M2 High Speed Tractor
| M2 High-Speed Tractor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Aircraft tug |
| Place of origin |  United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | By 1943 |
| Used by | US Army |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designed | February 1941 |
| Manufacturer | Cleveland Tractor Company |
| No. built | 8,510 |
| Variants | 1 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 166 in (4.22 m) |
| Width | 70 in (1.78 m) |
| Height | 68 in (1.73 m) |
| Crew | 3 |
| Engine | Hercules WXLC3, 6-cylinder, petrol engine 150 hp (112 kW) |
| Suspension | Volute spring |
Operational range | 100 mi (160 km) |
| Maximum speed | 22 mph (35 km/h) |
The M2 High-Speed Tractor (or colloquially M2 Cletrac) was an aircraft tug used by the United States Army Air Forces from 1942.
Construction
The M2 is a fully tracked vehicle designed to tow aircraft on primitive airfields. It was equipped with a 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) winch with 300 ft (91 m) of 3⁄8 in (9.5 mm) cable, an auxiliary generator (3KW, 110 Volts, DC), and an air compressor (3 stage, 16.7 CFPM, 2.000 PSI)
History
The M2 was standardized in February 1941 as Medium Tractor M2.
Surviving artifacts
- one at Estrella war birds museum [1]
- one at the Wright museum [2]
- one at the AAF Museum in Danville, VA
- one at Overloon [3]
- one at the Pima air museum [4]
- one at the Evergreen Air Museum, Mcminville, Oregon, USA
- one at Yanks Air Museum, Chino CA
- one at The National World War II Museum, New Orleans LA
- One at Bright's Pioneer Museum, Plainsburg CA
- Two at Danville Armour Museum, Danville, VA
See also
- List of U.S. military vehicles by supply catalog designation
- List of U.S. military vehicles by model number
- M4 Tractor
- M5 Gun Motor Carriage
References
- TM 9-2800 Military Vehicles 1943, 1947.
- SNL G111
- Doyle, David (2003). Standard catalog of U.S. Military Vehicles. Kraus Publications. ISBN 0-87349-508-X.