M47 Patton II: inside an American hybrid
The 47mm thick upper frontal plate of the M102 hull is angled 60 degrees. The armored hood, which was on the M46, was removed, but the course machine gun was left. There is also 102mm armor in the forehead of the turret, but it is located at a 40-degree angle. At the front, behind the protective grilles, there are lighting fixtures of various types. Here you can also see cargo loops, tow rope mounts and periscopes in the hatches of the driver and his assistant.
To access the track tensioning mechanism, you need to raise the wing, which is held on the hinges (according to the instructions, it is required to screw it additionally). To adjust the tension, you need to unscrew the clamping nut and move the sloth forward or backward.
The car's suspension is a bit unusual. The torsion levers of the first and second roller are located side by side, but the first is installed against the direction of travel. The designers added a hinge between the road roller and the sloth, which reduced the length of the hull and maintained the desired angle between the track and the overhang of the hull. Shock absorbers are installed on the first, second, penultimate and last rollers. Sloths are also equipped with them.
The Patton's tracks were either the T80E6 with metal pads, or the T84E1 with rubber pads. These are two finger tracks with a traditional connecting bar at the end and a tapered retaining bolt. A total of 86 tracks, 41 cm wide on each side.
In the rear of the vehicle, you can see reverse signals, cargo loops, and a chest with a telephone for the infantry. There are hatches under the box that give access to the transmission and braking system. At the very bottom, there are mounts for the towing cable and a kingpin for the trailer.
Armored rangefinder heads, also known as "frog eyes", are easy to spot on the turret. On the sides there are handrails for infantrymen, who rode on armor, but more often they were hung with duffel bags and bags with equipment. There are also many boxes installed along the sides for storing property. Typically, there were trenching tool kits and repair kits in case of track damage.
The Patton's engine compartment houses the Continental AV-1790-5B, a 29,4 liter carburetor engine. In addition, an additional 13,6 hp engine was installed on the tank. It was used to operate various tank systems when the power of the main engine was not required. This technology saved fuel and eliminated unnecessary noise. On the left side of the engine there is an oil tank filler with a dipstick. Also in the engine compartment there is a transmission, 4 12-volt batteries and 2 cooling fans.
For more details about the tank, as well as the internal structure of the M47 Patton II, see the video from Wargaming.
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