Lutsk Automobile Plant, familiar to many as LuAZ, launched the legendary car 50 years ago. It was a leading edge transporter: LuAZ floating. It was created for the needs of the army. It was originally planned to use this car only for military purposes, for example, for transporting the wounded or for transporting weapons to the battlefield. But then the military floating LuAZ got another life, and this article will be about this.
History of creation
During the Korean War, which was in 1949-1953, the USSR did not officially take part in hostilities, but financial assistance was active, as well as military supplies.
The sick and wounded were transported in GAZ-69 vehicles, often the car got stuck, it took a lot of time to get it. The car was very heavy. Then the idea came of creating a light car, albeit with a low carrying capacity, but with good cross. Also, the car was supposed to be floating. A number of tasks were set before the creators of the car during its development.
Car development
The car was put into mass production in 1961. Until that time, it was a long development. After all, the car should have turned out as a result of not only floating, small-sized, passable, but it also had to have a feature - the steering column, which reclines. And this column, like the driver's seat, should have been located in the center of the car in front. It was this design that could allow the driver in a critical situation, for example, if the car came under fire, to control the car in a supine position.
Under the direction of B.M. Fitterman in US was developing a floating SUV.
Design stages
Before LuAZ was released as it was known, a lot of time passed. The long stages of the design, development and testing of the car were behind its developers. Many people worked on the idea, and before the machine was put into mass production, many technical solutions were changed in creating a car. There was more than one test version of the car.
Military versions
Almost simultaneously, a military and civilian version of the car were designed. And all versions differed not only in name. In each test version of the car, something was supplemented, changed, modified, the car became better in all respects, with each new version the found defects of the car were finalized. The story of the military and civilian versions is also long and varied. First, we will talk about the military version.
NAMI-032G
The very first version of the military vehicle was called "NAMI-032G". It was the very first test sample and it was released in 1956-1957. But structurally, it was not the same machine that later became available at the car factory. Fiberglass material served as the basis of the body. In those days, the Irbitsky plant was engaged in the production of engines and a weak engine was supplied to NAMI-032G. The motor was a two-stroke "MD-65" engine power of 22 horsepower. On tests, "NAMI-032G" suffered a series of failures. When the car was parachuted, the body cracked, and the engine was weak, and the goals set for the car could not be realized with such low power. Therefore, it was decided to change the technical characteristics of the car, as well as that the body material should be completely different. This version was intended only for off-road, so the car lacked an interaxle differential.
NAMI-032M
This was the second version of a military floating LuAZ. He had similar parameters with the first car and was a real army SUV. The windshield of the car leaned forward. The car had a tilted steering column. The body was with low sides. Headlights were located in front of the car. Metal ladders were fixed on the sides to overcome pits, potholes and shallow ditches, sand dunes and other irregularities where the car could get stuck. There was a fixed winch on the hood. TPK weight was 650 kg, load capacity 500 kg. The length of the car was 3 meters 30 cm. It could reach speeds of up to 60 km / h, the fuel supply was enough for 250 km. As can be seen from the photo, LuAZ floating had a harsh look.
But in 1959, the car went through a series of tests in the suburbs, where many shortcomings and shortcomings were revealed. And this led to the creation of the third generation of the car.
NAMI-032C
The third version was different from the previous one. The bonnet was higher and the steering column passed over it. The wheels became larger, 15 inch tires gave hope that the car would not get stuck and slip, as was the case with the second series. But unsuccessful decisions were again applied in this series, and many body elements were made of fiberglass, it was a failure, and after testing it also turned out that not only the idea with the body was a failure, but the idea of staging a motorcycle engine was also unsuccessful.
In 1962, NAMI handed over all the documentation to Zaporizhzhya Automobile Plant. And 3 more series were built, which were called ZAZ-967. This ZAZ also had a motorcycle engine, and after many improvements, the production of this car on the basis of NAMI-032M was transferred to the famous Lutsk Automobile Plant. And the mass production of a car called LuAZ-967 began.
LuAZ-967
The characteristics and feedback on the operation of the floating LuAZ-967 will tell how the military SUV turned out as a result.
Owners of this car love it for its off-road qualities and often boast that the Luazik does not even need a differential lock, although it does have one. The car's suspension is completely independent. Ground clearance was 285 mm. The bottom of the machine is smooth, which plays only a positive role and adds speed to the conveyor afloat. A car has no equal in dirt, nor in snow, nor in water.
The ideas were realized: the driver's seat is transformed and folded if desired, two seats are also folded on the sides of the driver’s, one straight and level platform is formed, as in this photo of the floating LuAZ.
The folded side seats looked as shown in the photo.
Also in the car was the ability to control the car in a supine position.
The car has a winch. Its carrying capacity is 150 kg, which is actually not a plus, but a minus. After all, a car cannot pull itself out with this winch when it gets stuck, and the idea with a winch was such that people wounded on the battlefield would pull it toward the machine for further transportation, if it were more powerful, it would be a plus, since it could be pulled out and other cars and, in fact, directly the car on which it was installed. The weight of the car is 930 kg. The maximum speed was 75 km / h. The engine capacity was 0.9 liters, engine power - 27 horsepower. The speed of movement in water was 3 km / h.
LuAZ 967A
Another advanced military version. It differs from the previous version by another engine. There were also body changes on the conveyor.
LuAZ 967M
In 1975, a new modified version of the car was released; it was it that was put into mass production. The car received a MeMZ-967A engine. Engine capacity was 1.2 liters. Engine power - 37 horsepower. The transmission of the car was also finalized. The suspension has become more refined. This car could not be called comfortable, but the tasks assigned to the car were completely fulfilled.
Civil versions
It was already mentioned above that initially the car was developed only for military purposes, but it was decided that such a machine would be needed in agriculture, as well as where there is no road surface. The first test car of the civilian version was called “Spark”, and the second was called “Tselina”.
- "US 049" - "Spark"
- "US 049A" - "Tselina"
These two test versions were prototypes of the well-known floating ammunition LuAZ-969.
The design of NAMI 049 was started in 1958. Many tasks and ideas were posed in front of the car. It was planned to use it to obtain milk yield from cows, in fire fighting, for loading purposes, as an ambulance, as a compressor for road works. But these ideas remained fixed only on paper, they were not realized.
The “Tselina”, unlike the “Spark”, had a cargo compartment. It was rather small in size, but its presence is already a significant plus.
The car body had a metal base. Also metal were the door pillars, the frame at the windshield and the mount to which the tailgate was attached. Everything else was made of fiberglass to reduce the weight of the car. And the weight of the car was 750 kg. The engine was installed with a capacity of 22 horsepower. The car developed a speed of up to 80 km / h. The engine was considered economical, and the consumption per 100 km ranged from 6.5 to 7 liters. Car loading capacity was 300 kg. This is what concerns the test engine “NAMI 049”, and at “NAMI 049A” the engine capacity after refinement became larger and its power was 26 horsepower with a torque of 4000 thousand revolutions per minute.
The car was front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive connected if desired. Also in the car was also a differential lock. For off-road conditions, an additional reduced gear was provided.
Ground clearance was 300 mm. Thanks to this ground clearance and its off-road performance, the car showed good cross-country ability.
At "US 049" the engine was located in front.
The car's suspension was independent. Shock absorbers are telescopic.
- The length of the car was 3600 mm
- Width - 1540 mm
- Vehicle height - 1700 mm
- Weight - 750 kg
- Payload - 300 kg
- Engine - Gasoline
After all the test versions and developments, the Lutsk Automobile Plant produces already a well-known car, which, like all previous versions, comes out not in one version, but already has a different name.
LuAZ 969
In operation, this car is simple. Until 1975, the LuAZ 969 was equipped with the same engine as the test version - “NAMI 049A”. The passenger compartment is very offset to the front axle, which gave it a load with front-wheel drive and good grip. LuAZ 969, the floating version of the military version was lost after all modifications. The differential lock of the rear axle has been saved.
The characteristic of LuAZ 969 was the same as that of the test version "NAMI 049A".
The name of the car was “Volyn”, and the first car left the assembly line in Lutsk in 1969. The car, like all past ones, has been constantly updated. The very first Volyn had a high noise level due to the engine.
LuAZ 969 had 3 modifications:
- LuAZ 969A
- LuAZ 969V
- LuAZ 969M
The LuAz 969B had the difference that the rear-wheel drive was removed in the car, and the car became the first front-wheel drive car that was produced in the USSR.
LuAZ 969A had a tarpaulin top, if desired, it could be removed. The buildings board was hinged. Car loading capacity was increased and amounted to 400 kg.
LuAZ 969M has become completely different in terms of comfort. Characteristics of the LuAZ 969 is different from the latest modified version of the car. The seats in the car were already installed in the same way as they were installed in the car "Lada". A new powerful MeMZ-969A engine was installed, its power was 40 horsepower. Hydraulic brake booster. There have also been changes in the appearance of the car.
LuAZ 969 is quite simple to repair, spare parts are inexpensive. Connoisseurs of such cars more often prefer the military 967 LuAZ because of its ability to sail, but one and the other version of this car will have its own connoisseurs.