GAZ-62
Under the designation GAZ-62 ( Russian ГАЗ-62 ) a total of three different prototypes of all-terrain trucks were manufactured in the Soviet Union between 1940 and 1962 . All vehicles were manufactured in the Gorkowski Awtomobilny Sawod (GAZ), none was ultimately built in series that were ready for the market. However, they were models for the GAZ-63 and later the GAZ-66 , both of which were widely used over several decades.
First model from 1940
The first vehicle, which was given the designation GAZ-62, was built in 1939. The body and the loading area of a GAZ-MM were placed on a chassis with all-wheel drive. This prototype was one of the first four-wheel drive trucks developed by the Soviets and the temporary end of various attempts before the Second World War to make trucks more off-road. The designers had previously tried to do this by using driven double axles (drive formula corresponding to 6 × 4), for example with the GAZ-21 or the GAZ-AAA .
The six-cylinder gasoline engine used with the designation GAZ-11 and 3.48 liters displacement was a license production by Dodge and originally intended for the GAZ-51 . Its series production, however, was postponed to 1947 due to the war. The GAZ-62 showed good terrain characteristics. So slopes of up to 20 ° could be negotiated, the truck drove through mud up to 40 centimeters and snow up to 60 centimeters deep. Consumption fluctuated strongly, depending on the driving style, load and surface. In difficult conditions it rose to 60 liters per 100 kilometers. In 1941 the development was stopped due to the war and there was no serial production. However, the GAZ-63 built after the war is based on the truck, which uses the same engine and is built on the same basic principle, but uses a completely redesigned body.
A version with an additional driven rear axle (drive formula 6 × 6) was also tested under the designation GAZ-33 , but it was also not built in series. The first drafts for the ZIS-151 were based on this model .
Second model from 1952
In the course of the Second World War, light transport vehicles of the Dodge WC-52 type also came to the Soviet Union. In 1952 the Gorkowski Avtomobilny Sawod produced a prototype that was inspired by this vehicle and was also given the designation GAZ-62. This is unusual because normally no type designation was assigned twice in the Soviet vehicle industry. In addition to the Dodge, the smaller GAZ-69 off-road vehicle was also the model, which the design was visually similar except for the dimensions. Unlike the American model, the spare wheel was attached further back and sunk into the body so that it did not protrude sideways. There was also space for a driver's door. As a drive unit, the developers used the six-cylinder gasoline engine, which had been used as early as 1940, with an unchanged output of 76 hp. The vehicle could transport 1200 kg loads or twelve people.
Another prototype was built by 1958 under the designation GAZ-62A . The spare wheel was now horizontally under the vehicle, and a new, slightly wider platform was constructed. In addition, a winch is installed at the front. The front end of the body is similar to that of the GAZ-51 and GAZ-63 trucks. Under the designation GAZ-62B there was a prototype with four driven axles (drive formula 8 × 8) and a floating version was built as the GAZ-62P .
Although the vehicle met the requirements, series production was rejected by the responsible authorities in 1958. The reasons for this are not known.
Third model from 1959
After series production of the second draft was rejected in 1958, GAZ started again with a new design under the name GAZ-62. The cab has been completely changed. The truck was now a forward control, no longer a hooded model. The cabin could be completely folded forward for repairs to the engine. The top was made of fabric, the windshield was foldable. The reason for this is that in this way the vehicle could have completely fitted into a Mil Mi-4 and parachuted down.
The engine used in the last GAZ-62 remained the in-line six-cylinder petrol engine with 3.48 liters of displacement, but it now developed 85 hp. Compared to the GAZ-66 , which was manufactured later, this was also the main difference because it has an eight-cylinder gasoline engine. In addition, little things were changed on the body. The GAZ-62 of the last generation still has rounded side windows at the top, the GAZ-66 angular ones.
In the years 1959 to 1962 only small numbers of the vehicles were built. The following table shows the production figures by year.
| Construction year | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| number of pieces | 40 | 21st | 5 | 3 | 69 |
However, the Soviet Army also refused to accept this vehicle model. It was later revised, designed for a payload of 2000 kg instead of the previous 1100 kg, and a more powerful engine was installed. The resulting GAZ-66 was ultimately built almost a million times between 1964 and 1999. In contrast, the GAZ-62 prototype has probably not survived since the 1970s.
Technical data of all models
| GAZ-62 (1940) | GAZ-62 (1952) | GAZ-62 (1959) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| engine | Six-cylinder in-line petrol engine | ||
| Engine type | GAZ-11 | ? | |
| Displacement | 3.48 l | ||
| power | 76 hp (56 kW) | 85 hp (63 kW) | |
| Top speed | 88 km / h | 85 km / h | 80 km / h |
| consumption | 16-60 l / 100 km | ? | 16 l / 100 km (according to standard) |
| Drive formula | 4 × 4 | 4 × 4 | 4 × 4 |
| length | ? | 5000 mm | 4870 mm |
| width | ? | 2100 mm | |
| height | ? | 1800 mm | 2385 mm |
| wheelbase | ? | 2850 mm | 2700 mm |
| Payload | 2000 kg | 1200 kg (12 people) | 1100 kg (12 people) |
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Article «Несчастливый» индекс from the magazine Грузовик Пресс on the subject of GAZ-62 (Russian)
- ↑ a b c website on the history of the GAZ-62 from 1940 (Russian)
- ↑ Website on GAZ-33 from 1941 (Russian)
- ↑ a b c website for the GAZ-62 from 1952 (Russian)
- ↑ a b c website for all three vehicles with contemporary photographs (Russian)
- ↑ Website for the revised version GAZ-62A (Russian)