Turbine-Powered Tractor Rolled Out Of Mothballs

Turbine-Powered Tractor Rolled Out Of Mothballs TRACTORS Miscellaneous 26-6-21 Judging from the sloped hood on this IH HT-340 tractor, you might think the experimental tractor was built within the past few years. But you'd be wrong. Displayed at Red Power Days in Penfield, Illinois last summer, the tractor dates back to 1961 when it was built by IH as part of a research project to develop a hydrostatic turbine-powered tractor. The tractor incorporated hydrostatic drive and a gas-powered turbine engine, built by Solar Aircraft Company, an IH subsidiary at that time. Since it had many parts in common with the IH 340 being produced at the time, the tractor became the HT-340. The Solar Aircraft engine mounted in the HT-340 produced 80 hp, but weighed a measly 60 lbs. According to legend, the engine was similar to a helicopter engine and ran at a constant speed of 57,000 rpm's. Substantial gear reduction was required to couple it to the hydrostatic pump, but that added only another 30 lbs. to the weight. In 1957, Ford Tractor also produced a turbine-powered experimental tractor called the Typhoon. While IH's 340 was a success with respect to its hydrostatic drive, both IH and Ford deemed turbine engines too noisy and inefficient for farm use. The HT-340 is now the property of the Smithsonian Institution.

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