Film props - artillery weapons

We have designed and built major film props for Warhorse and John Carter of Mars. We were commissioned to create 2 full-size Howitzer artillery guns for the Spielberg film Warhorse. These guns weighed 8 tonnes in real life and fired 8" diameter (210mm) shells weighing 120 KG.

They had to be based on robust, rolling chassis (so the horses could pull them) with elevating and recoiling barrels. (The barrels were required to recoil on hydraulic cylinders and fire powder charges to give the effect of realism). We worked from old photographs, creating a complete CAD model in order to specify a giant, bespoke 'IKEA' kit to make them.

Built from laser-cut steel, water-cut aluminium, CNC routed ply and MDF, and machined foam and fibreglass in addition to several thousand bolts they were a technical tour de force. A large gimballed gun and six smaller deck guns were created for John Carter of Mars with a similar design and build process.

Still taken from the film Warhorse of a prop canon firing

An photo of the canon mid-construction — Building the guns based on a German 21 cm Mörser 16

CAD model of the Warhorse howitzer — CAD view of Warhorse howitzer, a 6' soldier is shown for scale.

Two stills taken from the film Warhorse of the prop canon, one from a distance and the other a close-up

A still from John Carter of Mars of an actor using the prop — Still from John Carter of Mars

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