Perhaps there is no more famous military vehicle in Russia than the GAZ-66 or, among the common people, "Shishiga" ("Sheshiga"). Although the car was designed in the distant sixties, its use is justified to this day. If we talk about the vehicle fleets of military units, then in the overwhelming number of the 66th GAZ there is, moreover, in good condition, ready to perform certain tasks.
GAZ-66 in various modifications can be used as a vehicle for transporting personnel, as a military ambulance, as a rotational bus or as a vehicle designed for such a procedure as drilling wells for water. The car can be equipped with additional accessories (winch, drilling rig, communication equipment).
This workhorse of the Soviet and Russian armies was removed from production in 1999, but this does not at all prevent the use of "Shishiga" in the troops with a fair amount of intensity. The technical characteristics of this car, which can be called one of the most successful design achievements, are as follows.
The carrying capacity of the GAZ-66 is up to 4 tons. However, in fact, Soviet drivers transported on this "horse" and one and a half times more payload. Of course, the move was difficult, but the car withstood the load, often actually saving the lives of wounded soldiers. The 66th showed itself remarkably on the mountain roads of Afghanistan, but it was found to have a significant flaw in this particular country. The car's cabin was located directly above the front wheelset, which reduced the likelihood of crew survival to a minimum if the car ran into a mine. It is for this reason that the GAZ-66 had to be withdrawn from Afghanistan, although individual units of this automotive equipment continued to serve there until the withdrawal of Soviet troops.
The power of the car is 120 horses with a working displacement of 4.25 liters. Fuel consumption by today's standards can be considered high: at speeds up to 80 km / h, the engine eats 20 liters of fuel for every 100 km. However, with the attitude in the Soviet army to automobile fuel (approximately as to water), no one paid special attention to these consumption indicators.
Of all the conveniences for the driver in the Shishigi, a tarpaulin hammock was provided, which could be hung right in the cockpit.
