New Research Tractor
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TN its newest research tractor, the
American International Harvester, Co., Ltd., has coupled a gas turbine to a hydrostatic transmission. It is thought that this may be the first time the combination has ever been tried in a farm and utility tractor.
Called the HT-340, the tractor uses a Titan T62T 80 h.psingle-shaft gas turbine which is a product of the Solar Aircraft Co., International Harvester's San Diego subsidiary. Dimensions of the unit are 21 in. long and less than 13 in. diameter. The weight is only 90 lb. including reduction gearing, compared with 450 lb. for the 40-b.h.p. piston engine displaced.
Since the transmission was designed to operate with the 40-b.h.p. piston engine, the HT-340 can use only about half the power output of the turbine. Gearing reduces the speed of the turbine's output shaft to 2,000 r.p.rn.
As the turbine runs at a constant speed there is no accelerator pedal, and the gearchange lever and brake and clutch pedals are dispensed with because of the hydrostatic transmission.
Except for steering, the driver has only one control— a trans mission leve r—to select forward or reverse speeds and to stop.