AT-T: a "legend" tractor that did not have time to modernize

This amazing machine is a "symbiosis" of a tank with a tractor and a truck. This combination allows you to cope with any extreme conditions. From the 50s to the very 80s, the tractor could be seen on Red Square, where it pulled guns and rockets, or you could recognize it in reports from polar stations in Antarctica.


AT-T stands for simply: heavy artillery tractor. According to the factory nomenclature (place of manufacture - Kharkov) - "product 401".


Initially, the car was intended for the USSR Armed Forces, but subsequently it was actively used as a tractor and all-terrain vehicle throughout the country (including the Far North), in the Arctic and Antarctica.

How they created

AT-T was developed at the Kharkov plant under the leadership of Alexander Morozov, known for his participation in the creation of the legendary T-XNUMX. The enterprise that produced steam locomotives, after the end of the war, reoriented to the production of diesel locomotives, tractors and tanks, as well as diesel power units.


When missile systems were adopted, it became necessary to develop appropriate tractors. To do this and offered the plant. The main points of the technical specifications, according to which the tractor must:

✅ tow loads (missiles) weighing 25 tons
✅ speed - at least 35 km / h
✅ be operated in any climatic zone of the USSR
✅ pulling force of the winch - from 25 tons
✅ load capacity - from 5 tons
✅ apply both in the army and in the "civilian"

Another important condition is the possibility of re-equipping the machine for mounting all kinds of equipment. Obviously: a “super-universal” tractor was required.


However, all requirements were met impeccably. The first cars left the factory gates already in 1947.

About the company

After the end of the war, its main profile was the production of tanks: from T-44 to T-80 in various modifications. The peak of sales did not fall on the prosperous Soviet years, but in 1991. Then 800 units of military equipment were exported. After that, the plant did not come close to such a volume.

Engine

The power unit B-401 with twelve cylinders, liquid-cooled is located in front in a longitudinal manner. Prototype - tank diesel V-2. The motor develops an average of 415 (maximum 450) "horses" at 1600 rpm. Such characteristics allow you to move along the highway at a speed corresponding to the terms of reference - 35,5 km / h.


The forty-eight-valve engine has a volume of 38,8 liters with a compression ratio of 14-15. Fuel consumption of a V-shaped engine - 170 g / l. With. at one o'clock. It is easy to calculate that with "cruising" power per hour, the tractor "eats" 70,55 liters of fuel, which is not so much. However, 100 liters are consumed per 140 km. At the same time, not only fuel is consumed: another 4 liters of oil will be needed for the “hundredth”.


The engine is started in two ways: an electric starter that develops 15 "horses", or with the help of pneumatics - by air. The last option is considered a backup. To facilitate starting the engine at extremely low temperatures, it was planned to install a heating boiler with nozzles.

Трансмиссия

Its role is played by a five-speed gearbox, equipped with synchronizers at 3-5 speeds. Clutch - dry multi-plate. There is a power take-off shaft for the winch, a pair of planetary-type turning mechanisms, which facilitates the maneuvering of heavy equipment, as well as final drives. The machine has a relatively small turning radius, identical to the track width - only 2,64 m.

Suspension

Fine-track tracks with 93 tracks are equipped with five double rollers each, with an impressive diameter of 0,83 m. The shock absorption is made of rubber tires. The leading wheel is the front wheel, which has a removable crown with teeth: when worn, it can be replaced.


The caterpillars have developed lugs: their design allows, if necessary, to attach “spurs” to them - a kind of “amplifiers” that provide better movement in deep snow. For the manufacture of tracks, wear-resistant steel of the LG-13 type was used. The caterpillar resource is declared at six thousand kilometers.


The independent suspension is made on torsion bars, the shafts of which are located transversely with respect to the bottom of the tractor. The machine, thanks to a clearance of 42,5 cm (for the T-34 it is 40 cm), is able to overcome a ditch 1,8 m wide and a ford, the depth of which is not more than 1,1 m.

Platform

Made from steel by welding. The body has a flat wooden flooring, where there are hatches that facilitate access to the winch. Passengers, 18 military men, enter the platform through the opening tailgate.


For their placement, seats are provided along the sides. Platform features:

✅ load capacity - 5 tons
✅ dimensions - 3,576x2,95x3,6 m
✅ area - 10,5 sq. m

If necessary, the body is covered with a tarpaulin awning.

Cabin

The tractor is based on the chassis of the medium tank T-54, produced from 1946 to 1974. The cab was borrowed from the ZiS-150, later - ZIL-164. True, it had to be "modernized" - expanded. It is designed for four people. It differs from the "donor" design (ZiS-150) with an additional insert in the center.


There is nothing special inside: a minimum of appliances, a ventilation and heating system. From the "luxury" - rubber mats plus visors that protect from the sun. It is very noisy inside the cab, so the driver sits behind the levers in a headset, like in a tank.

Other characteristics of AT-T

The equipment has increased cross-country ability, is able to climb slopes with a steepness of up to 30 °, if with a trailer, then - 25 °. At the last angle, the tractor can move along the slopes. Volumetric tanks provide travel on the dirt road up to 752 km, highway - 1100 km.


The mass of the car is 25 tons, with a length of 6,99 m, a width of 3,14 m and a height of 2,845 m. Such data is not accidental: they allow you to drive over wooden bridges in the countryside. In addition, the dimensions provide trouble-free placement on the railway platform.

Test

To begin with, a run was made from Kharkov to Kubinka near Moscow. The test confirmed the declared characteristics of the tractor. The car behaved confidently, was distinguished by good maneuverability and high-torque. If necessary, simple repairs were carried out in the field.


AT-T is not the only machine that was considered for mass production. However, in the course of bringing all the performance indicators into a single table, taking into account the test results, the “401 product” turned out to be the best, for which its developers received the Stalin Prize in 1948. Serial production started in 1950, and a few years later the tractor was expected to undergo a severe test, moreover, in a civilian field.

Polar "journeys"

In 1958, the fourth Antarctic expedition was organized by the Soviet Union. In its composition, AT-T was delivered to the coldest continent.


In January 1959, a caravan was formed, which included the "product 401" and a pair of "Kharkiv women" - polar special vehicles created on its basis. The expedition successfully reached the South Pole of the Earth.

Fate AT-T

Today it is already history, although things could have been different. Created on the basis of the tractor, the polar special vehicles "Kharkovchanka" and "Kharkovchanka-2" were going to be modernized. However, the collapse of the Union prevented this.


Nevertheless, AT-Ts still remain in Antarctica and, judging by the images from 2018, they are still used for their intended purpose.