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NATI-52 / ZIS-42 semi-tracked truck

The ZIS-42 truck on a semi-tracked basis was created as an all-terrain tracked tractor. He is the receiver of the ZIS 22. All the previous types contained a lot of flaws. However, when working with armor steel, the 42nd lost all positive qualities, because it could not cope with being overweight, and it was not at all in the engine, but in the suspension that foreign engineers could not solve, but subsequently with the task Soviet specialists coped with the release of more mobile and armored prototypes under the brand of the same plant.

Tractors and transport tractors were developed in the 30s by the Federal State Research and Experimental Automobile and Tractor Institute (NATI) based on conventional agricultural tractors. In Soviet Russia, starting from 1931, the Automotive Division of NATI worked on semi-tracked vehicles. For this purpose, a special group was created, headed by G.A.Sonkin.

The low-powered motor that did not always cope in the conditions of a rural area and a country road. The model completely pulled its weight, but the old specimens were not destined to become a tractor. As soon as the ZiS-22 had additional weight, the transport immediately began to use, slip and evendeaf, which was unacceptable in preparation for a military conflict and even more so during the war itself. Also, there were major flaws in the chassis. Rubberized tracks of caterpillars were torn at turns, stretched and just flew off. It was especially dangerous on the slopes from the mountains, as the transport remained practically without brakes.

It was to be no problem to get out of the rut in the rain for the ZIS 22 was generally the ultimate dream. But the fact was that the ZIS 22 car did not show the expected terrain from it over snow and weak soils. Snow and dirt were packed in a tracked cart and increased resistance to movement. In this case, the drive wheels began to slip inside the icy tracked belts. This defect was further intensified due to the differentials between the front and rear drive wheels in each of the tracked trucks (they were placed fearing the power circulation inside the tracked bypass) - as a result, it was necessary to stall one of the four driving wheels and the car stopped.

During 1940-41 The automotive department of NATI designed and built on the basis of the ZIS-5 truck a new type of semi-tracked vehicle with a carrying capacity of 2.5 tons NATI-52. The machine was intended for use as an artillery tractor and a transport vehicle for special conditions of operation (virgin snow, wetland, impassable rains, etc.). In 1941, the design of this machine was reworked by experts of NATI to bring it into line with the technology of mass production at the Stalin plant; The car received an index of ZIS-42.

Upgraded - ZiS 42 was designed taking into account the shortcomings of past years. It was equipped with two crawler axles with oscillating pads. This allowed for improved grip on uneven road surfaces. The distance between the axles was increased by 14 mm and was 414 mm.

The engine was replaced by ZIS 5, which had 73 hp The maneuverability of the car lost a little, however, its handling improved. The lowered suspension, coupled with the redesigned design, made it possible to increase the capacity of the prototype. Skis are another engineering innovation. They were used instead of the front wheels when it was necessary to overcome the snow massifs or marshland.

Factory engineers carried out modifications only according to their unique designs, despite the fact that the Allied countries offered their best practices. The ZiS-42 faithfully served until the end of the forties. Minor modifications were introduced, however, the model was eventually discontinued. But even after the cessation of release, more than one decade craftsmen supported the machine on the go. Due to the simplicity of the design, the all-terrain vehicle was easy to repair. Spare parts were easy to purchase, as the plant produced them with a large supply, which did not dry out even during the war.

The unit can be met in museums, and not only in Russia. On the basis of the 42nd, all-terrain vehicles were made in Germany, Austria, Finland and even in France. They changed the tracked units on 4-wheel arches, processed the undercarriage elements, reduced weight, made armor units for infantry cover.

It is noteworthy that all 6,372 cars were produced, which confirmed the quality and scale of the Soviet automobile industry. The development of the 42M model was also known, however, it was not possible to establish full-scale production due to the evacuation of the plant. The desire to turn a standard car into an all-terrain vehicle by replacing the drive wheels with a caterpillar drive, as experience has shown, leads to the appearance of very imperfect vehicles. This is particularly clearly confirmed by the example of ZIS-42.