"Object 760": a Soviet air-cushion tank that did not detonate mines
"Object 760": a Soviet air-cushion tank that did not detonate mines

Video: "Object 760": a Soviet air-cushion tank that did not detonate mines

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In Soviet times, a huge amount of military equipment was designed to solve a variety of combat and tactical tasks. Some cars even border somewhere on science fiction. In the 1960s, the designers thought that it would not hurt to create an innovative off-road tank for the troops, which would rely on an air cushion while driving, not on tracks. That's what came out of it.

Here's a tank
Here's a tank

The project of Soviet military designers called Object 760 is a combat vehicle, which is known today as an air cushion tank. In fact, the project was never completed. In 1961, engineers began testing with an experimental mock-up of a light amphibious tank. In fact, the "Object 760" has become a very bold variation of the air-cushion BRDM. The car was conceived as an airborne reconnaissance transport. They released a "tank" in a single copy.

Air cushion blowers are clearly visible
Air cushion blowers are clearly visible

The designers of the VNII-100 were responsible for the development of the 760th. Development began back in 1959. Most of the parts for the new item were made at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant. The first running sample was also assembled there. Tests of a promising machine were carried out from 1961 to 1963. The military and designers were interested in the behavior of the newest BRDM in a variety of conditions, including on peat bogs, water surfaces, and virgin snow.

Demonstrated excellent cross-country ability
Demonstrated excellent cross-country ability

It should be noted that at that time the USSR already had a light super-passable tank, which was in serial production. It was a PT-76 model. A promising sample, however, was able to demonstrate much higher indicators of maneuverability and maneuverability in tests, including on hard-to-reach and virtually inaccessible sections of the path. It was also interesting that the use of an air cushion protected the tank from detonation of most of the mines. The detonation of antipersonnel charges occurred only in isolated cases, and the detonation of anti-tank mines did not occur in principle.

It turned out to be better than analogues of its time
It turned out to be better than analogues of its time

The combat vehicle used a classic layout. The control compartment was in the front of the tank, and the fighting compartment was in the middle. The power train was at the back. The tank's crew consisted of three people. The prototype did not have active weapons, but it carried a dummy 2A28 artillery weapon. The undercarriage of the 760 consisted of two parts - the main tracked engine and the auxiliary chamber-type air cushion. The latter, provided a partial unloading of the mass of the machine. Two blowers to maintain the air cushion were located in the central part of the tank.

Bold decision
Bold decision

The project remained promising, however, the developments of the engineers obtained while working with the "Object 760" were used by the designers in the future. Including for the creation of a new "Object 761" in 1963 on the basis of the same VNII-100.

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