In our series about the secret vehicles of the USSR, we have already talked about the most unique Ural amphibians, camouflaged or.
In this review, scratching the bottom of the barrel, let's recall other no less original and secret amphibians for Soviet army.
VAZ-2122 "River" (1976–1987)
Let's start with a fairly well-known floating version of the legendary all-terrain vehicle VAZ-2121 "Niva", which, at the behest of the Ministry of Defense, was transformed into a reconnaissance amphibian VAZ-2122 "River", capable of moving along highways and sliding on the surface of shallow inland waters.
The idea of creating your own simple and inexpensive floating jeep on the chassis of the Niva SUV arose in the early 1970s, and for camouflage it was listed as "a car for fishermen and hunters, capable of overcoming water obstacles." In the summer of 1976, the first 80-horsepower E2122 samples with an all-metal displacement body were built, and all subsequent years the designers spent multiple revisions of the first-born, which were reduced to improvements in the engine cooling system.
Only in 1984, the Volga Automobile Plant assembled a trial batch of 10 cars of the fifth series VAZ-2122.500, and this whole long epic ended two years later, when the last three modified models of the VAZ-2122.600 appeared. Perestroika and the rapid disarmament of the country forced the VAZ to curtail its bold experiments at public expense. In general, he assembled 21 experimental jeeps of the 2122 series.
UAZ-3907 "Jaguar" (1983-1989) (Photos from UAZ archive)
Being the leading Soviet enterprise for the production of light all-terrain vehicles, the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant could not help but come up with the tempting idea of creating its own floating version based on them. Work on it began in 1977, but only six years later appeared multipurpose amphibious vehicle UAZ-3907 "Jaguar" for the Soviet army and border troops, capable of delivering loads up to 600 kg, light weapons or wounded on a stretcher.
The car was equipped with an all-metal body with a safety arch and two side hermetically sealed doors with lever locks (flaps). Unified with the UAZ-469 series, the amphibian was equipped with a 77-horsepower engine and a transfer case with power take-off for propellers and a winch. Two water screws were installed under its bottom directly behind the front wheels, which, when deflected to different sides served to control the machine afloat. In the mid-1980s, two more test samples were assembled with nodes from the UAZ-3151.
Until 1989, UAZ assembled 14 amphibians that successfully passed factory and military tests. Among them was one border vehicle"Cormorant" for the northern regions, which was equipped with two pairs of skis and a cage for a search dog.
In 1991, the UAZ-3907 amphibian was put into service, but with the collapse Soviet Union all work on it was curtailed.
NAMI-0281 (1989–1990) (Photos from the NAMI archive)
Having ingloriously completed the development of light amphibians NAMI-032, Scientific Research automotive institute(NAMI) for almost 30 years refrained from contact with this topic. Only in 1989, by order of the Ministry of Defense, they built the original low-profile rear-engined transporter NAMI-0281 of the 1.25–1.5 ton class for the delivery of rapid response units.
Structurally, it was a combination of a light front-line conveyor and an open combat vehicle with a central placement of the driver's workplace. In its open supporting body, on two longitudinal seats, a combat crew of eight people was placed back to back. The main novelties were independent hydropneumatic suspension, two-shaft transfer case with power diversion to the propeller and forced blocking differentials.
On the highway, the car developed a speed of 125 km / h and outwardly resembled a sightseeing boat rather than an efficient one. combat vehicle. It was latest work NAMI in the field of light army amphibians.
Ural-375P (1975–1976) (Photos from the archives of NAMI and Andrey Karasev)
In one of the first chapters of our series, dedicated to, we mentioned the developments of other Soviet enterprises that preceded them. So in the mid-1970s, in the process of creating a promising military family "Land", important role played by the NAMI Institute. He was engaged in "studying the possibility of giving buoyancy to the Ural-375 truck", carried out research and development future car, assembly and testing of the prototype.
The unique floating vehicle Ural-375P was built at NAMI in 1975 under the leadership of chief designer N. I. Korotonoshko. Being the predecessor of the Land family, this machine does not require a detailed story about its design: it has long been described in sufficient detail in an article on. Here it is only worth noting the main features of the Moscow model: a steel sealed body with high sides, which provided buoyancy, a wave-reflecting shield with an air duct and hinged floats with polyurethane foam filler.
Unlike the future Ural-43221 Susha amphibian, only one propeller and a full-width hatch of the serial cabin roof were installed on it, in which the driver had to work in a waterproof suit.
In the early 1960s, after the transfer of all documentation on four-axle vehicles from the Moscow ZIL Automobile Plant to Bryansk, a critical moment came for the Special Design Bureau under the leadership of V. A. Grachev. It has lost state support and was forced to independently seek customers and sources of funding. Oddly enough, the most daring and most original projects of all-terrain vehicles, including the ZIL-135P floating vehicle, belonged to this period.
ZIL-135P "Dolphin" (1965-1970) (Photos from the archives of SKB ZIL and Roman Danilov)
Unique soviet amphibian ZIL-135P (8x8) claimed the title of the world's fastest wheeled floating vehicle, and from a technical point of view it was one of the development directions. In former times, it was considered only "Grachev's ugly duckling", although it reached the highest world level, and was not used in the USSR.
Since 1961, work on the ZIL-135P car was aimed at using it as a self-propelled ferry "Chelnok", which had every chance to surpass the ferry cars produced abroad, but already in the design process it was recognized as unreliable and too expensive. After reworking in finished form, an amphibian with the code name "Dolphin" appeared in the winter of 1965.
Amphibian ZIL-135P with a fiberglass body during trials in the Baltic Sea
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The upgraded version of the ZIL-135P had a layout with a front control cabin, power units in the aft compartment and the central location of the passenger compartment to accommodate 22 people. Its base was the ZIL-135K long-wheelbase land chassis with two 180-horsepower engines, on-board transmissions, rigid suspension of all wheels and a tire pressure control system, on which a fiberglass supporting body was mounted. The drive of two propellers was carried out from crankshafts engines through gearboxes and universal joints, and the propellers themselves were placed in annular lifting and swivel nozzles, which made it possible to abandon water rudders.
The car failed its first tests on the Moscow River. Repeated tests took place in Baltiysk on the basis of the Baltic Fleet, where, in accordance with the needs of the USSR Navy, it was converted into an open cargo compartment, turning ZIL-135TA into a seaworthy transport amphibian.
In the summer of 1970, the opportunity arose to test the ZIL-135P as a reloading craft (lighter) for the shuttle delivery of goods from offshore ships to the shore and back. To do this, the already abandoned car was reanimated and equipped with a transfer crane, and then for a short time it carried cargo on the coast of the Arctic Ocean. Upon returning to the bosom of her native plant, she was dismantled.
Ferry amphibian PMM "Volna" (1974–1985)
In the history of Soviet vehicles for crossing water barriers, the system of self-propelled four-axle ferries with the code name “Volna”, which is still used in the Russian army, is considered the most unusual and progressive.
The design of the aforementioned ferry vehicle "Chelnok" based on the fiberglass amphibian ZIL-135P led to the need to equip such equipment with more durable all-metal structures. Since the late 1960s, further development of such systems has been carried out by the Special Design Bureau of Engineering and Ferry Facilities of the Kryukov Carriage Works (KVSZ) from Kremenchug. In 1974, the first prototype of a pontoon-bridge vehicle (PMM) was built there, which was part of a self-propelled pontoon fleet (SPP).
The PMM amphibian, its aluminum hull and propellers were designed and assembled in Kremenchug on a 300-horsepower land chassis, on which a simplified three-seater cab from the ZIL-135LM model with an almost flat front wall was mounted. Movement on the water was provided by two propellers located in lifting annular nozzles with water rudders.
On the flat cargo platform(deck) placed two pairs of stacked pontoons (front and rear) and four medium lifting ramps. Afloat, they leaned back in different directions and, together with the deck, formed a typical single-link ferry with payload 42 tons. With the interconnection of such machines with each other, it was possible to create heavier self-propelled ferry systems or floating bridges for the passage of heavy military equipment. All 24 amphibians that were part of the SPP fleet could be combined into large 50-ton crossings up to 260 meters long within 30-40 minutes.
Construction of pontoon-bridge structures with the participation of PMM machines
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In 1977, the PMM assembly was transferred to the Kadievsky Welded Structures Plant in the Lugansk Region, which in 1978 changed its name to the Stakhanov Carriage Works. Until 1985, about 70 PMM pontoon vehicles were assembled there.
"Amphibious vehicle" still sounds like something futuristic and fantastic. Nevertheless, for the military, a waterfowl is sometimes an indispensable thing, therefore, in Soviet time many amphibians were built, and some even got into mass production.
GAZ-46 "MAV"
A small waterfowl car (abbreviated as MAV) began to be produced on Gorky car factory in 1953. The machine was intended to ensure the actions of reconnaissance units, the crossing of paratroopers and to carry out engineering work on the water. The GAZ-46 was equipped with a four-cylinder engine from the GAZ-M20 Pobeda, the transmission and suspension were borrowed from the GAZ-69, and a propeller was used to move through the water. In general, the model was copied from the American Ford GPA. The release of "MAV" continued until 1958, then production was transferred to the UAZ plant. However, they did not find funds for the production of an amphibian, and the need for this model was very conditional - and so the production of the GAZ-46 ended.
ZIS-485 "BAV"
It is easy to guess that the BAV of 1950, unlike the MAV, is a large waterfowl. The design of this machine was borrowed by Soviet engineers from the American amphibian GMC DUKW-353. The car was equipped with a 110-horsepower engine, exactly the same as on the BTR-152. ZIS-485 was in production for 12 years and served for the crossing of troops and vehicles. The "BAV" was placed 25 people or 25 tons of cargo, including cars and artillery pieces. After being transferred to the reserve, most of the ZIS-485 were transferred to the national economy.
LuAZ-967
The LuAZ-967 all-wheel drive amphibious transporter of extra low payload was created by order of the Airborne Forces for the evacuation of the wounded, the transport of ammunition and military equipment, towing, and installation certain types weapons. The need for such a model appeared during the years of the Korean War, when it became clear that even the MAV was too massive an amphibian for some tasks. The LuAZ-967 was small in size, equipped with an engine with a volume of less than one liter, and on the water it was driven by wheels - it had no propellers. Feature designs - folding steering column, located in the center of the cabin: if necessary, the driver could control the amphibious LuAZ in a reclining state.
VAZ-E2122
At one time, Togliatti also tried to make an amphibian. VAZ-E2122 was designed in 1976 by order of the USSR Ministry of Defense using Niva units and assemblies. The waterfowl "Niva" differed from its counterparts in its unique design, which did not at all betray an amphibian in it. The front of the car, by the way, resembles the Lamborghini LM002. The car was equipped with a 1.6-liter engine, had a unique cross-country ability and could move through the water at a speed of 4-5 kilometers per hour. A year later, the second version of the VAZ amphibian was presented; it differed from the first in improved cooling systems, a reinforced body and a changed seating position. However, neither the first nor the second modification of the VAZ-E2122 saw the conveyor.
UAZ-3907 "Jaguar"
UAZ-3907 "Jaguar" is another promising amphibious vehicle that failed to get into mass production. The waterfowl was made on the basis of the UAZ-469 units. The original design had a displacement body and sealed doors. Before rear axle two propellers were installed, and the front wheels performed the function of the rudders. By 1989, 14 Soviet Jaguars were manufactured and the car was put into service. During the tests, the UAZ-3907 sailed along the Volga from Ulyanovsk to Astrakhan and back. But in 1991, all the prospects for a military order and leadership left Ulyanovsk plant decided to stop preparations for mass production of the UAZ-3907.
In the 1940s, the leadership of the Wehrmacht dreamed of creating an amphibious vehicle for motorized infantry units. It was supposed to be all-wheel drive car, which will replace motorcycles with a sidecar. It was they who were popular in the German army and were widely used in motorcycle and reconnaissance battalions. Motorcycles were especially effective off-road.
Ferdinand Porsche and Ervia Komend - German designers - created the VW Typ 166 Schwimmwagen, whose name translates from German as "floating car". Porsche even began to actively use his new product and drove amphibians to work.
The basis for the VW Typ 166 was the "Beetle". Before the novelty, quite specific goals were set: the transportation of army personnel and cargo to hard-to-reach areas, including through water barriers.
The military amphibian, created by Porsche, was equipped with a 1.1-liter engine with a capacity of 25 "horses" with 4 cylinders. On the water surface, the car could reach speeds of up to 10 km / h.
When the car got out on land, if the 3-bladed propeller at the stern of the hull, with which the car moved through the water, leaned up and secured with straps.
On the highway, an amphibious car could accelerate to 80 km / h. In addition to the driver, three armed soldiers and a MG 42 machine gun were placed in it. Schwimmwagen painted in yellow colors(if the car was intended for African units) or greenish-grey "panzergrau".
The car also had its drawbacks: low sides, a cramped and uncomfortable interior, a large draft of the body and weak motor. In addition, with a high wave, the use of the car became impossible.
VW Typ 166 Schwimmwagen was produced in Germany from 1942 until the summer of 1944. In total, 14,000 copies rolled off the assembly line, which became the maximum number produced in this class of cars.
Nevertheless, for the military, a waterfowl is sometimes an indispensable thing, so a lot of amphibians were built in Soviet times, and some even got into mass production.
GAZ-46 "MAV"
A small waterfowl car (abbreviated as MAV) began to be produced at the Gorky Automobile Plant in 1953. The machine was intended to ensure the actions of reconnaissance units, the crossing of paratroopers and for engineering work on the water. The GAZ-46 was equipped with a four-cylinder engine from the GAZ-M20 Pobeda, the transmission and suspension were borrowed from the GAZ-69, and a propeller was used to move through the water. In general, the model was copied from the American Ford GPA. The release of "MAV" continued until 1958, then production was transferred to the UAZ plant. However, they did not find funds for the production of an amphibian, and the need for this model was very conditional - and so the production of the GAZ-46 ended.
ZIS-485 "BAV"
It is easy to guess that the BAV of 1950, unlike the MAV, is a large waterfowl vehicle. The design of this machine was borrowed by Soviet engineers from the American amphibian GMC DUKW-353. The car was equipped with a 110-horsepower engine, exactly the same as on the BTR-152. ZIS-485 was in production for 12 years and served for the crossing of troops and vehicles. The "BAV" was placed 25 people or 25 tons of cargo, including cars and artillery pieces. After being transferred to the reserve, most of the ZIS-485 were transferred to the national economy.
LuAZ-967
The LuAZ-967 all-wheel drive amphibious transporter of extra low payload was created by order of the Airborne Forces for the evacuation of the wounded, the transport of ammunition and military equipment, towing, and the installation of certain types of weapons. The need for such a model appeared during the years of the Korean War, when it became clear that even the MAV was too massive an amphibian for some tasks. The LuAZ-967 was small in size, equipped with an engine with a volume of less than one liter, and on the water it was driven by wheels - it had no propellers. A characteristic feature of the design is a folding steering column located in the center of the cabin: if necessary, the driver could control the amphibian LuAZ in a reclining state.
VAZ-E2122
At one time, Togliatti also tried to make an amphibian. VAZ-E2122 was designed in 1976 by order of the USSR Ministry of Defense using Niva units and assemblies. The waterfowl "Niva" differed from its counterparts in its unique design, which did not at all betray an amphibian in it. The front of the car, by the way, resembles the Lamborghini LM002. The car was equipped with a 1.6-liter engine, had a unique cross-country ability and could move through the water at a speed of 4-5 kilometers per hour. A year later, the second version of the VAZ amphibian was presented; it differed from the first in improved cooling systems, a reinforced body and a changed seating position. However, neither the first nor the second modification of the VAZ-E2122 saw the conveyor.
UAZ-3907 "Jaguar"
UAZ-3907 "Jaguar" is another promising amphibious vehicle that failed to get into mass production. The waterfowl was made on the basis of the UAZ-469 units. The original design had a displacement body and sealed doors. Two propellers were installed in front of the rear axle, and the front wheels performed the function of the rudders. By 1989, 14 Soviet Jaguars were manufactured and the car was put into service. During the tests, the UAZ-3907 sailed along the Volga from Ulyanovsk to Astrakhan and back. But in 1991, all the prospects for a military order left and the management of the Ulyanovsk plant decided to stop preparing for the mass production of the UAZ-3907.
In the 20th century Automotive industry developed very dynamically. The so-called amphibious vehicles, which were considered the most progressive vehicles, did not go unnoticed. But outside the military industry, amphibians were never found at that time. wide application. In this review, the most striking examples of Soviet "floating vehicles" created to perform military tasks and never got into mass production.
1. GAZ-46 "MAV"
The name of this car stands for "Small Car Waterfowl". The car was equipped four-cylinder engine from the notorious Pobeda, as well as the transmission and suspension from the GAZ-69. The release of the amphibian began in 1953. The car could move through the water using a standard propeller. As for the purpose, the car served to transport paratroopers and perform engineering work on the water. The model was copied from the American counterpart Ford GPA and was used until 1958.
2. ZIS-485 "BAV"
After reading about the previous one, the representatives can already guess that the name of this car sounds like “ big car Waterfowl." The name perfectly conveys all the ensuing specifics of the car. On board the amphibian could take 25 tons of cargo or 25 people. The vehicle was able to lift other vehicles and even artillery pieces. Copied ZIS-485 "BAV" with American model GMC DUKW-353. Released "BAV" was in 1950 and was used for almost 12 years.
3. LuAZ-967
LuAZ-967 is more of a motorized boat than a car. Both on land and in water, the machine was set in motion with the help of wheels. She could be controlled in a supine position. It was created specifically by order of the Airborne Forces for the removal of the wounded from the battlefield. The dimensions, carrying capacity and power reserve of the car were very small.
Engine capacity did not exceed one liter. Much more important and interesting is that this car became the predecessor of much more famous model LuAZ-969 "Volyn".
4. NAMI-055
The amphibious vehicle NAMI-055 became a continuation of NAMI-011 and GAZ-46, which were created by big influence american ford GPA. Unlike all its predecessors, the car had a much more streamlined all-metal body. She also received a 41-horsepower engine from Moskvich and the latest rear propeller. All this made it possible to accelerate on the water even when fully loaded up to 12 km / h.
5. VAZ-E2122
This model The amphibious vehicle was designed in 1976 on the basis of the Niva by order of the USSR Ministry of Defense. different from other similar Vehicle the new amphibian is primarily due to the fact that it almost did not look like an amphibian. But appearances in this case are deceiving, more than ever. Thanks to a powerful 1.6-liter engine, the car could move through the water at a speed of 5 km / h. There is only one “but”, the model could not get to the conveyor.
6. UAZ-3907 "Jaguar"
UAZ-3907 "Jaguar" is another amphibious vehicle that was created in the USSR, but never entered mass production. The waterfowl was made on the basis of the UAZ-469 units, and its distinctive features there were sealed doors and a displacement body. Engineers assigned the function of the rudders to the front wheels, and two propellers were installed in front of the rear axle.
By 1989, 14 Soviet Jaguars were produced. The car was adopted. On sea trials, the car sailed along the Volga along the route Ulyanovsk - Astrakhan - Ulyanovsk. But after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the military order was closed and the plant management decided to stop preparing the amphibious vehicle for mass production.
Modern automakers are also interested in the niche of floating cars. Thanks to their efforts, they appeared.
