Many people love the thought of operating heavy machinery and equipment. This holds true among those in the military as well as civilians.
Have you ever had the pleasure of sitting inside a tank? If so, this is more than most people can say. However, you may dream of going one step further and driving one of these monsters.
If you want to legitimately drive a tank you need to join the military ? there is no way around this. As a civilian, you cannot buy a tank and drive it around the streets of your town.
No matter who you are, here are three tanks of the past that you would love to operate:
M-4 Sherman
Have you ever heard somebody use the phrase ?Sherman tank?? If so, this is the vehicle they are referring to. The M-4 Sherman was first produced in 1942. Along with a top speed of 24 mph and a range of 100 miles, it featured an eight cylinder Ford engine that was known for its extreme reliability.
Best yet, 48,000 M-4 Sherman tanks were manufactured over the course of three years.
M-1 Abrams
With a first production date of 1982, the M-1 Abrams is more modern than the M-4 Sherman. Some key statistics include: 120-mm M256 gun primary armament; power-to-weight ratio of 26.64 horsepower per ton; range of 289 miles, and top speed of 42 mph.
Despite the fact that the M-1 Abrams was first produced nearly 30 years ago, it can still match many modern tanks in terms of firepower, armor, and overall stability.
With its large size and feature list, the M-1 Abrams was an engineering nightmare that took a lot of time and money to manufacturer. That being said, many consider it the deadliest tank ever produced.
T-34
Of this list, the T-34 is the oldest tank. It was first produced in 1940. The power-to-weight ratio of 15.87 horsepower per ton comes from a four-stroke 12-cylinder diesel engine. A top speed of 34 mph and a range of 268 miles are better than the M-4 Sherman which was produced two years later. The primary armament was a 76.2 mm gun.
Much like the M-4 Sherman, this tank was well known for its ability to be easily manufactured.
Note: the T-34 tank originated in the Soviet Union.
How would you like to crawl inside one of these historical tanks? While the time has passed to drive these tanks, you can join the military to get involved with more modern vehicles.