Tucker Combat Car 1937-1941

[riggerrob]

Automobile entrepreneur Tucker developed a light combat just before World War 2. While recovering from an appendectomy in an Indianapolis hospital, Tucker read about war clouds looming over Europe, so he tried to interest the Netherlands in his new combat car. Tucker experimented with at least two prototypes. Configuration was similar to the Soviet BA-68 scout car with a front-mounted engine and two crew. Tuckers' advantage was its light weight (10,000 pounds) and high speed (100 mph.) The first prototype had a Jeep-like radiator grill and an open-topped turret mounting a pair of .50 calibre Browning machineguns. The major innovation was the electrically-operated turret that could turn a full 360 degrees in 4.6 seconds.
Tucker's second prototype was armed with three hull-mounted - rifle calibre - machine guns and a turret-mounted 37mm auto cannon. The auto-cannon could fire anti-tank or anti-aircraft shells from its spherical turret, which traversed and elevated by electric motors. The first turret version was encased in plexiglas while production turrets were opaque. Oddly, the gunner sat on the left side of the gun, facing the right side, with his knees under the gun.
Video shows Tucker Combat Cars driving over obstacles and firing turret-mounted guns.
Unfortunately, the Netherlands surrendered before Tucker could deliver the dozen or so production cars.
The U.S. Army considered the Tucker Combat Car too fast and opted for more conventional White Scout Carts. No Tucker Combat Cars survive to this day.

 

[cluttonfred]

 

[cluttonfred]

 

[apparition13]

The U.S. Army considered the Tucker Combat Car too fast and opted for more conventional White Scout Carts. No Tucker Combat Cars survive to this day.

I suspect it had more to do with concerns about fuel logistics than speed. That, and hotrodding doughboys killing themselves.

Nevertheless, a "what if" I find really interesting. And potentially really useful in the scout role, both because of the speed with which it could withdraw after detection and its ability to defend itself from air attack and light armor.

 

[riggerrob]

Dear Hesham,
Thanks for posting those videos.
One day I will have to learn how.
After the Combat Car failed to sell, Tucker went to work for Higgins Boat Company building engines, armament and accessories for boats. Post-war, Tucker got back into the automobile business.

 

[Flying Sorcerer]

He also designed a small fighter before the American entry into the war, but I don't think got so far as a prototype.

 

[riggerrob]

Yes dear Flying Sorcerer,
Tucker tried to sell his XP-57 to the USAAF.
XP-57 had a mid-mounted engine designed by Miller of racing car fame. The engine was supposed to produce 720 horsepower. It was mounted behind the pilot (ala. Bell Airacobra) and drove the propeller via a drive shaft that passed under the cockpit. Armament varied between 1 and 3 Browning .50 calibre machine guns.
The fuselage was steel tubing with aluminum skins. Wings were plywood.
Tucker's financial difficulties delayed construction of a prototype. The prototype was incomplete by the time the USAAF cancelled the XP-57 because they had decided to concentrate on larger fighters with more than 1,000 hp.

see
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/tucker-aviation-xp-57.8081/

and

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/i-present-the-tucker-xp-57.34543/

 

[jcf]

Dear Hesham,
Thanks for posting those videos.
One day I will have to learn how.
After the Combat Car failed to sell, Tucker went to work for Higgins Boat Company building engines, armament and accessories for boats. Post-war, Tucker got back into the automobile business.

Tucker had a brief business partnership deal with Higgins that quickly fell apart and no engines were produced for Higgins landing craft, nor did he produce any armament for the Higgins 78’ PT Boat. The story of “Tucker Turret” being produced for the Navy, Army Air Force etc. is a myth and typical of the overblown claims of Preston Tucker Esq.

 

[fortrena]

If I may, the 37 mm weapon mounted in the turret of at least one vehicle (photo at http://www.warwheels.net/TuckerTigerIndex.html) may have been the Model M variant of the 37 mm automatic cannon developed by American Armament Corporation of New York City.

You may wish to note that the info on the webpage may or may not be 100% accurate.

 

[BB1984]

The Chieftain did a video on the Tucker, and what the US Army did and did not like about it. Sounds like some good ideas that just weren't quite developed enough.