In the early eighties, the serial production of multipurpose swamp-going vehicles BT361A-01 "Tyumen" was started, which were to participate in the construction of new objects of the oil and gas industry in remote areas. At the same time, the development of existing ideas did not stop, and in the near future a new project of this kind appeared. To strengthen the fleet of transport equipment, it was proposed to create a new transporter with improved characteristics. This vehicle became known as SVG-701 Yamal.
The multipurpose articulated swamp vehicle "Tyumen" had a curb weight of 46 tons and could take on board 36 tons of cargo. To accommodate the payload, the vehicle had a large platform. The chassis with two tracked bogies did not allow for high speed, but at the same time it provided movement over the most difficult terrains. In general, the BT361A-01 machine suited the operators, but its characteristics could be insufficient to solve some particularly difficult tasks.
Swamp vehicle SVG-701 "Yamal" is being tested. Photo 5koleso.ru
The solution to this problem was obvious: a new project had to be launched, as a result of which the oil and gas industry could get a special machine with the required characteristics. By the middle of the decade, such a proposal was formalized in the form of a corresponding request from the Ministry of Construction of Oil and Gas Industry Enterprises of the CCCP. Soon, the performers of the work were selected, who were to develop a project and build finished equipment.
The new project had an interesting feature. It was proposed to create it in cooperation with foreign specialists and with the wide use of their developments. The Soviet Union in this project was represented by the association "Neftegazstroymash". A direct participant in the design was the Gazstroymashina Special Design Bureau (Tyumen), which had previously created the Tyumen swamp vehicle. The Canadian company Foremost Industries was supposed to work with this organization. This company had significant experience in the creation of articulated all-terrain vehicles, and its developments were planned to be used to create a promising model for the Soviet industry.
Despite the participation of organizations from the two countries, the project received only a Russian-language designation. The new heavy swamp vehicle was named SVG-701. He was also given the name "Yamal". In the near future, this peninsula could become a platform for testing prototypes, and then a place of work for serial equipment.
Swamp vehicle with heavy overall load. Photo Drive2.ru
The reason for the launch of the joint project was the desire of Soviet specialists to use foreign developments. Back in the early seventies, Foremost launched the Husky 8, an articulated swamp buggy. A pair of independent tracked bogies were pivotally installed under a common platform with a cab, engine compartment and cargo area. Cars of this layout showed the highest cross-country characteristics, and therefore could not fail to interest the Soviet organizations working in remote areas. This interest resulted in an agreement on international cooperation.
From the point of view of the general architecture, the promising Yamal swamp vehicle was supposed to be an enlarged version of the Foremost Husky 8 machine. By increasing the dimensions and weight, it was planned to bring the carrying capacity to the required values. At the same time, it was required to develop from scratch almost all the main units of equipment. Borrowing ready-made units from the Husky-8 was ruled out in a number of cases.
The main and largest unit of the SVG-701 machine was supposed to be a body that performed several functions at once. The basis of the body was an elongated frame-structure platform with places for the installation of various units. In front of such a platform, the cockpit was fixed. Behind it, a large casing was provided for the power plant and a number of transmission units. Some equipment for handling cargo was placed behind this casing. The entire central and rear part of the platform was given over to the arrangement of the simplest rectangular cargo area. The special design of the transmission led to the fact that volumes for the installation of cardan shafts appeared inside the platform body.
Serial skidder in front of the Yamal. The dimensions of the latter are impressive. Photo 5koleso.ru
Two unified tracked vehicles were placed under the main body. At the heart of such a unit there was a body of a small width, inside which the transmission parts were placed. Outside, it was proposed to install chassis elements on it. The trolley was connected to the main body by means of a vertical support and an articulated joint. Due to special hydraulic drives, the support could rotate around a vertical axis. The cart, in turn, rocked in a longitudinal vertical plane. Turning one or two carts made it possible to maneuver, and due to vertical movements, they "worked out" the unevenness of the terrain.
The engine compartment of the Yamal swamp vehicle housed an eight-cylinder V-shaped diesel engine with a capacity of 715 hp. Detroit Diesel. There was also an autonomous diesel generator that supplied the systems with energy when the main engine was off. The power plant was equipped with a fuel system with a high-power tank. On board the car there were 2120 liters of diesel fuel, which made it possible to obtain the required power reserve.
The engine was connected to a mechanical transmission, which included an automatic transmission. The transmission scheme, which provided the drive for both caterpillar propellers, was borrowed from the Husky 8 all-terrain vehicle. From the gearbox, located next to the engine, a longitudinal propeller shaft departed, connecting it to the transfer case. The latter ensured the division of power into two streams. A pair of shafts extended forward from the transfer case. One of them was connected to the front bogie differential, the second was used in the winch drive. With the help of the third shaft, which went back, the rear bogie was driven. In both cases, the propeller drive shafts were installed with an inclination and passed through the windows in the racks of the bogies.
SVG-701 and all-terrain vehicle GAZ-71. Shot from newsreel
Two SVG-701 bogies had a similar design, but slightly differed from each other. On the sides of the hull of a small width, four road wheels were rigidly suspended. The rollers were equipped with pneumatic tires that served as shock absorbers and designed to improve the ride comfort. The bogie was driven by a continuous bridge of an automobile type, equipped with driving wheels. The leading wheels of the front bogie were located in front, the rear ones in the stern. This arrangement of the wheels was associated with the features of the transmission. The drive and guide wheels differed from the rollers with a smaller diameter.
"Yamal" received rubber-metal tracks with a width of 1.85 m. The large area of the supporting surface made it possible to obtain a very low specific pressure on the ground. For a swamp rover without a load, this parameter was 0.22 kg / cm 2, for a car with a maximum load - only 0.38 kg / cm 2. For comparison, the specific ground pressure of the average person reaches
0.7 kg / sq. Cm.
In front of the hull there was a closed three-seater cab with a driver's workplace. The machine was designed to work in the harsh conditions of Siberia and the Arctic, as a result of which the cab received advanced thermal insulation. Three separate heating systems were also used. The air was heated from the engine, from an autonomous diesel generator and from a liquid heat generator. The cockpit was accessed through the side doors. It was proposed to control the car using the steering wheel, levers and pedals. Machine systems transformed the movement of controls into commands for actuators.
Driver's workplace. Photo 5koleso.ru
The entire rear of the hull in the form of a flat platform was intended to accommodate the payload. The cargo area had a length of 12.5 m and a width of about 4.5 m, which made it possible to take on board a variety of objects. In front of the platform there was a casing with a winch that developed a pulling force of up to 450 kN. The cable protruded backwards, which made it possible to use it for loading operations. One of the main requirements for the SVG-701 "Yamal" project was a sharp increase in carrying capacity in comparison with the existing equipment. This task was successfully accomplished. The swamp-going vehicle could carry 70 tons of cargo.
The new ultra-high cross-country vehicle turned out to be very large. Its maximum length, due to the dimensions of the hull, was 20.56 m. Width - 4.7 m, height on the roof - 4.5 m. The ground clearance was 520 mm, but the hull and cargo were placed at a much higher height. The curb weight of the Yamal was 27.5 tons. The total weight with the maximum payload was 97.5 tons.
Like other cars of its class, the SVG-701 swamp vehicle could not develop high speeds. Even on a good road, it only accelerated to 15 km / h. The power reserve on the highway was determined at 700 km. At the same time, there was the possibility of free movement in the most difficult areas. An ascent to a slope with a steepness of 30 ° with a roll of up to 15 ° was provided. The swamp vehicle could not swim, but thanks to a special chassis it was able to overcome deep fords. The permissible depth of the pond to be crossed reached 2, 6 m. In this case, the car was submerged in water almost along the body-platform. The increased cross-country ability fully compensated for the low speed.
"Yamal" with a load is moving through a swampy area. Shot from newsreel
The multipurpose articulated swamp vehicle SVG-701 "Yamal" could solve a variety of tasks, primarily those related to the transportation of goods. In addition, in the future, the possibility of creating special equipment on its basis was not ruled out. In particular, there is information about plans to create a mobile crane with a lifting capacity of up to 140 tons based on the existing chassis. A variant of a self-propelled excavator with a bucket of up to 4, 2 cubic meters was worked out. There was a project for a fire engine, which was supposed to carry a tank for 35 cubic meters of water or mixture and a pump with a capacity of 7600 liters per minute.
The basic machine and its modifications were to be operated in remote areas of the Arctic and Siberia, where at that time various facilities were under construction. Due to its characteristics, Yamal could find application not only in the oil and gas industry.
According to some sources, in the future, Yamal in one configuration or another, including with special equipment, could enter service in the army. First of all, a self-propelled platform with high maneuverability could become the next carrier of missiles of one class or another. Due to the special chassis design, such a mobile complex could have significant advantages over similar systems of existing types.
Trials in the north. Shot from newsreel
The construction of prototypes of a new special vehicle began in the mid-eighties. Soon, two prototypes were built, which were planned to be used in tests. Since the tests had to take place not only at the proving grounds, but also in real conditions, the experienced swamp vehicles received a bright red color, allowing them to quickly notice them against the background of snow, earth or grass. According to some reports, later two more prototypes left the assembly shop, but there is no worthy confirmation of this information.
After checking at the factory test site, SVG-701 was sent for testing in remote areas of the Soviet Union. Passing tests, the technique had to solve real problems and help the ongoing work. Based on the results of such tests, which can show the full potential of the swamp-going vehicles, the Minneftegazstroy could decide to order serial production with the subsequent mass development of equipment.
For several years, Soviet and Canadian specialists tested the experienced Yamals at different sites; at the same time, the technique solved a variety of problems. With its help, certain large-sized heavy products, various vehicles with insufficient maneuverability, as well as other goods were delivered to the construction sites. Loading and unloading was carried out both with the help of other equipment, and with the use of our own winch. Repeatedly the swamp vehicles performed the functions of towing vehicles and pulled out the stuck equipment. The high power and maneuverability made it possible to save even some serial all-terrain vehicles that found themselves in a difficult position.
The swamp vehicle maneuvers by turning the bogies. Shot from newsreel
Tests on landfills, on taiga routes and on construction sites have clearly shown the full potential of promising technology. The swamp-going vehicle with high cross-country characteristics and unique carrying capacity could find application in various fields and, in fact, was of interest not only for oil and gas enterprises. In the very near future, the Soviet industry could place the first order for serial SVG-701, and soon begin to master such technology.
However, this did not happen. The unique car remained in only two copies. Domestic structures were unable to order serial Yamals. The main reason for this was the economic and administrative problems that took place at the turn of the eighties and nineties. The situation could also be complicated by the high cost of equipment and the lack of full-fledged international cooperation. Nevertheless, in conditions of insufficient funding and the impossibility of ordering equipment, this was no longer a decisive factor.
According to known data, two experimental Yamal, despite the refusal to serial production of new machines, still continued to work. They carried various materials and equipment, equipment, etc. The existing problems did not interfere with the further operation of the equipment already received, and Russian builders tried to get the maximum benefit from it. Together with other all-terrain vehicles SVG-701 ensured the construction of new facilities, he took on the heaviest loads.
However, the operation of only two prototypes could not last forever. For several years of the most active work, the Yamals have exhausted their resource and therefore could no longer remain in the ranks. The further fate of the two cars is not known for certain. According to some sources, they were disposed of. According to other sources, they remained at one of the remote sites. In this case, it is not possible to take them out for cutting or sending them to the museum.
The project of the multipurpose swamp vehicle SVG-701 "Yamal" can be called unique for a number of reasons. First, it was the result of an unusual collaboration between Soviet and Canadian enterprises. The second reason is the highest technical and operational characteristics. Finally, it should be noted that the cars, even without entering the series, were still able to make a significant contribution to the development of domestic infrastructure.
Construction companies involved in the development of oil and gas fields required a variety of equipment, including those with high performance. To solve some problems of a transport and other nature, special models of equipment were created, such as articulated swamp-going vehicles. In the eighties, several similar projects were created in our country, and some of them were even able to give real results. Despite the rejection of serial production and the operation of only two units, the unique SVG-701 Yamal can be attributed to this category.
