed with our performance. We made a good show of ourselves and did substantial damage to an experienced team. We are absolutely delighted, and thrilled at the great reception we got... This model is just Mark 1 - we have already identified where we can make improvements next time round."
- — Anthony Hobson on Loggerhead's performance.[1]
Series Record[]
| Series | Loggerhead Series Record |
|---|---|
| The First Wars | Did not enter |
| The Second Wars | Did not enter |
| The Third Wars | Did not enter |
| The Fourth Wars | Did not enter |
| The Fifth Wars | Failed to qualify |
| The Sixth Wars | Did not enter |
| The Seventh Wars | Did not enter |
| Series 8 | Did not enter |
| Series 9 | Did not enter |
| Series 10 | Did not enter |