GAZ-AAA: history, description, technical characteristics

GAZ-AAA is a car that has become the most massive three-axle pre-war model of a truck not only in the USSR, but all over the world. We will talk about it further in the article.

The American brother of the Soviet "triaxial"

Sad to say, but the prototype of Soviet trucks, put on three axles, is an American car Ford-Timken. It is worth noting that in the US cars of this class, characterized by increased cross-country traffic, were not popular, but in the USSR, where off-road problems never lost their relevance, such trucks were very welcome. Therefore, since 1931, the factory "Gudok October", located in Nizhny Novgorod (later renamed the city of Gorky), begins to make domestic copies of "Timken" from components supplied from America.

It is clear that for a long time this could not continue. The country needed its own car.

"Trehoesnik" from Gorky residents

In 1932, the Moscow-based NATI designed the "three-way", taking for the base again the American Ford AA, which had previously served as a prototype for GAZ-AA ("lorry"). After that, the results of the work on the machine were transferred to GAZ for a full debugging, before release to the series.

GAZ-AAA was commissioned to finish Grachev, the most talented designer of the Gorky Automobile Plant, but even he had to put a new truck on the conveyor belt (in 1934) only from the third time. Each time the design of the running gear of the new machine started from scratch. The third axis, which simply tried to adapt to the already existing lorry, categorically refused to take root there.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that two samples of GAZ-AAA, preceding the serial model, took part in the Kara Kum race in 1933.

As a result, the designers still achieved the desired result, and the machine went into mass production. And despite the fact that externally GAZ-AAA from the "half-torpedo" differed only in the third axis, it was already another car.

The difference between the new "triadski" and the old "lorry"

First of all, it should be noted that the new truck received another frame. Since the engine was now subjected to higher loads, there was a need to improve the cooling system, so the four-row radiator from GAZ-AA was replaced by a six-row and plus a four-blade fan was installed. Thus, the core of the radiator has increased in thickness by 37 mm.

If there was a suspension in the rear of the reserve, under the frame, then GAZ-AAA, first, spare wheels became two, and secondly, they were transferred directly under the bodywork, where they were fixed on the swinging brackets. There designers also installed a tool box. The reason for this change was the crankcase of the rear axle truck, which did not allow to fix the "spare" ("reserve") to the traditional place. The body itself, to exclude the touch of the wheels of the rear bogie of its hull during off-road driving, was raised by ten centimeters, and its supporting cross bars were increased in diameter to increase the strength due to the increase in the carrying capacity of the car.

In addition, in 1937 a triaxial Soviet truck GAZ began to be equipped with a more powerful engine (50 hp) instead of the old Sorokasilnaya. The secondary shaft of the demultiplier was equipped with a disc brake, and the machine received an additional fuel tank with a capacity of 60 liters. The body was enlarged by 10 cm and reinforced with a metal frame.

Technical characteristics of GAZ-AAA looked like this:

• Dimensions of the machine (m) - 5,335 x 2,04 х 1,97 (length, width, height);
• Curb weight (t) - 2,475;
• Cabin capacity - 2 people;
• Carrying capacity (t) - 2;
• The wheel formula is 6 by 2;
• Base of the machine (m) - 3,2;
• Wheelbarrow (m) - 1,405;
• Power of the power unit (hp) - 504;
• Consumption of gasoline - 27 liters per 100 km;
• The maximum speed of movement is 65 km / h.

Practical application of "trehoski"

GAZ-AAA is a model that was primarily intended for the army. There these cars were used mainly for transportation of personnel and cargo. As a tractor for art. Armament "treshoska" was not suitable, because it lacked power. However, these trucks were perfectly suited for mounting four-machine guns or 37-mm anti-aircraft guns.

In addition, on the basis of GAZ-AAA, a SU-1-12 self-propelled gun with a 76 mm cannon was created, medium-class BA-6 and BA-10 armored vehicles, PMM and PM type "A" repair vehicles, a RSBF radio station, as well as a variety of vans , Cisterns, kinoperevizhnye installations, agitavtobusy and fire engines.

The End of Conveyor Life

In 1943, the Gorky Automobile Plant fell under the bombing of German aviation and was actually destroyed. For the first time in the war, GAZ had to stop its work.

Despite the problems associated with wartime, the company was quickly restored and continued to produce much needed cars for the belligerent country. However, after the reconstruction, the production of GAZ-AAA was discontinued. And the role of a two-ton truck with increased cross-country ability after the end of the war was played by a two-axle truck equipped with all-wheel drive, GAZ-63.

In total, starting from 1934, 37,373 cars were produced by the Gorky residents. Of these, only three copies survived to this day.