GAZ-60

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Model of a GAZ-60 exhibited in the Moscow Polytechnic Museum
The GAZ-AA truck on which the half-track vehicle was based

The GAZ-60 ( Russian ГАЗ-60 ) was a Soviet half-track vehicle based on the GAZ-AA truck , which was mass-produced in 1939. Studies and prototypes go back to 1933. In 1940/41 an attempt was made to correct the serious defects of the vehicle with an improved version of the GAZ-60P, but this was only partially successful.

History

The first experiments with half-track vehicles modeled on the Citroën Kegresse were carried out at the NATI Institute for Vehicle Construction as early as the late 1920s . Initially, the GAZ-A passenger car was the basis, from 1933 the first attempts were made with the GAZ-AA truck. The resulting prototype, the NATI-3, did not go into series production. Instead, he was subjected to extensive tests from 1933, including participation in an expedition to the Arctic Komsomolez Island .

In 1936 another prototype was built, the NATI-W3. Like its predecessor, it also used the GAZ-AA truck as a basis, apart from the crawler chassis, only detailed changes were made in comparison. This vehicle was accepted for series production, the order was placed on January 15, 1938 at the Gorkowski Avtomobilny Sawod . It was there that the project received its final name, GAZ-60.

Here a few more modifications were made to the vehicle, including the improvement of the cooling system in the production truck. In addition, the more powerful engine of the GAZ-MM was already installed . The crawler track was built with two drive wheels on each side, on which the chains adhered by friction. There was no interlocking. There were four support rollers per chassis and a device to regulate the chain tension. In October 1938 GAZ had manufactured its own prototypes, and in 1939 a total of 692 vehicles were mass-produced, which were then delivered to various units of the Red Army .

In the period that followed, complaints and complaints from the units that had received the vehicles increased. In particular, the poor quality of the crawler tracks and the insufficient engine power were criticized. Problems often arose because the friction between the chains and drive rollers alone was insufficient to transmit the drive forces. The chains often slipped, preventing the vehicle from moving forward. This deficiency was particularly noticeable in the winter war against Finland. Ultimately, the army demanded a new, improved variant of the vehicle in which the chains and drive wheels should be interlocked. GAZ then made a prototype in 1940, the GAZ-60P. Although 200 of this version were ultimately built, it was not possible to solve the vehicle's fundamental problems. Similar problems also occurred with the other Soviet half-track vehicles of the era, the ZIS-22 and the ZIS-42 .

Technical specifications

  • Engine: in-line four-cylinder petrol engine
  • Displacement: 3.285 l
  • Power: 50 HP (37 kW)
  • Compression: 4.6: 1
  • Fuel consumption: 55–60 l / 100 km
  • Tank capacity: 100 l
  • Top speed: 35 km / h
  • Transmission: manual, 4 forward gears, 1 reverse gear

Dimensions and weights

  • Length: 5300 mm
  • Width: 2085 mm
  • Empty weight: 3375 kg
  • Payload: 1300 kg

Others

With fewer than 1000 units built, the GAZ-60 remained a rarity. Mostly light anti-aircraft guns were mounted on its loading area. Not a single copy was still preserved at the end of the Second World War.

Before the war, as with the standard truck, attempts were made to equip the half-track vehicle with a wood gas generator, as there were still problems with the fuel supply, especially in remote regions. Because the power loss of the already weak engine was too great compared to the petrol variant, series production was omitted.

In contrast to the standard truck, no simplifications were made on the GAZ-60 due to material shortages. One of the few changes compared to the truck was to raise the front fenders, but they kept their basic shape. Sheet steel skis were manufactured as additional equipment and could be mounted under the front wheels.

Web links

Commons : GAZ-60  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files