PARKING PLACE… BALCONY

Simplicity and originality are the distinctive features of the “hummingbird” microcar. It was built by young technicians from the “Eternal Search” club in Kharkov.

Not a cloud in the sky, warm. In such weather it is pleasant to walk around the outskirts of the city. You open the door to the balcony where you keep… the car, with the help of the future passenger, take it out of the apartment, lower it in the elevator and park the car on four wheels on the street.

Artifice? Not at all. Such a car actually exists. It is called “Hummingbird” and was built in the auto design “Club of Eternal Search” (KVP) in the city of Kharkov. The head of the KVP V. Taranukha is already familiar to our readers from the article “ Microcar “Crab ” (“M-K”, 1980, No. 10).

Judging by the mail, the description of the tricycle attracted the attention of car design enthusiasts. Those of them who saw the “Crab” at the Central Exhibition NTTM-80 remember how popular its thoughtful layout and spectacular appearance gained it.

We hope that “Hummingbird” will arouse no less interest. Although different from a tricycle, it nevertheless retains all its advantages. It seems that the new car will “take root” in children’s driving camps and will become a common means of initial driving training.

The two-seater “Hummingbird” compares favorably with existing motorcycles and scooters. Four wheels give it stability, and the floor, high sides and mudguards protect passengers from splashes.

There are safety arches on the sides of the scooter, which serve as supports for maintenance and carrying the machine.

The “Hummingbird” design is a conglomerate of components and parts, both factory-made and self-made. Converted body elements from other cars were also widely used. For example, the front part of the Hummingbird body and the bottom of the trunk were made from the hood of an Electron scooter cut in half, and the trunk lid was made from the front fender of a Java motorcycle cut and welded with an insert.

The question may be: how to connect two sheets without a noticeable seam? Yes, it’s very simple – bend the edges of the sheet parts towards the wrong side and weld them. We prime the joint on the front side, putty and paint over it. This method of connection is found quite often in the “Hummingbird” design.

The basis of the body is a frame made of bicycle pipes Ø12, 16 and 25 mm. All sheet elements are welded to them. Moreover, in such a way that a through channel was formed along the longitudinal axis of the body. It has a Sh-52 engine. Air for cooling it during driving enters through the grille facing the front part of the body.

The engine is fixed in units welded to the power frame of the scooter. Its control is located on the cover of the air duct (gear shift knob) and on the floor (gas, brake and clutch pedals). The ignition switch and control devices are located on a panel mounted on the front panel. The instrument unit, by the way, is made from the apron of the gas tank halves of the Verkhovik moped.

The gas tank of the “Hummingbird” (from “Java”) is fixed in the air duct under the seat from the same motorcycle.

Behind the seat is a second trunk, open. Taken from Verkhovyna and expanded to 600 mm. A panel with direction indicators – cut in half and slightly beveled lights of a VAZ-2101 car – and a license plate are welded to its rear tube. There are exactly the same signs ahead. The headlights were used from a motorized stroller, their bodies were remade.

Now the front suspension. Its traverses rotate on axles that are inserted into tubes welded to the Hummingbird’s power frame. The ends of the crossbars have ball joints. They secure the piston rods of the front shock absorbers from the M-105, M-106 motorcycles. The upper ends of the shock absorbers are screwed to the brackets on the roll bars.

The rods above the ball joints are fitted with rotary bushings, welded to the wheel axles and rotary arms, and secured in them with through bolts.

From the heads of the rotary levers, the rods go to the longitudinal axis of the scooter, where the steering column shaft is located, passed through the cover of the air-water channel. The steering column folds to reduce the overall height of the car, which is important when storing it in small spaces.

The wheel rims are homemade, cast aluminum. The dimensions are the same as those of the rear axle wheel disks.

The basis of the rear axle is a steel axle on which a brake drum from an M-105 motorcycle and four bearings in protective housings are installed. The drum is mounted on a collet clamp.

The force from the motor shaft is transmitted through a chain draped over the drum sprocket. Shoe brake; it is operated by a cable from a pedal mounted on the floor.

The bridge is suspended by four nodes. Two of them are located on the transverse beam and are connected to the Hummingbird hull in its lower part. The remaining units are on the longitudinal crossbars. Rear shock absorbers from motorcycles M-105, M-106 are attached to them, transmitting forces to the upper part of the scooter body, where there are corresponding mounting eyes.

This axle suspension contributes to reliable transmission of torque from the engine, effective braking and smooth running of the machine.

I must say that “Hummingbird” is generally very convenient and easy to use. If necessary, the level of comfort can be increased by equipping the scooter with a fabric top and windshield.

V. TARANUKHA, Kharkov