T42 medium tank

T42
Type Medium tank
Place of origin United States
Production history
Designed 1948-1953
Variants T69, T87
Specifications
Weight 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]
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]

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

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Hunnicutt, R.P. (1984). Patton: A History of the American MBT. Presidio. pp. 423–424.
  2. Hunnicutt, R.P. (1984). Patton: A History of the American MBT. Presidio. p. 34.
  3. Hunnicutt, R.P. (1984). Patton: A History of the American MBT. Presidio. p. 33.
  4. Hunnicutt, R.P. (1984). Patton: A History of the American MBT. Presidio. p. 35.
  5. 1 2 Hunnicutt, R.P. (1984). Patton: A History of the American MBT. Presidio. p. 47.
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