T95
Encyclopedia
The T95 was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prototype medium tank
Medium tank
Medium tank was a classification of tanks; the medium being intermediate in size and weight and armament between heavy tanks and light tanks.The medium tank concept has been eclipsed by the main battle tank.-History:...
developed from 1955 to 1959. These tanks used many advanced or unusual features, such as siliceous-cored armor, a new transmission, and the OPTAC fire-control system
Fire-control system
A fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...
. The OPTAC incorporated an electro-optical rangefinder
Rangefinder
A rangefinder is a device that measures distance from the observer to a target, for the purposes of surveying, determining focus in photography, or accurately aiming a weapon. Some devices use active methods to measure ; others measure distance using trigonometry...
and was mounted on the right side of the turret, and was used in conjunction with the APFSDS
Kinetic energy penetrator
A kinetic energy penetrator is a type of ammunition which, like a bullet, does not contain explosives and uses kinetic energy to penetrate the target....
-firing 90 mm T208 smoothbore
Smoothbore
A smoothbore weapon is one which has a barrel without rifling. Smoothbores range from handheld firearms to powerful tank guns and large artillery mortars.-History of firearms and rifling:...
gun, which had a rigid mount without a recoil system,. In addition, although the tanks were designed with a torsion beam suspension
Torsion beam suspension
thumb|250px|A front [[VW Beetle]] suspension cross-sectionA torsion bar suspension, also known as a torsion spring suspension or torsion beam suspension, is a general term for any vehicle suspension that uses a torsion bar as its main weight bearing spring...
, a hydropneumatic suspension
Hydropneumatic suspension
Hydropneumatic suspension is a type of automotive suspension system, invented by Citroën, and fitted to Citroën cars, as well as being used under licence by other car manufacturers, notably Rolls-Royce, and Peugeot. It was also used on Berliet trucks and is since recently used on Mercedes-Benz...
was fitted, and one of the tanks was fitted with a Solar Saturn gas turbine
Gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
for demonstration purposes.
The siliceous cored armor consisted of fused silica, which has a mass efficiency of approximately three versus copper-lined shaped charge
Shaped charge
A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosive's energy. Various types are used to cut and form metal, to initiate nuclear weapons, to penetrate armor, and in the oil and gas industry...
s, embedded in cast steel armor for an overall mass efficiency of 1.4. The early APFSDS penetrators fired by the T208 had a low length-to-diameter ratio, this being limited by their brittle tungsten carbide
Tungsten carbide
Tungsten carbide is an inorganic chemical compound containing equal parts of tungsten and carbon atoms. Colloquially, tungsten carbide is often simply called carbide. In its most basic form, it is a fine gray powder, but it can be pressed and formed into shapes for use in industrial machinery,...
construction, with a diameter of 37 mm, although they had a high muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of 1,525 meters per second
Metre per second
Metre per second is an SI derived unit of both speed and velocity , defined by distance in metres divided by time in seconds....
(5,000 feet per second). The rangefinder, the T53 Optical Tracking, Acquisition and Ranging (OPTAR) system, emitted pulsed beams of intense but incoherent
Coherence (physics)
In physics, coherence is a property of waves that enables stationary interference. More generally, coherence describes all properties of the correlation between physical quantities of a wave....
infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
light. These incoherent beams scattered easily, reducing effectiveness in mist and rain and causing multiple returns, requiring the gunner to identify the correct return after estimating the range by sight. This, combined with the large and vulnerable design of the transmitter and receiver assembly, led to the abandonment of the OPTAR system in 1957.
Development
In the early 1950s, work began in the US to develop an eventual replacement to the M48 tank, the operational medium tank at the time. In September of 1954, out of many submitted plans, two main examples were chosen – one of them, the T95; the other, the T96, which used a heavier gun and a 105 mm round. Both tanks used smooth-bore barrels with a fixed mount and no recoil system. In November 1956, it was finally decided that nine tanks would be produced. Four of them would be original T95s. One would be a T95 with a 90 mm gun on a mount with a recoil system, receiving the designation T95E1. The remaining four would use the T95 chassis and the T96 turretGun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
, and were designated the T95E4.
Production
Because the T96 turrets were not yet constructed (and were never completed), it was decided that of the four T95E4s, two would be fitted with the M48A2 turret, and the other two were fitted with T54E2 turret and with 105-mm T140 cannon.The first T95 variant to go into production was the T95E2, in May 1957. The T95E3 was produced in July of the same year, and the first original T95s were ready in February 1958.
Description
The T95 tank was created using a traditional design with a driver in the front, the fighting compartment in the center, and the engine compartment in the rear. The tank had a four-man crew, consisting of a commander, a gunner, a loader, and a driver.The driver’s work area is in the forward compartment. The driver's hatch is located in the glacias above his head.. With the hatch sealed the driver operates using three periscopic
Periscope
A periscope is an instrument for observation from a concealed position. In its simplest form it consists of a tube with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at a 45-degree angle....
visual devices, the middle of which is equipped with a night-vision infrared camera from the T161. Ammunition stores are located on either side of the driver’s chair.
Hull and turret
The majority of the hull is welded, but the front is a single massive casting. The upper part of the forward armor, or glacias, has a thickness of 95 mm and is at an angle of 65 degrees from vertical. The thickness of the roof and floor of the hull around the driver's compartment is 51 and 19 mm respectively; the thicknesses of said areas are 25 and 13 mm, respectively, around the fighting and engine compartments. The thickness of the main side plates vary from 102 mm up front down to 32 mm around the engine.The cast turret has a ring diameter of 85 inches (the same as the M48
M48 Patton
The M48 Patton is a medium tank that was designed in the United States. It was the third and final tank to be officially named after General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. Third Army during World War II and one of the earliest American advocates for the use of tanks in battle It was a...
). The frontal turret armor is 178 mm, and the sides are 78 mm. The shape of the turret is elongated compared to the M48. The gunner’s seat is situated to the right of the main gun in the front of the turret. The commander’s seat is also in the turret with a built-in 12.7 mm M2 machine gun
M2 Machine Gun
The M2 Machine Gun, Browning .50 Caliber Machine Gun, is a heavy machine gun designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. It is very similar in design to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, which was chambered for the .30-06 cartridge...
, with an M28 periscopic sight for aiming. For 360-degree vision, 5 armored viewports are installed in the turret. Primary shells are stored in the lower section of the turret, beneath the ring.
Armament
The T95 and the T95E1 are equipped with a T208 90 mm smooth-bore gun. The T95 equipment was installed on a fixed mount and was stabilized in two axises. The T95E1 equipment was installed on a recoil mount, but lacked stabilization systems. All T95 models were equipped with T320 armor-piercing rounds, which had a tungsten core, a diameter of 40 mm, and a muzzle velocity of 1520 meters per second. These rounds could successfully penetrate a 127 mm armor plate when fired at a 60-degree angle from 2000 yards. A standard T95 was equipped with 50 rounds.The T95E2 retained the armament of its predecessor, the M48A2. With a 90 mm gun, it could fire a 74 mm anti-armor shell at 915 meters per second for a range of 2000 yards. It was equipped with 64 rounds.
The T95E3 was armed with a T140 105 mm rifled gun. With a muzzle velocity of 1079 m/s, the armor piecing capability at 2000 yards is 122 mm at a 60-degree firing angle. Standard equipment was 64 rounds.
The T95E4 was planned to have a T210 105 mm smoothbore gun. In order to accommodate the extra length of the rounds (112 cm), the gun was moved forward, preventing stabilization. The muzzle velocity of the round was 1740 m/s, with an armor penetration of 152 mm at 60 degrees at 2000 yards Standard equipment – 40 rounds.
With the appearance of the T123 120 mm rifled gun, it was decided that it should be installed on two of the four planned T95E4s. This variant was designated T95E6. Muzzle velocity – 1070 m/s, armor-piercing capability of 122 mm at 60 degrees at a range of 2000 yards.
Fire-control system
The T95E2 and the T95E3 were equipped with a fire-control systemFire-control system
A fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...
, identical to the one used in the M48A2, with a stereoscopic rangefinder
Rangefinder
A rangefinder is a device that measures distance from the observer to a target, for the purposes of surveying, determining focus in photography, or accurately aiming a weapon. Some devices use active methods to measure ; others measure distance using trigonometry...
and a mechanical ballistics computer.
The T95 also had an FCS which had an OPTAR optic rangefinder, as well as an electronic ballistics computer. It also featured a periscopic sight from the T44 and a T50 ballistic computer.
The T95E1 used a simplified targeting system – a rangefinder
Rangefinder
A rangefinder is a device that measures distance from the observer to a target, for the purposes of surveying, determining focus in photography, or accurately aiming a weapon. Some devices use active methods to measure ; others measure distance using trigonometry...
and a ballistics computer were omitted.
Powerplant
Under the original proposal, T95 and T96 tanks had to be equipped with an X-shapedX engine
An X engine is a piston engine comprising twinned V-block engines horizontally opposed to each other. Thus, the cylinders are arranged in four banks, driving a common crankshaft. Viewed head-on, this would appear as an X...
750 hp 12-cylinder diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
. However, because this engine was only in the early stages of development, it was decided to temporarily equip the tanks with a 4-stroke, 8-cylinder AOI-1195 gasoline engine. The engine was placed transversely and was connected with the XTG-410 four-speed transmission
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
. Three fuel tanks, with a total capacity of 780 liters, were installed in the engine compartment.
Despite higher fuel economy compared to the M48A2 engine, gasoline engines provided insufficient torque. At the same time, the development of the X-shaped diesel engine failed, so starting in mid-1958, other options were considered. As an interim measure, they decided to use a modified version of the civilian 12-cylinder, two-stroke, water-cooled, V-type, 570 hp GM
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
12V71T
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
diesel engine.
A contract was signed with the Continental Motors Company
Continental Motors Company
Continental Motors Company was an American engine and automobile manufacturer. The company produced engines for various independent manufacturers of automobiles, tractors, and stationary equipment from the 1900s through the 1960s. Continental Motors also produced Continental-branded automobiles in...
in the development of the AVDS-1100 air-cooled diesel engine, and with Caterpillar
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
to develop the LVDS-1100 water-cooled diesel engine. Both engines are quad-V-shaped, with an estimated 550 hp. However, tank testing with the three new power plants began after the retirement of the T95 program.
Chassis
The suspension consists of five sets of double road wheels with torsion bar springs. The system does not have track return rollers. The forward and rearmost road wheels are equipped with hydraulic shock absorbers. On some of the tanks lightweight openwork road wheels were used.Caterpillar treads were used, with rubber bushed pins. The width of the tracks were 533 mm or 610 mm. The number of tracks in a tread was 80 and the length of the bearing surface was 4.2 m.
Retirement
During the development of T95 tank, it became clear that it would not have a significant advantage over the M48A2. The X-shaped motor and optical rangefinder were both discarded due to performance, and the accuracy of smoothbore gun continued to be unsatisfactory. All this led to the closure of the project on July 7, 1960. At the same time, work on the T95E7 turret was continued, which led to the creation of the fairly successful M60A1 turret.Versions and modifications
- T95 – The original tank, with a 90 mm smoothbore gun with a recoilless, fixed mount.
- T95E1 – Recoil mount, 90 mm gun, simplified fire-control systemFire-control systemA fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...
. - T95E2 – Turret from the M48A2, 90 mm rifled gun.
- T95E3 – Turret from the M48A2, 105 mm rifled gun.
- T95E4 – Turret from the T96, 105 mm smoothbore gun.
- T95E5 – A T95E2 with a 105 mm British rifled gunRoyal Ordnance L7The Royal Ordnance L7 is the basic model of Britain's most successful tank gun. The L7 was a 105 mm L/52 rifled design intended for use in armoured fighting vehicles...
, never built. - T95E6 – Turret from the T96, 120 mm rifled gun, never built.
- T95E7 – A T95E1 with a 105 mm British gun, never built.
- T95E8 – A T95E2 with a 12V71T diesel engine.
External links
- T95 series of experimental medium tanks at Jedsite (requires registration)
- 90 mm Gun Tank T95