XM759 Marginal Terrain Vehicle

The XM759 Marginal Terrain Vehicle was an amphibious carrier ordered by the US Army from Pacific Car and Foundry to exploit the Airoll locomotion principle pioneered by Borg-Warner, in which each 'track' is a chain of free-running low-pressure tyres.

Design

The XM759 had 17 tyres on each side and weighed about 4.2 tonnes with a payload of about 1.4 tonnes. It was roughly 6.2 m long and 2.8 m wide, with the engine behind the cab. It could carry 14 fully equipped troops plus a crew of two. Its ground pressure was only about 0.15 kg/cm2; with 223 litres of fuel it had a range of around 260 km, and it could climb 60% slopes, cross 30% side slopes, surmount a 0.9 m wall and cross a 2 m trench. Capstan heads could be bolted to the front sprockets or rear rollers for self-recovery.

History

Seven improved examples were built between February and March 1967 for testing. Survivors are reported at the museum at Camp Pendleton and in a private collection in northern California.