FROM “GOAT” TO “HUNTER”

Army SUV UAZ-469. Demand for automobiles-vehicles in Russia is unlikely to decrease in the coming decades, so the issue in our country is not too expensive SUVs, designed for wide circles of motorists, living in rough terrain, most likely, will continue — because the demand always stimulates supply.

With the beginning of the great Patriotic war many Moscow enterprises were evacuated to the East. Among them were the Automobile plant named after Stalin — ZIS.

 

In August 1941, in Ulyanovsk, on the Volga river began construction of the Assembly line of ZIS, and by July 1942 the rate of Assembly of the truck ZIS-5 was from 20 to 30 vehicles per day.

In 1945 the plant began to collect “lorry” GAZ-AA, and then the GAZ-MM, in parallel, mastering the production of components and assemblies for these machines. And since 1950, it began serious work on the technical preparation of the automobile for the release of a new army all-wheel drive passenger car GAZ-69 AND GAZ-69A, designed and produced at the Gorky automobile plant. The first production vehicles came from the Assembly Department of the Oise in 1956.

 

It was assumed that “sixty-ninth” will be produced by the plant at least 15 years, but in the design office of the Oise under the leadership of Peter Muzyukin almost immediately began to develop an army jeep of the future.

 

 

 

 

GAZ-67B — grandfather of army all-terrain vehicle UAZ-469

 

 

The GAZ-69, immediate predecessor

 

The new car was planned to equip the 70-horsepower overhead valve engine with a displacement 2,445 liters, three-step gearbox, reduction gears and leaf spring suspension. In the design preference of the geometrical parameters, providing a permeability — increased ground clearance, large-diameter wheels, and the significant angles of entry and exit, but often forget about the flexibility of the engine, optimal tread design of tires and traction parameters of the transmission.

 

The pilot model of the new machine was demonstrated to representatives of the Ministry of defence in the autumn of 1960. The vehicle was accepted by the customer, in General, favorably, however, the clearance he was recognized as insufficient. The most radical means of increase of steel wheel motors, which allowed to increase the ground clearance from 220 to 300 mm. it was assumed that the civil modification of the machine will be released without the wheel reducers.

 

In 1961 began testing military and civil variants of the new SUV, during which the vehicles passed through Central Asia to the Pamir, then reached for the Caspian and along the Volga, returned to Ulyanovsk. Further in accordance with the observations of the test, changes were made in the design of machines, and only in 1964 jeep passed state tests.

 

Mass production of automobiles, which received the index UAZ-469 and UAZ-469Б, began only in 1972. Interestingly, in China, which received documentation on the production of this army jeep, Beijing BJ 212 (the name given to the Chinese version of “469-go”) has already started to produce in 1965. Chinese SUV differed from the domestic only design the front of the body.

 

Ulyanovsk military off-road vehicles in the series were equipped with the same engine, and light trucks UAZ-452 — it was produced at the Ulyanovsk motor plant, and by design, it differed little from that which staffed passenger cars GAZ-21 “Volga”. By the way, for many units truck UAZ-452 and jeep UAZ-469 were unified — one of them was the engine, four-speed transmission with synchromesh on third and fourth gears, a two-stage transfer case and disconnect front axle.

 

 

Basic dimensions UAZ-469 (UAZ-31512) — army all-terrain vehicle with onboard gearboxes and canvas top body

 

When designing a military version of the jeep used and non-standard technical solutions as mentioned, to increase ground clearance from 220 mm to 300 mm used wheel gearboxes with a ratio of 1.94, which made more compact crankcase main transmission by reducing its transmission ratios 5,125 to 2.77.

 

The main customer machine was made by the Ministry of defence, therefore, it is determined by its technical characteristics. In particular, a canvas awning in conjunction with a folding hood on the windshield made the vehicle suitable for transportation by air — planes and helicopters. And no one was interested, because of this the car was almost impossible to operate in the harsh Russian winter. And such “flying” “UAZ” of considerable mass production Ulyanovsk automobile plant required only a few percent! In fairness it should be noted that a prototype all-metal body was created by the factory back in 1967, however, the forging equipment of the Oise are not allowed to make major body panels. And for the service and a police “UAZ” artisanal dural and steel roof riveting workshops of various enterprises. Interestingly, he was able Ulyanovsk automobile plant to master production of all-metal machines only in 1993 — 21 years after the launch of a series UAZ-469!

 

In addition to SUVs Ulyanovsk automobile plant produced a number of civil and military light-duty vehicles. Among them was a truck with a side platform UAZ-451 D and van UAZ-451, serial production of which was deployed in 1961.

 

 

GAZ-M72 — hybrid army GAZ-69 and civilian “Victory”