Soviet experienced heavy tank "770 object": description, characteristics and reviews

The history of Soviet tank building knows many examples of successful but never implemented projects. Some ideas did not develop further than rough sketches, others could prove their relevance, but they did not find interest from the ruling party. The same thing befell the Soviet heavy tank "Object 770", which is still of interest to fans of military equipment, despite the fact that he was not allowed to mass production by the Secretary General of the CPSU Central Committee, N. Khrushchev.

How it all began

In the second half of the 20th century, the situation between the countries of the west and the USSR began to rapidly heat up. This confrontation is known to everyone as an arms race, or the Cold War. Confrontation forced constantly to improve military equipment in order to be ready to repel a sudden attack. The existing models of tanks, according to the Politburo, ceased to meet the requirements of harsh reality. In this connection, in the year of 56, the USSR's auto-armored administration developed new requirements for heavy equipment. So began the development of three new tanks, among which was the "770 Object". One of them was to replace the T-10.

The design team of ChTZ was engaged in development under the leadership of Pavel Pavlovich Isakov. By that time, the project manager was known for the creation of a new class of military equipment - BMP, as well as participation in the design of the T-10 and a number of other models. The designer was assisted by VD Chudakov, who was commissioned to create an original power unit.

Layout and booking

Unlike the other two models, which were developed in parallel by the designers of the Leningrad tractor plant on the basis of the already available equipment, the "Object 770" was created from scratch. All nodes and main units were designed and applied to practice for the first time.

The experimental heavy tank "Object 770" had a classic layout. Three of the four crew members were stationed in the combat compartment. The hull became the innovation - for the first time it was decided to make it one-piece. The armor of the tank had a thickness differentiated in length and height. In addition, the beads were inclined at angles ranging from 64 ^° to 70 ^° . Their thickness varied from 65 to 84 mm. The upper part of each side had a thickness of 105 mm. Throughout the perimeter of the hull was laid a side to increase the armor.

The same principle was used as the basis for booking the front end. It was decided to make the tower also solid-cast. It had an alternating wall thickness. The frontal part of the tower thickened to 290 mm and had an inclination angle of 30 ^° . The place of the joint of the tower with the corps was protected.

Armor Testing

During the first tests, it was confirmed the expediency of using a solid body with alternating wall thickness and different angles of inclination. The tank "770 Object" could withstand 120 mm of the projectile at a distance of 200 meters. At the same time the angle of fire was absolutely not important. The same applies to booking towers. During the tests, the efficiency of extension of the aft part of the tower was confirmed with the aim of installing a semi-automatic charging mechanism and also extending the frontal part for mounting the sighting and ranging device.

Armament

The basis of the armament of the tank was a 130-mm M65 cannon, developed under the guidance of Tsiryulnikov especially for heavy tanks "Object 277" and "Object 770". The gun used mechanized combat with an electromechanical driver, which facilitated and accelerated the loading. The rate of the "770 Object" tank was 5-6 rounds per minute. The guidance mechanism in the vertical plane consisted of two hydraulic cylinders. They were located on both sides of the gun. Along the way, the left performed the function of hydrostop, and the right - the role of the stabilizer in the vertical plane. This, in combination with the stabilizer "Thunderstorm" significantly increased the accuracy of the gun.

With a gun, a 14.5-mm KPVT machine gun was mated . The ammunition consisted of 37 cannon shells and 250 cartridges for the machine gun. 18 shots for the M65 gun were located in the tower in the loading mechanism. The gun was guided by an automated system. The operator was assisted by TPD-2S (sight-range finder), TPN (night sighting and surveillance device).

Engine and transmission

The design team for the "Object 770" (tank) was engaged in the design team led by Chudakov. They, as an initial sample, proposed to use a diesel engine V-10. As a result, a four-stroke 10-cylinder unit DTN-10 with a two-row layout scheme appeared on the light.

Cylinders were located vertically. The motor had a water cooling system and was inflated from the compressor, but was located in the front of the tank, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The power of the plant at 2500 thousand revolutions per minute during the test amounted to one thousand horsepower.

Transmission

The transmission was represented by a double-flow hydromechanical design with a planetary-type manual gearbox and a torque converter. The latter, together with two guiding devices in the power circuit was turned on in parallel. This design solution has made the machine highly mobile. Transmission of the tank "770 object" had three forward gears (one mechanical and two hydromechanical), as well as one reverse gear. The gearbox and its drive were designed to create the ability to start the engine from the tug.

Another feature of the transmission was the ability to brake the engine by turning on either the rear gear or the first forward speed. The mechanic-driver operated the combat vehicle with the aid of a motorcycle-type steering wheel.

Crawler propulsion

The undercarriage was represented by a hydropneumatic design with six large diameter support rollers and an internal cushion on each side. Caterpillars with an open mechanical hinge had fastening fingers. For their tension, the hydraulic structure was responsible.

The driving wheel was located behind. It had removable serrated crowns, which should have been maintainable. One of the features of the suspension was the complete lack of supporting rollers. The undercarriage, together with the transmission, increased maneuverability.

Reviews

During the tests, the tank received numerous positive reviews. Its high speed and maneuverability were singled out, as well as the crew's security from the consequences of a nuclear strike. However, the "Object 770" the USSR never saw in his army. What caused the completion of developments in this direction, it is not known. Perhaps this can be explained by Khrushchev's views. He believed that the tanks have outlived themselves, and under modern combat conditions are ineffective. In addition, there was the idea of creating a rocket tank, which would become a real fighter of any military equipment.