Truck I-3. The first of Yaroslavl
In the first half of the twenties, the 1-th State Car Repair Plant (1-th GARZ) in Yaroslavl, as its name implies, was engaged only in servicing and restoring existing equipment, mainly foreign-made. The situation began to change in 1924, when the leadership of the automotive industry decided to entrust the company to assemble a new sample. This is what led to the subsequent transformation of the 1-th GARZ into the Yaroslavl State Automobile Plant No. XXUMX.
From USA to Yaroslavl
In the first half of the twenties, the USSR had a large fleet of foreign-made motor vehicles. Along with other machines in our country were used old trucks White TAD American production. Due to obsolescence and physical obsolescence, such equipment needed to be replaced, and it was decided to carry out its deep modernization. Soon the Moscow plant AMO developed the White-AMO project, which provided for a major upgrade of the existing structure.
The first experienced I-3, received a special booth and became the carrier of the slogan. Truck-auto.info Photos
In the 1923-24, a new project was developed at AMO, according to which an independent experimental equipment was built. Soon it could begin mass production, but the leadership of the industry made a new decision. Moscow auto builders should have mastered the production of a new AMO-F-15 truck, and all White-AMO documentation should have been transferred to Yaroslavl at 1-th GARZ.
The Yaroslavl enterprise at that time had very limited production capabilities, due to which it could not produce White-AMO in its current form. Part of the units had to be ordered from other factories, and the others should be processed under the available technology. Thus, 1-th GARZ eventually built a truck that was noticeably different from the base White-AMO and White TAD.
Work to change the original project started in the fall of 1924. They were conducted by the design team of the plant headed by Vladimir Vasilievich Danilov. All 14 people participated in the design, including drawing-copywriters, which created known difficulties. However, the engineers coped with the tasks, and by February of the next 1925, they had created the required project. The updated truck fully corresponded to the production of the 1 GARZ and could go into the series.
The prospective truck was actually a twice redesigned White TAD. At the same time, it was the first in-house development of the Yaroslavl plant in the field of cargo vehicles. The new car from a certain time wore its own designation I-3, indicating the manufacturer's city.
In accordance with the project I-3, most of the components and assemblies for the truck was to be manufactured in Yaroslavl. This required the assistance of other enterprises. So, gasoline engines AMO-F-15 and some transmission units, which were distinguished by excessive complexity of production, were supposed to come from Moscow. For the final assembly of machines answered 1 th GARZ. Subsequently, the Yaroslavl plant was modernized and was able to master the production of some new products, which reduced the dependence on subcontractors.
Updated design
The I-3 truck was a rear-wheel drive, front-engined car with a wooden cabin and a cargo platform for placing a payload or special equipment. The calculated carrying capacity was 3 t. From the point of view of the general provisions of the project, I-3 was similar to White TAD and White-AMO, and also had similarities to AMO-F-15. Nevertheless, some elements of the design distinguished it from other trucks of its time.
Scheme of the serial truck. Figure Denisovets.ru
At the base of the Yaroslavl machine lay a metal rectangular frame. 1-th GARZ did not have presses of sufficient power, on which it would be possible to stamp the frame parts with the necessary characteristics. Because of this, the spars and frame cross members were made of rolled channel bars and were joined with rivets. Following the pattern of an American truck, the front crossmember was curved forward. This channel served as a bumper to protect the car in collisions, and also increased the rigidity of the frame.
They decided to equip the truck with a Moscow-made AMO-F-15 gasoline engine. This product developed power up to 36 HP. The engine was equipped with a carburetor "Zenit-42". It should be wound up with the help of the front starting handle. The ignition system worked from magneto; generator and other electrical equipment was simply absent. A curious feature of the AMO-F-15 engine was the lack of separate intake and exhaust manifolds. Their functions were performed by cavities in the cylinder block, connected to external pipes. The engine was cooled using a front radiator with a blower fan.
According to some sources, the experienced I-3 trucks had to be equipped with White-AMO gasoline engines with a power of just 30 hp, and the more powerful AMO-F-15 were already installed on production vehicles. There is no reliable information on this score, and an accurate picture cannot be restored. However, it is known that serial trucks were completed only with 36-strong engines made in Moscow.
Initially, the I-3 truck was equipped with a multi-plate clutch from AMO. It consisted of a 41 disc placed in an oil bath body. Later in Yaroslavl, they developed and put in a series an improved dry six-disk clutch. The first trucks with such a device came off the assembly line in 1927 year. Gearboxes are also in Moscow and were originally intended for AMO-F-15 cars. These were mechanical devices with 4 transmissions of a “tractor” type. Inside the aluminum cast crankcase were spur gears moving along the shaft. The designers added a new means of control to the gearbox, which made it possible to transfer its lever from the cabin to its center.
From the gearbox departed the drive shaft, associated with the main transmission drive rear axle. This gearbox was designed on the 1 GARZ based on the existing unit. Calculations showed that the engine power AMO-F-15 is insufficient for a three-ton class truck, and this problem was solved by processing the transmission, which provided an increase in torque at the wheel. The rear axle gear, built on spur gears, had an increased gear ratio.
The truck's chassis was made in two axles with dependent suspension and 7,00 – 38 size wheels. Single wheels were used on the front axle and dual wheels on the rear axle. Both axles — controlled front and leading rear — were mounted on longitudinal elliptical springs. Rear axles were unloaded using t. They were struts that connected the frame and the bridge. When moving, the bridge passed through the load on the frame, thereby reducing the wear of the springs.
Experienced I-3 during the run in June 1926. Driving - Chief Designer V.V. Danilov. Photo of Wikimedia Commons
The truck was equipped with mechanical brakes without any amplifiers. Brakes were only on the rear axle. Management was carried out with the help of a pedal in the cabin.
The engine was covered with a wooden-metal casing. Functions of the front wall of the hood served as a large radiator. On the side walls of the hood there were blinds. For servicing the engine or other equipment, it was proposed to use a pair of rectangular hatches in the bonnet. A pair of headlights was placed in front of the radiator. Due to the absence of an electric generator, acetylene lighting was used.
The project involved the use of a partially enclosed all-wood cabin. It had a vertical lifting windshield, L-shaped sides with small windows and a horizontal roof. The left side of the cabin was given for the installation of the spare wheel, while the door was provided in the right. Being the "heir" of the White TAD truck, the new I-3 received a left-hand drive. He became the first domestic machine with such a control layout. Due to the new mechanisms, the lever of the serial gearbox was moved from the right side to the center of the cabin, under the driver’s right hand. The driver had a hand horn. The dashboard was missing.
The total length of the I-3 vehicle was 6,5 m, width - 2,46 m, height - 2,55 m. The wheelbase was 4,2 m. The front wheel track - 1,75 m, rear wheel track - 1,784 m. About two thirds of the car’s length was occupied by the cargo area. In the basic configuration, an open body with hinged sides was used, but the possibility of mounting on the frame of other units was not excluded.
The curb weight of the truck was 4,33 tons. The payload was 3 tons, as a result of which the total weight exceeded 7,3 tons. It is easy to see that the curb weight of the I-3 machine exceeded the total weight of the AMO-F-900 truck by approximately 15 and engine load. To compensate for the insufficient power of the 36-strong engine, a new main gear was used, but this did not solve all the problems. The maximum speed of I-3 without load on a good road did not exceed 30 km / h. In addition, fuel consumption rose to 40 liters per 100 km.
On trial and in the series
The construction of two experienced trucks of the new model began in February 1925 of the year. Employees of 1-GARZ decided to present the newest machines by 1 in May, but the lack of the necessary components did not allow to fulfill these plans. Two cars were taken out of the assembly shop only on the anniversary of the October Revolution. The first of the two prototypes had a special package. The cabin for him was collected from oak boards and varnished. The seat of the driver and passenger upholstered in leather. On board the body made the inscription "Soviet car - a support in the defense of the USSR." The second experienced truck was distinguished by simpler trimming and, in fact, was a model for subsequent production vehicles.
According to some sources, truck trials began with embarrassment. The first car reacted incorrectly to the steering wheel turns: when it was turned to the right, it entered the left turn and vice versa. It turned out that in the manufacture of the steering mechanism, the worker was mistaken with the direction of the thread. Soon the prototype received the correct part and left the workshop. November 7 - literally the day after the assembly was completed - two I-3 trucks took part in a festive demonstration. Behind the wheel of one of them was the head of development V.V. Danilov.
Two experienced I-3 were run-in at the factory, and then went to more severe tests. In particular, the run on the route Yaroslavl – Rostov – Yaroslavl was conducted. Later, in the summer of 1926, the prototypes passed the route Yaroslavl – Moscow – Smolensk – Vitebsk – Pskov – Leningrad – Tver – Moscow – Yaroslavl 2700 km long. During the tests, trucks collided with the most difficult areas, including deep mud and fords. Cars moved to their goal and overcame all the designated routes, showing good results. So, during the long run of the 1926 in summer, the average speed was 25 km / h.
At the beginning of 1926, the auto industry management approved a new project and ordered the serial production of the newest truck. At the same time, the I-3 machine was recognized as an independent development and made the working index the official designation. In connection with the advent of new tasks, the 1-th State Automobile Repair Plant was renamed to Yaroslavl State Automobile Plant No. XXUMX.
The first serial I-3 rolled off the assembly line at the start of the 1926 of the year. The first few months the equipment was produced according to the original project. In 1927, the designers are headed by V.V. Danilov replaced the old clutch more successful. Also, during serial production, various minor modifications were carried out aimed at correcting newly discovered deficiencies or at simplifying production. I-3 truck production continued until the 1928 year. For more than two years, YAGAZ No. 3 produced no more than 160-170 of such vehicles.
In operation
Serial I-3 were supplied to various organizations from different regions of the country. For obvious reasons, most of this technology was distributed among the operators of the Central Industrial District. In general, the new equipment coped with the tasks and well complemented the other trucks of serial types. However, it was not without criticism. So, the large mass of the car led to significant loads on the steering wheel and brake pedal. As the mechanisms of wear and tear on the driver grew. Transmission gears were not always distinguished by sufficient workmanship, which led to increased noise and vibrations. The cabin had only a windshield, which is why it did not provide comfortable working conditions for the driver.
However, it should be noted that the disadvantages inherent in the I-3 car were also present in other trucks of that time. In addition, in the mid-twenties, our automotive operators did not have to choose - any car had to make its contribution to the development of the national economy.
Fire truck built by one of the auto repair shops on the basis of the I-3 truck. Truck-auto.info Photos
I-3 serial cars left the factory only with flatbed bodies, but there were cars in operation in other configurations. Various auto repair shops dismantled the standard body and put necessary equipment in its place. On the ground, trucks were turned into tank trucks, vans for various purposes, fire engines, and even buses. In the latter form, I-3 could transport up to 20-22 a person with some baggage.
As you can see, the operation of the I-3 trucks continued for the maximum possible time. Operator organizations could not often change the equipment, and they had to maintain existing machines in working condition for as long as possible. As a result, I-3 trucks could serve at least until the end of the thirties. It is possible that some of them were even able to work on the victory in the Great Patriotic War.
However, insignificant volumes of output and imperfection of the structure eventually did their job. Not later than a couple of decades after the start of production, all I-3 completed their service, were written off and went for disassembly or for scrap. As far as is known, no such machine has survived to our time.
Replacement for I-3
The I-3 truck became the first self-developed model of the YAGAZ No. XXUMX, and this provided it with an important place in the history of the domestic automotive industry. Nevertheless, the first sample from the Yaroslavl designers turned out to be not fully successful. The truck was not distinguished by high technical characteristics and proved to be difficult to drive. The design should be refined based on the experience of testing and operation.
The main problem of the I-3 truck was the low power AMO-F-15 engine. The use of a more powerful power plant made it possible to immediately solve a number of problems. In this regard, in 1928, a new project was developed for a car with a foreign engine of increased power. Soon this car went into series. The appearance of the new I-4 truck with increased payload made it possible to abandon the not-so-made I-3. Yaroslavl car builders continued to contribute to the development of domestic industry and national economy.
Based on:
http://denisovets.ru/
https://zr.ru/
http://truck-auto.info/
http://autohis.ru/
http://opoccuu.com/
Shugurov L.M., Shirshov V.P. Cars Country of the Soviets. - M .: DOSAAF, 1983.
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