Land cruiser Admiral Byrd Bashny.Net

This story happened exactly 70 years ago, and in Europe it really did not notice: already there was World War II. And the end of the unique Antarctic terrain vehicle the size of a cruiser was sad he ... drowned. And maybe, by the way, and he drowned. But back now to the bygone days it is simply because in the construction of a giant used car technology, which today has just introduced.





The lights went out, flashed the first shots of the old news: in 1934, in the icy wilderness of Antarctica brave polar explorer Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd doom awaits death in a hut, cut off from the world the terrible bad weather, which in these places, at the South Pole happens regularly. Again and again his friend and deputy Professor Thomas Poulter is trying to break through to the admiral 123 miles on snowmobiles tractors. And finally, the third attempt crowned with success, although the forces of rescuers and rescued is almost gone. End credits.

It Poulter in 1934 and decided to create a specialized vehicle to travel to the North Pole, which would not have been afraid of no snow storms, no 80-degree frosts or insidious bottomless crack, covered with a thin layer of frozen snow (firn). The engine and the crew had to be protected from the weather and the cold, and people - to have enough space for long-term (weeks or months) stay in the car, the car itself must be significantly longer than the average width of the cleft, or fail.



Poulter was a typical American, it is not only a physicist but also resourceful businessman. Anyway, he convinced Congress that this Snow Cruiser («Snow Cruiser") to build not only possible, but necessary, and will manage the whole thing into some $ 150 000, which also will give private investors. From the government Poulter asked only anything: pay the costs of the expedition itself and the transfer of the Leviathan to Antarctica and back. Shock construction imperialism

Construction Snow Cruiser started August 8, 1939 at the Chicago plant Pullmann, and only for the construction, testing and delivery to the port took 11 weeks ...! October 24 Cruiser was almost ready. Anyway, so that would embark on their own for 17 00 km to Boston for loading on the vessel North Star («Polar Star"). He was late by 15 November - and, another unique expedition of Admiral Byrd would be foiled. Just imagine: on the highway bright red 34-ton monster length of 17 meters, a height of 4, 9 meters wide and 6 meters.



November 1, 1939. Rare color photo: "Battlestar" enters in Ohio had to block off traffic and disperse the crowd of curious literally throws a huge three-meter wheel.



This run and became the only sea trials Snow Cruiser, that has played a trick on him in Antarctica. Snow turned out quite different from the properties of the pavement.

Wherever I dropped in Antarctic Snow Cruiser on the way to Boston, everywhere he invariably greeted enthusiastic crowds. Super century-old technology

How to turn the wheel with a diameter of three meters? There was nothing to think about summarizing each propeller shaft - all arrangements had to be hidden inside the body, so they can be repaired without leaving the cold. In addition, all four wheels for maneuverability could be rotated, so that the "cruiser" could go with the surface of the snow is not only forward and backward, but also at an angle.

The creators used diesel-electric scheme: two engines of 150 hp. from. rotating rotors of the two generators, and the wheel is driven by the built-in each (enough space) electric motors for 75 liters. from. You would think that for such a colossus silenok clearly not enough? But the designers somehow not shown because the elk, but in vain ... However, on the highway Snow Cruiser developed as much as 48 km / h. And why should he more? Motors and so turned out to be extremely greedy, well at least that large tanks could take 9463 liters of diesel oil (it should be enough for 8,000 kilometers). And by the way, inside the monster crew of five and Labrador Navi could live off-line for a year - the food and the heat would be enough. Another feature of "cruiser" - retractable-1, 2 meters wheels: it was necessary, in particular to overcome the wide cleft.

That's cruiser had to overcome the crack width to 15 feet: the rear wheel bearing down on her nose drawn with the front wheels. Then drawn back and the front, on the contrary, produced and exported the car "to the other side." The procedure involved 20 operations and in the absence of computer time-consuming. The collapse of hopes

January 12 "Polar Star" anchored in the Gulf whale. And to Cruiser could leave the board of hard wood was built a special ramp that when unloading began to fall apart, so that only the skill of Poulter, who was sitting behind the wheel at the right time gave full throttle, allowed the monster to move down to a safe ice.



Unloading in Antarctica

We will not describe all the vicissitudes of unloading Snow Cruiser in Antarctica, except to say that the wheels of heavy machinery, is immersed in snow for more than 0, 9 meters, began helplessly scroll, and the engine overheats. Snow, unlike asphalt, prominaetsya and the wheels all the time found themselves in a hole and leave it lacked power. The only way to go at least 148 kilometers turned out ... reversing (thanks to the "right" weight distribution fore and aft, as well as the profile of the bottom and overhangs).

However, the existence in the cozy cabins near the warm diesel was very comfortable, and the cruiser stood on the moors as a base for explorers. Expedition scientists even held a small series of scientific experiments. Then it snowed, and only a long bamboo pole gave the place "underground" camp.

Then the war pushed polar research into the background, and only in 1958, scientists from the international organization IGY set the exact location of the "Cruiser", went to Antarctica and dug up the car, looked and left.

One can only guess what happened after that with the extraordinary vehicle. Approximate its location is known, but no Snow Cruiser never found. And, perhaps, I was not looking.

According to one version, the car was on the floe, got her into the sea and drowned. Another more intriguing to Americans option - it is possible hit "Battlestar" in the hands of the Soviet Union, and the car was taken to explore in Siberia. Anyway, as some newspapers wrote that time. Which, of course, is highly unlikely, because when exporting Russian Machines had to face the same challenges as the members of the expedition from the United States.
The car was red, so that it was clearly visible in Antarctica
How could you not give money to build a "cruiser", which was to cross the entire length and breadth of Antarctica (see. Arrows). Should, but not crossed. In the Antarctic snows, he was able to pass almost fifty kilometers - from the base Little America («Little America") to the first turn of the route, and then reversing.

That's all. via Monotonik

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