T42 medium tank
| T42 | |
|---|---|
 T42 at Aberdeen Proving Ground, 1951 | |
| Type | Medium tank |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1948-1953 |
| Variants | T69, T87 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Combat loaded: 74,500 lb (33.8 t) Unstowed: 68,080 lb (30.88 t)[1] |
| Length | Gun forward: 314.7 in (7.99 m) Gun in Travel Position: 273.4 in (6.94 m) Without Gun: 232.1 in (5.90 m)[1] |
| Width | Over fenders: 140.8 in (3.58 m)[1] |
| Height | Over AA MG: 126.3 in (3.21 m)[1] |
| Crew | 4:[1] Commander, Gunner Driver, Loader |
| Armor | Upper glacis: 102 mm (4.0 in) at 60° = 204 mm (8.0 in) LoS[1] |
Main armament | T42: 90mm Gun T119 T69: 90mm Gun T178[1] |
Secondary armament | Flexible AA mount: .50 cal HB M2 Coaxial: .50 cal HB M2E1[1] |
| Engine | Continental AOS-895-3[1] 500 gross hp 370 net hp[1] |
| Power/weight | T42 13.4 gross hp/ton T69 13.2 gross hp/ton[1] |
| Suspension | Torsion bars |
Operational range | 70 mi (110 km)[1] |
| Maximum speed | 32 mph (51 km/h)[1] |
The 90mm GUN TANK T42 was a medium tank powered by the AOS-895-3, a 6-cylinder, Air cooled, Opposed cylinder, Supercharged engine displacing 895.9 cubic inches.[2] It was intended to fulfill OTCM 32529's, dated December 2, 1948, call for a tank weighing 36 tons and equivalently armed as the M46 while having superior armour.[3] With an engine producing only 500 hp, concern about the T42's performance was expressed. Testing, with a T40 loaded to the weight of T42 and powered by the AOS-895 through a CD-500 transmission, revealed it to be only equivalent in performance to the late model M4A3, which was below the design estimates.[4]
Development
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Variants
- T69: armed with a 90mm T178 in an oscillating turret with an autoloader[5]
- T87: proposed improvement of the T42 including features such as a cast steel elliptical hull and a flat track suspension[5]
Bibliography
- Hunnicutt, R.P. (1984). Patton: A History of the American MBT. Presidio. ISBN 0891412301.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Hunnicutt, R.P. (1984). Patton: A History of the American MBT. Presidio. pp. 423–424.
- ^ Hunnicutt, R.P. (1984). Patton: A History of the American MBT. Presidio. p. 34.
- ^ Hunnicutt, R.P. (1984). Patton: A History of the American MBT. Presidio. p. 33.
- ^ Hunnicutt, R.P. (1984). Patton: A History of the American MBT. Presidio. p. 35.
- ^ a b Hunnicutt, R.P. (1984). Patton: A History of the American MBT. Presidio. p. 47.