GAZ-AA
Motor vehicle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The GAZ-AA is a truck produced at the Gorky Auto Plant in the Soviet Union from 1932 to 1938, and was the factory's first truck produced under the GAZ brand. Russian-speakers often refer to it as a polutorka (полуторка) - meaning "one-and-a halfer", with reference to its carrying capacity of 1.5 tonnes (1500 kilograms).
| GAZ-AA | |
|---|---|
| |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | GAZ |
| Production | 1932–1938 |
| Assembly | Soviet Union: Gorky |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Truck |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related | GAZ-A GAZ-AAA |
| Powertrain | |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 3,440 mm (135.4 in) |
| Length | 5,335 mm (210.0 in) |
| Width | 2,040 mm (80.3 in) |
| Height | 1,970 mm (77.6 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,810 kg (3,990 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Ford Model AA |
| Successor | GAZ-MM |
History
On 31 May 1929, the Supreme Soviet of the National Economy of the Soviet Union (Russian: Высший совет народного хозяйства СССР) made an agreement with the Ford Motor Company to produce Ford Model A and Model AA vehicles, and the Soviet Metallostroy organisation[1] (Russian: Металлострой) started constructing an American-designed automotive plant in Nizhny-Novgorod.
Initially, 10 Ford Model AA trucks were built at the plant,[2][3] under the name NAZ (for Nizhny Novgorod Avtomobilny Zavod). Soviet engineers prepared their own mechanical blueprints for production, specifying a truck to be made with thicker steel and to have an upgraded suspension system. In 1932, the city of Nizhny Novgorod adopted its new name, Gorky - after Maxim Gorky (1868-1936) - and in 1933, the plant was renamed to Gorky Avtomobilny Zavod, and the trucks began to use the model designation GAZ-AA. By 1932, mass-production had started, with around 60 trucks built at the plant daily from knock-down kits sent by Ford.[4]
Soon, assembly started of GAZ-A passenger vehicles,[5] which were based on the Ford Model A and were also built from knock-down kits imported into the Soviet Union. By that time, GAZ-AA trucks comprised the majority of trucks used by the Red Army.[4] Several modifications of the GAZ-AA trucks started getting produced, including dump trucks (410),[6] semi-trucks (MS), fire trucks (PMG-1)[7] and tractors (905).[8]
By 1938, nearly 1 million of these trucks had been produced and sold. By that time a modernized variant of the GAZ-AA trucks, under the GAZ-MM index entered production, with the engine from the GAZ-M1, that boosted the vehicle's power to 50 hp, with the compression ratio increased to 4.6, giving a maximum speed of 80 km / h.[9][10]
Variants
- GAZ-AAA: three-axle version
- BA-27: military vehicle using GAZ-AA assemblies
- GAZ-1: 16-seat bus version
- GAZ-2: 18-seat bus version
- GAZ-3 (later GAZ-03-30): 16-seat bus variant; basically a combination of the GAZ-1 and GAZ-2
- GAZ-03-32: ambulance version of GAZ-03-30
- GAZ-5: three-axle, 25-seat bus version
- GAZ-07: short wheelbase version for BA-6, BA-6M and BA-10
- GAZ-13: 13-seat bus version
- GAZ-13B: modified GAZ-13
- GAZ-14: gas generator (wood gas) version with V-5 generator
- GAZ-40: prototype gas generator version, based on third-party developments of the V-5 and NATI-G11 generators
- GAZ-41: gas generator (wood gas) version with NATI-G14 generator
- GAZ-42: improved GAZ-41
- GAZ-42M: modernized GAZ-42
- GAZ-43: gas generator (coal gas) version with NATI-G21 gas generator
- GAZ-44: compressed gas-fueled version
- GAZ-45: LPG fueled version
- GAZ-55 (initially GAZ-55-55): ambulance variant
- GAZ-55B: staff bus version of GAZ-55
- GAZ-60: half-track version made for the Red Army
- GAZ-60P: prototype improved version of GAZ-60
- GAZ-65: halftrack version with removable tracks
- GAZ-65op: prototype improved version of GAZ-65
- GAZ-66: prototype halftrack based on the GAZ-AAA
- GAZ-410 (initially GAZ-S1): dump truck
- GAZ-905: tractor version
- GAZ-SH: prototype snowmobile studies
- PMG-1: fire truck
