AEC O853 Matador

Matador with covered back
General characteristics
Role	Medium Artillery Tractor
Crew	1
armour	none
Capacity	10-ton
-
Length	20 ft 10 in m
Width	7 ft 10 in m
Height	9 ft 7 in m
Weight	7.75 tons t
Power plant	AEC 7.6 litre diesel 95 hp, ( kW)
Suspension	Wheel, 4 x 4
Speed	30 mph km/h road km/h off-road
Range	km

The AEC Matador was a artillery tractor built by the Associated Equipment Company for British and Commonwealth forces during the Second World War. Image File history File links No later than 1947, therefore assume copyright expired File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A hoplite wearing a helmet, a breastplate and greaves (and nothing else). ... The metre, or meter, is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units (SI: Système International dUnités). ... The word ton or tonne is derived from the Old English tunne, and ultimately from the Old French tonne, and referred originally to a large cask with a capacity of 252 wine gallons, which holds approximately 2100 pounds of water. ... Diesel fuel is a specific distillate fraction of fuel oil that is used in a diesel engine invented by German engineer Rudolf Diesel, and perfected by Charles F. Kettering. ... The horsepower (hp) is the name of several non-metric units of power. ... AEC was a United Kingdom based bus manufacturer which built buses from 1912 until 1979. ...

AEC had already built a 4 x 2 lorry, also known as the Matador (all AEC vehicles received M names).

The Matador was distinctive with its flat fronted cab with gently curved roof, wheels at the corners and a flat load carrying area covered by a canvas or tarpaulin tilt. It was equipped with a winch (7-ton load in its case) like all artillery tractors.

There were some 6 wheel AEC vehicles, model O854, which were generally if not officially also called Matador

Service

About 9,000 Matadors were built, some going to the RAF. The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the UK Armed Forces. ...

For the British Army, it fulfilled a role between the Morris C8 Quad pulling smaller guns such as the 25 pdr Gun-Howitzer and the Scammell Pioneer used for the 7.2 inch howitzer, and was commonly used for the 5.5 inch Medium Gun and the QF 3.75 inch AA gun. It was also found to be a generally useful vehicle and adapted for other roles including carrying a 25 pdr gun on the back. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... General characteristics Role Gun tractor Crew 1 + 5 passengers armour none Capacity - Length 4. ... Ordnance QF 25 pounder Type gun-howitzer Nationality UK Era World War II Target general use + anti-tank History Date of design 1930s Production period {{{prod_date}}} Number built Service duration 1930s - 1967 Operators {{{operators}}} War service {{{wars}}} Specifications Carriage Fixed trail Calibre 3. ... The BL 7. ... BL 5. ... QF 3. ...

The RAF used theirs in the flat bed form for load carrying. The 6-wheeler Matador was used as a refuelling tanker, capable of carrying 2,500 Imperial gallons of fuel and also for towing ashore Short Sunderland flying boats at their stations. The Sunderland, S.25, was a flying boat patrol bomber, developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers, based on their successful S.23 Empire flying boats, the flagship of Imperial Airways. ... Boeing 314 A flying boat is an aircraft that is designed to take off and land on water, in particular a type of seaplane which uses its fuselage as a floating hull (instead of pontoons mounted below the fuselage). ...

Post war the Matador was found in civilian use as a recovery truck, a showmans vehicle, and general contractor use.

See also

• Bedford QLD - 3 ton general service truck four wheel drive, 4WD, introduced 1941.
• Austin K2
• Canadian Military Pattern Field Artillery Tractor