A Peep Behil ; Iron Curtain
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Hungary, East Germany, Poland, China and Czechoslovakia Exhibit at Leipzig Fair : Products include Buses, Lorries and Fork Trucks
ACTIVITIES In the commercialvehicle field in Communist-domi. nated countries were revealed at_ the recent Leipzig Fair. The little known Hungarian-built Ikarus-30 31seat coach which was shown, has a body and frame of integral di:instruction.
The basic structural members are square-section steel pressings, all joints in the structure being electrically welded. A four-cylindered oil engine having a piston-swept volume of 5.32 litres supplies the power, the unit being rated at 85 b.h.p. at 2,200 r.p.m. .
It has .overhead valves and runs on.a compression ratio of 21 to 1. Other details include wet cylinder liners, a cylinder head to each bore, gear-type oil pump, centrifugal governor and an oil filter from which collected sediment is removed every time the clutch pedal is dePressed.
Power is transmitted through a single-plate dry clutch, five-speed gearbox and propeller shaft with needleroller universal joints, to a hypoidgear rear axle incorporating a differential lock.. The hydraulic brakes are air-assisted.
The Ikarus-30 has a wheelbase of 15 ft. 1 in., with an overall length of 27 ft, 1 in. It weighs 4 tons 11 cwt., and has a maximum speed of 47 m.p.h.
A Hungarian fork truck on display has a capacity of 4,400 lb., with a maximum lift of 12 ft. 6 in. The 8 h.p: drive motor and 5 hp. hoist motor are supplied by a bank of 40-v. 500-amp.-hr. batteries. The fork assembly operates
telescopically, and may be tilted 10 backwards and 3° forwards by a pal of hydraulic cylinders. Minimum turn ing radius is 8 ft. 4 in., overall. widt' 4 ft. 2 in., and maximum speed, withou load, 11 m.p.h.
There was little neW in the range a commercial vehicles built by EaE German makers, other than a 2-ton oil engined version of the standing-drive type of electric truck as used fo factory, railway-station or doek-sid work. The single-cylindered foul stroke engine develops 5.6 b.h.p. a 1,500 r.p.m., and the truck has a foul speed gearbox.
This model is available with eithe d or pneumatic tyres, and with a p-sided or tipping body. It is med that this truck is 34 per cent. Eter than an electric vehicle of the Le load rating.
'rom Poland came the Star-20, a on drop-sided lorry powered by a cylinderecl_4.188-litre petrol engine eloping 85 b.h.p.. at 2,800 r.p.m. hinese component exhibits would n to suggest that China will soon be :ring the commercial vehicle asiry. Parts exhibited included a nder head, pistons, radiator, starter :ors, large ball hearings, heavy Ice-facing material and boxed sets of • and drive shafts complete with versal joints.
al example of the Czechoslovak ra 111 10-tonner displayed showed unusual -chassisless construction. In design the central tubular backbone beets the engine and gearbox with two rear differentials and the one at front.
'he six half-axles, which are linked )ugh individual universal joints to ir respective, differentials, are ported by semi-elliptic springs and ced laterally by tie rods. The pelIer shafts have no universal joints and are housed in the tubular member.
An I-beam sub-frame, which supports a dump body, is mounted rigidly on the central tube. The main advantages claimed for this design are unusual rigidity combined with a high degree of axle articulation.
The Tatra V-12 oil engine is rated at 175 b.h.p. at 1,800 r.p.m., its pistoriswept volume being 14.8 litres. A pair of blowers is responsible for the forced air-cooling of the cylinders.
A four-speed constant-mesh gearbox is supplemented by an auxiliary twospeed reduction unit. All three pairs of axles may be individually disconnected, whilst the rear two have differential locks.
• Compressed air for braking is supplied by a belt-driven compressor mounted at the front of the engine. There are two pressure tanks and a tyreinflator cylinder.
The Tatra has an overall length of 28 ft. 6 in. and the unladen weight is St tons. Its maximum speed is 32 m.p.h.