Hungarian automotive company Ikarus is known throughout Europe for the production of good, quality buses. But one of them deserves special attention. We are talking about a vehicle called "Ikarus-293", the production of which was completed almost 20 years ago.
Briefly about the model
This vehicle is an impressive three-section bus, which is a rarity today. And before, in the years of production, this car could only be found in Hungary and on the territory of the GDR.
Visually, the bus resembles a trolley bus. It looks impressive, which is not surprising. Its total mass is 33 450 kg, and the curb weight is 15 650 kg. In length, it reaches 22.68 m, its width is 2.5 meters, and its height is 3 m (on the roof). It is not surprising that this Ikarus is a bus belonging to the class of especially large ones. And it can accommodate 229 people (five per square meter).
Despite its practical capabilities, the bus was not popular. For a short time, these models were operated in Budapest and in the city of Pec. Then, after restyling, the bus was sold to Tehran, and it was allowed on the route. There Ikarus-293 carried passengers until 2005.
Design
"Ikarus-293" belongs to the category of articulated buses. It consists of three rigid sections that are pivotally connected to each other. In each of them is a passenger compartment. All three have enough space necessary for the free movement of people and the conductor. Three sections can be disconnected, but this is carried out only by highly qualified specialists. And only in the production room.
It is also worth noting that the body of each section was load-bearing and had a carriage layout. Self frame was absent. There was only a rigid structure formed by metal parts connected by welding. However, the body of most of the old buses was created precisely by this principle.
Specifications
It’s a little worth telling about the technical base that underlies the Ikarus-293 model. The three-section bus has two joints. The first was equipped with an anti-folding mechanism. The same was with the rear-wheel bus Ikarus 284. The second node was traditional.
Initially, the model had a rather weak engine. Ikarus was equipped with a 6-cylinder diesel engine, the production of which was carried out by the Hungarian holding Raba. The unit, producing 250 "horses", was paired with an automatic transmission. But the power of this engine was clearly small for such a heavy vehicle. Another unit was required, otherwise the bus could not have accelerated to standard speed. But Ikarus did not immediately receive it.
The bus was equipped with a new engine only after 4 years. It was a unit manufactured by the German engineering company MAN. He produced 280 liters. from. Thirty "horses" were decisive. Thanks to the new engine, the vehicle was able to reach speeds of up to 70 km / h.
Other features
It should be noted that a more powerful engine was not the only update that Ikarus-293 received. After such a kind of restyling, the bus also acquired new axles and a different body color. Plus, the engineers decided to position the second of the five 2-wing doors in a different way. She was shifted forward one section. Even the interior was a little refreshed. Although the driver's cab of this bus was no different in terms of design from the workplace in other models.
All these works were aimed not only at making the bus visually more attractive. The developers expected to make it even more practical and functional.
Exploitation
Of course, Ikarus-293 is not a very well-known model. However, the project promised to be successful. The prototype, the development of which the engineers worked for more than one year, passed all the mandatory tests and even visited exhibitions. However, he had a significant drawback: all drivers, without exception, complained of terrible handling. Therefore, in fact, the project was frozen until 1992.
It is also worth mentioning that Ikarus-293 is a model with spring suspension, the main disadvantage of which is its fragility. Plus, she constantly creaks. Another such suspension is stiff. There was no question of any mild move. This not only affected the management, but also influenced the potential comfort of passengers. Few would love to ride, clutching at the arms. But the main disadvantage is the quick subsidence of the suspension. Its life would be kept to a minimum, given how many people were planned to be transported daily.
Assembly
It is important to mention that this rare bus was assembled in a modular fashion. That is why Ikarus 293 existed in several versions. By the way, theoretically, this model can move in both directions. She will get some maneuverability if the traction unit is placed in the middle section. However, since the work on the original Ikarus 293 has not gone beyond the bounds of the experiment, it will not work to see such opportunities in reality.
It is also believed that all the shortcomings that this model has got to it from its predecessor. It was an I-280 bus. Many believe that the engineers decided not to deal with their thorough elimination, but simply added the middle section. As a result, the follower's shortcomings also remained.
Cuban version
It is also worth noting that this model was the basis for creating a licensed copy of the bus, which became known as Giron. These vehicles are used in Cuba. However, this version had a number of features that distinguished it from the Ikarus-293 bus, the photo of which is provided above. Cuban models received traditional articulation units, and the middle section axis, which was made shorter than the original, was equipped with single-pitch tires. It was also decided to change the number of windows and install screen doors. It is interesting that the Cubans are supporting the old buses with all their might on the go. Even today they can be found on the roads of Liberty Island, and in fair condition.
Project idea
Now many motorists call this bus legendary. The question arises: why? After all, this vehicle has not received much popularity. Well, everything is so, however, it is not worth denying the unusual appearance and non-standard design. The bus attracted attention. However, this was precisely the main idea of the developers. The fact is that all the buses on which transportation was carried out until the end of the 80s are outdated both technically and morally. The original and unusual bus was very welcome. No wonder his appearance was emphasized by a bright color.
However, maybe the project would be successful. But in the early 90s, exactly at the time when they tried to rework and improve the model, the socialist system collapsed. And at the same time, the well-being of the entire concern has sunk into oblivion. Production, as well as sales of vehicles, decreased significantly.
The developers and representatives of the company directed all their efforts to developing models that would be in demand, and also began to diligently search for new markets for the sale of buses. But things did not improve, and as a result, the concern became part of IKARUSBUS. The last bus was released in February 2004. The new top management decided to produce only compact cars on special orders. So, along with the production, the idea of finalizing the Ikarus 293, which could become practical, functional and successful, was buried.