M42 Duster

M42 Duster. . The M42 40mm Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun, or “Duster,” is an American armored, light air-defense gun built for the United States Army throughout the 1950s by the tank division of the General Motors Corporation. It used many components of the M41 light tank, from which it inherited much of its basic configuration., Originally designed as a mobile anti-aircraft unit, its firepower proved to be highly effective against enemy ground forces during the Vietnam War. Initially, its twin 40mm guns were concentrated on incoming aircraft, using the assistance of a radar fire-control system housed in a secondary vehicle. But, as developmental costs increased, the Pentagon scrapped that arrangement., With a maximum speed of 45 mph under good conditions, the M42s air-cooled gasoline engine provided 500 horsepower. Its twin Bofors guns could deliver 120 rounds per minute, and it was often supported with a self-defense .30 cal. Browning M1919A4 or 7.62mm M60 machine gun., When it it became obvious that standard ground emplacements could no longer track and fire upon modern fast-moving jets, the Duster was replaced by anti-aircraft missiles. But it continued to prove highly effective in Vietnam, where it could lay down withering fire against surface targets.