Turbine (Jet Engine) Tractor from International Harvester reveal at Volo Museum

Volo Museum is revealing their new jet engine tractor. There are two turbine engine tractors in the world. The HT-341 is at the Smithsonian and this HT-340 is at Volo Museum. This International Harvester Concept Tractor gulps a gallon of jet fuel in just 5 minutes! Most cars run around 3,000 RPM. The HT-340 runs at 60,000 RPM! The jet sound runs at a very high frequency, which once it is about 50 ft away you can't event tell it's still running.

It was built by GM machine repairman, Brian Harris.
The HT-340 (for Hydrostatic Turbine), a product of International’s experimental group, was never intended to go into production – and didn’t. International began working on development of a hydrostatic drive tractor in the 1950s. When a 340 prototype tested well, the engineers cranked up the volume, installing a small gas turbine engine from the company’s Solar Aircraft Co. subsidiary (which was named not, apparently, for an energy source but for the sunny skies in San Diego, where the company was founded in 1927).
The HT-340 made its debut on the show circuit in July 1961. But on the return trip from Lincoln, Neb., where it was displayed at the University of Nebraska’s 10th annual Tractor Day, the tractor was extensively damaged in a traffic accident. Emergency repairs were made and the 340 was displayed at several events that summer.
Later that year, more extensive repairs and modifications were completed. The retrofitted prototype was unveiled in 1962 as the HT-341, complete with three-point hitch, stabilized steering, larger tires, rear lights, enhanced controls, a new fuel-filtering system – and a new color scheme. The 340 was blue and white; the 341 was red and white. The 341 was used in displays and demonstrations. In 1967, it was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Over the course of the three-year project, Brian had plenty of time to consider the state of technology in the late 1950s and early 1960s. “What surprised me the most was how far ahead International was in their thinking and their design,” he says. “The HT-340 was built as a concept tractor, not a production tractor. But look how close they were to modern-day tractors. It could have been designed last year. They were right on with the look, but way off with the mechanics. At that time, people thought the turbine was the wave of the future, but it wasn’t.”

Volo Museum has 45 exhibits and over 10,000 Mechanical Marvels.
World Famous, family-owned, all-day tourist destination in Volo, IL. We're way more than cars! Experience over 45 exhibits and over 15,000 historical items! Our attractions include Jurassic Gardens dinosaur park. Volo Station Hollywood Train Tours & Museum, Antique Malls with 300+ vendors and more! Our exhibits include a Carousel Pavilion, Early-Century Music Hall, Duesenberg Exhibit, 3 Batmobiles, Military Museum, The Titanic Experience, Fast and Furious Collection, Ford vs. Ferrari Exhibit, Cars of the Hollywood Stars, 50’s Finned Fiberglass Boats, Evolution of the Motorcycle, Disney Gallery & Parade Cars, Retro Animatronic Entertainment, Crime & Punishment Museum, and Novelty/Special Interest Custom Cars. We also have large collections of Vintage and Very Rare Bicycles, Scooters, Coin-Operated Kiddie Rides, Children’s Pedal Cars, Snowmobiles, Jukeboxes, Arcades, Novelty Coin-Operated Games, Tractors, Aviation, Campers & Travel Lodging, Showtime Pizzeria and ice cream parlor & more!
For more video visit www.volocars.com
www.facebook.com/volomuseum
www.instagram.com/volomuseum
www.twitter.com/volomuseum
www.tiktok.com/volomuseum