Tank All-terrain vehicle. Specifications. Photo.

The all-terrain vehicle is the first Russian tank, developed by designer Alexander Alexandrovich Porohovshchikov in 1914-1915. At that time, Porohovshchikov was developing a machine that would be able to move on snow and in difficult off-road conditions. In this regard, he came up with a tracked design that allowed the car to move on various surfaces.

Later, Porokhovshchikov considered installing armor and weapons on his vehicle, which led to the development of a battle tank. At the beginning of 1915, a prototype of the combat tracked vehicle "Vezdekhod" by Porokhovshchikov was created. This tank was single-tracked and relatively light. The armor consisted of multi-layered plates, including a cemented steel sheet, a shock-absorbing pad of sea grass and hair, and another steel sheet.

The supporting structure of the machine consisted of a steel frame, to which four hollow drums were attached: three support and one guide. Axes departed from the guide drum, which entered into special slots in the steel frame, where they were fixed with two screws. The track tension was adjusted by moving the guide drum along the slots. An additional tension drum formed the upper part of the caterpillar, and a special bulwark covered the undercarriage of the caterpillar mechanism.

In addition to the tracks, two wheels were located on the sides of the front of the tank, which were connected to the steering wheel using a system of rods and swivel forks. Porohovshchikov also suggested installing weapons on his car, but this was not implemented in the prototype.

The tank was equipped with two drivers who were on the front of the armored hull and controlled the wheels. Two machine gun mounts were installed in the combat department of the tank, each of which included two Maxim machine guns. The front of the tank was equipped with a rotating turret with a turret for controlling machine guns.

The tank was tested at the test site in Moscow in May 1915. However, despite some improvements, it did not prove to be as effective as expected. It was not accepted into service and was not put into mass production.

Nevertheless, the Porokhovshchikov tank project was of great importance in the development of Russian tank building. Subsequently, this project was finalized and used as a base for the creation of other Russian tanks during the First World War.

Today, Porokhovshchikov's armored fighting vehicle is called a "tankette", as it differs somewhat from modern tanks in its characteristics. Nevertheless, the Porokhovshchikov all-terrain vehicle is an important stage in the development of tank building and a legacy for modern tank designers.

The Vezdekhod, designed by Alexander Alexandrovich Porokhovshchikov, was the first Russian combat armored vehicle. Its main advantage was maneuverability and maneuverability on various types of terrain. The armored protection of the vehicle was multi-layered, but not very strong, and the thickness of the armor was only 8 mm.

The propulsion, planetary gearbox and steering were taken from the automotive industry. Engine power was 20 liters. with., he was in front of the frame, and through the cardan shaft and a mechanical planetary gearbox, torque was supplied to the drive drum. The maximum speed reached 10 km / h.

The tank was equipped with one or two machine guns, which were located on top of the vehicle, in its cylindrical turret. Two people could be inside the tank: the driver and the machine gunner.

In June 1915, tests of the "All-terrain vehicle" were carried out, during which its good accelerating qualities and maneuverability, as well as high speed and maneuverability on various types of terrain, were revealed. However, the project was frozen, as funding for further work to improve this armored vehicle was terminated by the end of 1915. Despite this, Porohovshchikov himself at the beginning of 1917 improved his project by creating a new version of the vehicle called the Vezdekhod-2, which had four machine guns. However, this time the money for the completion of the machine was not allocated.

Technical characteristics of the tank All-terrain vehicle