Experience in creation of the first tractor in the Kharkov Locomotive Plant named for Komintern: from prototype to an experimental model

The article analyzes the origins of tractor building at Kharkov Locomotive Plant named after Komintern. In particular, the prototype (German tractor WD-50 by Hanomag Company) test features are disclosed. Tests were carried out at the provincial nursery «Timiryaze-vo» (formerly «Kabeshtovo») on Zmyiv highway near Kharkiv. They lasted from 08.26.1923 till 09.03.1923 and included checks on arable tractor works in dry and rainy weather, on days and nights, with congestion and idling. In addition, WD-50 was tested as a tractor for heavy long-range guns and other items of military equipment, including wheeled and tracked truck trailers with the necessary load. After testing and approval of the German tractor as a prototype for the manufacturing the line of domestic tractors in KhPZ named after Komintern there was adopted a decision on finalizing the design, and, in particular, changing the engine so that it could work on kerosene and provide guaranteed power of 50 hp. Such measures were related to the fact that the military departments considered that achieved power in the range 36-39 hp is insufficient for heavy tractor. As a result, the plant's management had decided on the following changes in prototype: an increase in the size of the cylinders of the engine, a gearbox redesign, an increase the width of gear teeth, an increase the total length of the frame base, a change in the amount of support caterpillar rollers from 6 to 7 on each side of the tractor, an increase the number of coil springs from 8 to 12. Taking into consideration the total rework of the tractor we can speak not about the mechanical copying of foreign model of tractor but about a deep creative processing. In addition, the article reveals the process of tractor production organizing, presents organizational and technical, economic and general political analysis of problems of the tractorbuilding development on KhPZ. There is evidence of general plant costs to develop the tractor in man-hours, the need to recalculate the number of workers for the manufacturing the range of domestic of tractors based on the German model. Information on financing KhPZ is shown in an article in the form of tables as well as excerpts from archival materials some of which are made public for the first time. In particular, there is published the correspondence of engineer KhPZ K.I.Mar'in, which describes the terms, amounts and conditions of receiving funding from Metal section of Gosplan USSR for organizing the tractor manufacturing on the plant. As a result, for the development of a new type of production at KhPZ named after Komintern there were allocated 1.7 million rubles instead of the required 2.3 million.

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