In 1954, the Kurgan plant, the main production of which was directed to the production of heavy cranes, is being reorganized. Now his task was to develop a new branch in mechanical engineering. Namely, the management of the plant was instructed to develop and establish serial production of medium-class artillery tractors on caterpillar tracks. In this connection, KZTK is renamed into KMZ (Kurgan Machine-Building Plant).
First medium artillery tractors
Since the Kurgan people did not yet have experience in the production of such machines, specialists from the Design Bureau of the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant (ChTZ) were involved in the development of the first tractor, who, in fact, developed the car. The project was led by I. S. Kavyarov, who previously worked as deputy chief designer of ChTZ, and since 1954 was appointed chief designer at KMZ.
The first vehicles assembled using tractor units left the production shop just a couple of months after the start of work on the project. The car turned out to be quite successful, and on its basis the plant produced several modifications of the conveyor, such asmilitary and civilian orientation.
The next machine was produced entirely by the KMZ design bureau, it was the ATS-59 artillery tractor (factory code is “650”).
Description of the new artillery tractor
The development of the tractor began in 1956. The car was intended primarily for towing artillery systems and trailers, as well as transporting ammunition, camping equipment and combat crew serving the towed gun in the back.
In front of the ATS-59, directly above the main clutch and gearbox, there was a metal welded cabin designed for two people (driver and senior car).
The cab of the tractor was very cramped, even for two people, with small inconvenient front doors. A large casing was arranged in the center of the cab, providing access to the transmission units and the main clutch.
In the gearbox of the ATS-59 all-terrain vehicle, the designers provided an input that allows you to connect the power take-off drive in case of connecting attachments.
The body of the machine was a load-bearing, very strong structure, welded from thick sheet steel.
The designers placed the power plant between the cabin and the cargo platform.
Chassis included torsion bar independent suspension with five double track rollers on each side. Lever-type hydraulic shock absorbers are installed on the first (which are leading) and last wheels. The rollers themselves were a double rubberized structure of a rather large diameter.
On the back of the tractorthe cargo platform is provided with folding benches, which can accommodate 12-14 people. Under the benches, it is possible, if necessary, to install additional fuel tanks. From above, to protect against bad weather, the body was covered with a waterproof awning with windows.
Also, the ATS-59 all-terrain vehicle is equipped with a reversible traction winch located at the rear of the vehicle.
Thanks to the sophisticated layout, the car turned out to be highly resistant to rollovers when driving on steep slopes. And the high cross-country ability of the ATS-59 made it possible to operate it in almost any off-road conditions.
The path from prototype machines to series
The first experimental all-terrain vehicles were built in 1958, after which a cycle of comprehensive factory tests of the machine began, after passing which the next stage of testing began for the tractor. This time the tractor was tested by the military, who generally rated the car positively and accepted it into service, changing the factory marking to ATS-59.
Further refinement of the machine was already carried out during production. The first experimental batch of 10 machines left the factory shops by the end of spring 1961. A year later, the production of the all-terrain vehicle reached the level of 120 copies per month. In addition, work was carried out in parallel on the creation of various modifications of the tractor. As a result, the plant on the basis of the 59th began to produce cable and railroad tracks, as well as bulldozers.
Also, specially by order of the military, an ATC-59 tractor with a crane boom was produced. It has found its application in the anti-aircraft missile forces.
ATS-59: specifications
1. Rover dimensions - 6m 28 cm x 2m 78 cm x 2m 30 cm (height at the upper level of the cabin).
2. Ground clearance - 42.5 cm.
3. Road gauge - 2 m 20 cm.
4. Base - 3 m 28 cm.
5. Curb weight - 13 tons 200 kg.
6. Power plant - W650G with a capacity of 300 l / s.
7. Maximum speed with full load, while driving on the highway - 39 km / h.
8. Range at full load with trailer:
- on the highway - 730 km;
- on the ground - 500 km.
9. Permissible slope steepness when driving without a trailer is 35 degrees.
10. Load Capacity:
- permissible weight of cargo for transportation in the back - 3 tons;
- Trailer weight limit - 14 tons.
Machine Appraisal
For the entire period of operation, the ATS-59 all-terrain vehicle-tractor has established itself as a very reliable and, most importantly, unpretentious machine. Due to this, it was widely used in the army as a tractor and base chassis for special superstructures. In civilian life, the car in the basic configuration was used in the development of new difficult areas of the country.
Old tractor with new cab
The only significant drawback of the tractor - a cramped cab - was eliminated with the advent of ATS-59G. In fact, it was the same ATS-59, the characteristics of which remained unchanged in the new model, but with a completely different, completelyredesigned and spacious six-seater cabin, also equipped with a more powerful heating system. Such processing added popularity and increased demand for the car.
Moreover, after KMZ stopped the production of caterpillar tractors due to the need to convert production lines to the production of infantry fighting vehicles, the production of all-terrain vehicles did not stop, but was transferred to Poland, which at that time was among the countries of the Warsaw Pact.
