M8 Tractor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| M8 High-Speed Tractor | |
|---|---|
| Type | Artillery tractor |
| Place of origin |  United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | US Army |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1950 to 1955 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 24.948 t |
| Length | 6.731 m |
| Width | 3.327 m |
| Height | 3.048 m |
| Crew | 1 + 1 |
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| Armor | none |
| Primary armament |
1 x 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun |
| Engine | Continental AOS-895-3 six-cylinder air-cooled petrol engine 863hp (644 kW) |
| Power/weight | 34.60 hp/tonne |
| Operational range |
290 km |
| Speed | 64.4 km/h |
The M8 High-Speed Tractor was an artillery tractor used by the US Army from 1950.
Contents |
[edit] Construction
The M8 is a full-track tractor based on the chassis of the M41 Walker Bulldog light tank. It was used to tow cargo trailers and artillery such as the 75 mm anti-aircraft gun and the M59 Long Tom gun. The basic M8 variant could be quickly adapted for carrying projectiles and charges. Unusually for a tractor, the M8s engine was located at the front of the cab. Some M8s were equipped with a hydraulic dozer blade.
[edit] History
The M8 was developed following the failure of the T33 cargo-carrier, which was based on the M24 Chaffee light tank chassis. The new, standardized M8 was produced between 1950 and 1955.
[edit] References
- Trewhitt, Philip (1999). Armoured Fighting Vehicles. p 309: Dempsey-Parr. ISBN 1-84084-328-4.
