Although the M41 Bulldog entered production in 1951, it did not completely fulfill the requirements for a light tank as specified by the Army Field Forces. It was thus regarded as an interm vehicle, while the Army sought designs for a more lightweight tank, that was both inexpensive and had a longer cruising range. In an effort to meet these new requirements, numerous light tank concepts were proposed at the first of what would be many Questionmark Conferences, where tank designers and tank users could meet to determine the future of armored vehicle development.
While Detroit Arsenal was the primary contributor, the Cadillac Motor Car Division of the General Motors Corporation proposed a design of their own. This seventh concept was armed with the 76 mm Gun T91E3 in an oscillating turret. Like the first concept, it was estimated to weigh 17 tons and used the AO-536 engine.
Unlike the DA designs, the CMCD design put its engine in the rear, with a driver shaft extending the bottom of the chassis to connect to the frontally-mounted transmission. The crew was also reduced to three and the gun used an automatic loader.
This tank can probably be thought of as a US equivalent to the French B-C 25 t light tank, fulfilling a similar role and play style.
Engines: GMC AX-660 (430 hp)
Turrets (Turret Armor (mm)): L-7 (25/25/25)
Turrets (Turret Armor (mm)): L-7 (25/25/25)
Suspensions/Alternate Hulls, Total Weight (metric tons): L-7 (15.42)
Hull Armor (mm): 25/25/13
Top Speed: ?? km/h
No comments:
Post a Comment