In the early 50s of the last century, it seemed that a nuclear war between the USSR and the USA could not be avoided. A post-apocalyptic future was seen as almost inevitable, and the only question was who was better prepared for it. The Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant, which has been a "branch" for the production of GAZ-69 since the Second World War, on the eve of the Third World War that has almost begun, receives a secret order from the Ministry of Defense: to develop a car for ... the removal of the wounded and the dead from the centers of radioactive destruction.
Almost no one knows about this now, except for a few surviving developers of this car, but in the usual "loaf" with a van body, which you can often see on the streets, the possibility of transporting, in addition to the driver and passenger, five stretchers with the wounded was realized: four of them are fastened along the sides in two tiers, and the fifth ones slide between the side ones ... Surprisingly? Doesn't sound like the truth? Of course, because these facts were strictly classified for many years!
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MADE IN USSR
In the second half of the 50s, the understanding began to come that the apocalypse, if it happens, will not necessarily be right now. It may happen tomorrow, but today an all-wheel drive wagon-mounted car, which is almost ready for production, would be very useful in everyday life. The car, which by this time had acquired the name UAZ-450, basically had a GAZ-69 chassis with an original body placed on top, drawn by designer V. I. Aryamov ... They say that this car was also called a "loaf" by factory testers.
The car could take on board 800 kg of cargo and reach a speed of 90 km / h. In 1957, the preparation for the production of this car was completed, and in 1958 it began mass production. Interestingly, two years earlier, a very similar car, the Ford FC, began to be produced in the United States. That car had two main options, a truck with short and long cabs, the van appeared later and was produced little (like the model itself, which survived only until 1965), but disputes over the Soviet and American "loaves" have not subsided so far .. Did Aryamov steal the design from the Americans? Hardly - the machines were drawn and developed at the same time (in full accordance with the canons of the "arms race"), it's just that the Soviet one, as usual, was delayed in entering the series. It's not about plagiarism, but about the general design direction of those years - take a look, for example, at the first Volkswagen Transporter.
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The second "loaf"
From 1958 to 1965, the “loaf” under the name UAZ-450 (the letter A was added to the index for an ambulance, B for a van and D for a truck with a wooden body) was produced in its original form: a frame, a 3-speed gearbox and a gasoline new motor with a volume of 2.1 liters, giving out 52 hp, everything is pure from the GAZ-69 (the same engine, by the way, was installed on the GAZ-20 Pobeda). By the mid-60s, the car was made more technologically advanced, moving away from a direct relationship with an army jeep: the curved welded frame changed to an original straight line made of a channel profile, lever shock absorbers gave way to telescopic shock absorbers, and the power unit was borrowed from the GAZ-21 "Volga" - an overhead valve 2.5-liter 70-horsepower engine was mated to a 4-speed gearbox. In addition, the layout itself has been optimized power unit and steering.
Along with this, the car also received a "facelift" - the design of the front of the cab in the form in which we know this car now. In 1965, the modernized UAZ-452D truck went into production (it received the apt nickname "tadpole" among the people), a year later other modifications were pulled up: the UAZ-452 van, the UAZ-452A "nurse" (it was nicknamed the "tablet" or " pills"), and the ten-seater minibus UAZ-452V, which appeared for the first time in the range. By the way, according to one of the versions, this "too civilian" and expensive modification for the UAZ of those years was born almost by accident - people from Autoexport, an organization that sold soviet cars abroad. Although the option "minibus" was laid down in the first sketches!
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Variations
"Loaf" - the Soviet car-record holder in the number of modifications and "tuning versions". This is due to two factors: a) the car turned out to be very successful and in demand; b) UAZ had a strong "imprisonment" for the army and at the same time very modest production capacities. Modifications can be divided into two large groups: those made by third-party organizations and the UAZ ones themselves. The first group, numerous "non-factory tuning" options, were mainly spawned by the long absence from the minibus range - auto repair and mechanical factories converted vans into buses, cutting windows and installing seats. Such machines, nicknamed "barbuhaiki", were deprived of normal ventilation, heating, and even entry and exit, but the situation was saved.
And what's more - the "barbukhaiki" provoked the development of a whole new branch of the Soviet automobile industry: over time, quite decent minibuses began to be produced on the "loaf" chassis, sometimes even surpassing the factory UAZ-452V in comfort - such, for example, were the minibuses APVU (Pskov Automobile Repair Plant ). And then the same factories began to assemble specialized vehicles on the same proven platform - this is how auto-moving cars appeared (Kuban plant), cars for filming (Chernigov Plant of Special Vehicles) and even land reclamation equipment (Pskov Plant Hydroimpulse). As for UAZ’s own research, the engineering staff has generated just a gigantic number of all kinds of prototypes, and what a pity that most of them did not find a place on the conveyor: an ambulance with a soft hydropneumatic suspension, an intensive care vehicle for rescuers, a 16-seater bus , caterpillar all-terrain vehicle, truck tractor ...
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Evolution
Throughout the 1970s, "loaves" were practically not modernized. But during the restructuring in 1985-1989, the family of all-terrain vehicles was still updated: the engine power was raised to 90 hp, a dual-circuit brake drive was installed with vacuum booster and upgraded bridges with other gear ratios. Version designations have also changed: a flatbed truck became known as UAZ-3303, a van - UAZ-3741, a minibus - UAZ-2206, and ambulance- UAZ-3962.
In 1997, the car finally received a new engine - UMZ-4218 with a volume of 2.9 liters and a power of 98 hp. In 2008, this motor, together with Bosch, with which UAZ collaborated in the field of electronic fuel injection, was modernized, it became known as UMZ-4213 (2.9 l, 99 hp) and met Euro-3 standards. And in March 2011, it was brought to Euro-4, in addition to providing the car with seat belts of the same standard ("Euro-4"), an ABS system and power steering ... All these are commendable attempts to fit into modernity, but now they are already clearly reminiscent of the expression "what a dead poultice" - to date, a car designed in the early 60s does not meet any requirements.
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Advantages and disadvantages
This car in its current form will never pass the European crash test. Drivers even have such a sad joke about the "loaf": "1.5 millimeters to death." This refers to the distance that separates those sitting in the cabin from the "street" - there is nothing in this car that could dampen the impact energy in a collision. Add here the complete lack of comfort in its modern sense (if someone has never driven in such a car, try it, a wonderful experience awaits you - it shakes there mercilessly and at any speed) and very high fuel consumption (passport for a combined cycle - 13 l / 100 km, but the real one is 5-7 liters more). So why is this car still alive today?
Indispensable?
In terms of cross-country ability, the "loaf" is almost on a par with its "brother", the great and terrible UAZ-469 (aka 3151, now Hunter). Even the rear-wheel drive version of the loaf (in the 1960s and 1970s there was such a one) was able to go where ordinary minibuses could not get through - the clearance was 230 mm against 170-180 for "civilians"! Think about it: all-wheel drive "loaves" are able to overcome 40-centimeter virgin snow and calmly move along the track rolled out by loaded "Urals". And the simplicity of the design allows you to make repairs practically in the field and without special tools - here they are, army roots!
So what if there is no replacement for her? And what kind of learning is prepared for her in this case? To fall under the ban on production after the introduction of the next safety and environmental standards? Yes, this is a very likely outcome. But ... as we know, UAZ is participating in the Cortege project (which, in addition to equipment for the government, also includes "civilian" versions of cars), and now in Ulyanovsk they have begun work with a completely new platform, on which they should start by 2018 build a wide family of SUVs. It is also possible that UAZ will build (attention!) minibuses on the same platform. And indeed, why would UAZ, which is going through a difficult "transitional" period, refuse such an exclusive niche as an all-terrain vehicle minibus? .. "NEW Loaf" ?! Why not! We fantasized about what such a car might look like, and this is what we got ...
UAZ Loaf is vehicle with maximum permeability. Some motorists affectionately call transport "Pill". The machine wears and official name- UAZ 452. The vehicle has a 4x4 wheel formula, two axles, four-wheel drive, intended for both cargo and passenger trains. The UAZ model was first produced in Ulyanovsk at a machine-building plant in 1957. The vehicle has two types:
- Body UAZ. It is also called "carriage".
- UAZ 452 onboard. Otherwise called "tadpole".
The body part of the car has single doors. The rear door of the UAZ 452 car consists of two wings. Naturally, the location of the doors may vary depending on the UAZ model (for example, the UAZ 452a is a horizontal version).
- The car is universal.
- UAZ Loaf has good cross-country ability.
- At the same time, a driver, 10 passengers, a ton of cargo can be accommodated in a vehicle. This speaks of the extremely advantageous spaciousness of the car interior.
- The cabin where the driver sits is separated from the passenger compartment by glass. But the wagon version of the UAZ is not excluded if the transport model is more modern and new.
- In the cabin, you can install a table, a heating element.
- Salon can be transformed. For example, cut through the hatch (an example is Loaf 3962).
- This is an ideal vehicle for fishing, hunting, outdoor recreation.
The history of "Loaf": a description of the important stages
In 1955, only the UAZ projection began at the Ulyanovsk Machine-Building Plant. It was expected to create a vehicle with a load capacity of 800 kg. GAZ-69 was used as a chassis. There were problems during the design. The GAZA-69 chassis turned out to be a little short, it was simply not feasible to place almost a ton of cargo on it. A wagon body layout was required. The developers designed two types of UAZ:
- a truck with a body made of wood;
- van made entirely of metal.
On the upper part of the UAZ 452 Loaf vehicle, several transverse stiffeners were made. The car was associated with a loaf of bread. The vehicle immediately found a simple name for itself - "Loaf". In 1958, the vehicle was approved and mass production began.
The first cars of this configuration had a different number - 450. They were equipped with an engine from the GAZ-69, had a gearbox consisting of three steps. There was also transfer case. It included 2 levels. This is how the first new transport was produced in the Soviet Union, in which the driver's cab was located directly above the engine. The first "Loaf" had all-wheel drive.
In 1961, the new UAZ model began to be improved. Its next modification appeared - UAZ-451. The car had rear drive. Another difference was the presence of a side door on the van. 1965 was marked by a major change in the design of this vehicle. First, the UAZ engine changed. It was replaced by GAZ-21. The gearbox has been improved and acquired 4 gears. The front of the car was also modernized. The vehicle acquired a new name - UAZ-452D. It was considered a flatbed truck.
The ambulance arrived. Its name sounded like UAZ-452 A. It should be noted that the ordinary Loaf van quickly got the UAZ-452 number. The developers by that time had designed a new vehicle. Today, the information has been officially confirmed and indicates that it was a minibus with the UAZ-452V index.
The rear-wheel drive version of the UAZ has also been improved. Its index has not changed, only the letter "M" has been added to it. The developers have increased the carrying capacity of UAZs up to a ton (for example, UAZ 452v). 1966 was marked by the awarding of the vehicle with the UAZ-452D index. "Loaf" was delivered to an exhibition in Moscow, where it received a gold medal. In the same year, the machine-building plant in Ulyanovsk was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
The development of the plant progressed very actively, and in 1974 the plant produced the millionth UAZ. In 1976, the machine-building plant again received the Order of the Red Banner (in particular, the UAZ 452v model was awarded). Innovations in the structure of the car were not noticed until 1985. Only then did the vehicle indexes of the machine-building plant begin to change.
Characteristics of UAZ: technical properties, scheme and parameters
Specifications vehicle UAZ-452:
- The weight of the transported cargo is 700 kg.
- The weight of the transported cargo in the cargo compartment is from 400 kg to 1 t.
- The car has seats for passengers. Their number ranges from 2 to 10.
- Trailer weight can be 1500 kg (with brakes) and 750 kg (without brakes).
- The car can pick up speed up to 130 km per hour, which confirms the UAZ test drive.
- The car can overcome a ford having a depth of up to 0.5 m.
- Engine - UMZ-4213.
- The car can overcome a slope of 30°.
- Gasoline consumption is 13-18 liters per 100 km.
- The machine has 4 cylinders.
- The volume of the working UAZ 452 is 2.89 liters.
Modifications "Pills" and their distinctive features
Vehicle modifications are distinguished by letter characters. UAZ-452 is the main type of vehicle assigned to the van. At that time, she gained immense popularity and demand among the population of the Russian Federation.
UAZ-452A is a medical vehicle. Among the people, he is called "Pill". Otherwise, the car is called "UAZ - a nurse." The car has 4 stretchers, it can accommodate 6 victims and one accompanying medical worker.
UAZ-452A does not provide for comfortable conditions. But this is only the only UAZ model that could get to distant villages and provide medical care. UAZ-452A has a classic old version of the suspension. In the old days, a car of such a modification as everyone's favorite and revered UAZ-452A could be found quite often on Soviet roads. This is the option that could be purchased at an affordable price.
UAZ-452AS refers to ambulance vehicles. The considered model of the vehicle is made in the direction of the northern version. UAZ-452AE is a chassis. It is designed to be installed different kind equipment. UAZ-452V - minibus. The bus has 10 seats for passengers. The car layout is present in the UAZ-452 V. 
UAZ-452D - freight transport. Cabin UAZ has 2 seats. The body is made of wood. UAZ-452G is a vehicle designed for sanitary purposes. Has a large capacity.
UAZ-452K is a bus type car. It consisted of three axes 6x4 in size. It should be emphasized that the UAZ-452K vehicle is designed for 16 seats. It is made using experimental technologies. The year of production of the UAZ-452K model under consideration is 1973. But the design of the vehicle turned out to be complicated, gasoline consumption increased, and the weight of the car increased. UAZ-452K did not go into mass production. UAZ-452P is a truck tractor.
The UAZ-452 model, known to the common people as the "Loaf", is a native of the Ulyanovsk car factory with a long history. The start of production dates back to 1965. This is a vehicle in which you can carry goods and passengers. It has wheelbase 4×4, which allows you to overcome the harsh off-road areas.
UAZ "Loaf" has a wide range of modifications: cargo van, passenger-and-freight model, bus, special vehicles.
The van is designed quite simply, but, despite this, it is reliable and has good cross-country ability. And thanks to its price and versatility, "Loaf" should appeal to lovers of tuning and connoisseurs of "off-road" classics.
Specifications UAZ "Loaf" EngineThe car is equipped gasoline engine corresponding to Euro-4 class. Its volume is 2.693 liters, power - 112 liters. s., torque - 198 N m at 2500 rpm. Max speed van equals 127 km/h. The engine is paired with a 5-speed mechanical box gears.
DimensionsDepending on the modification, the dimensions of the UAZ "Loaf" have some differences.
Cargo van:
UAZ "Loaf" Bus:
UAZ "Loaf" Combi:
The van can take on board cargo weighing from 400 kg to 1 ton. The dimensions of the luggage compartment vary depending on the type of vehicle. Any modification is ready to cope with various tasks, whether it is the transportation of passengers or any materials. Swing rear doors and low loading height facilitate the process of loading and unloading.
One of the main drawbacks of the UAZ Loaf model is the complete absence of any security systems. There are also no airbags. The only thing the van is equipped with is seat belts for the driver and passengers.
SalonFor drivers, comfortable seats were designed with the ability to adjust longitudinally and even heated. The central panel is equipped with buttons for turning on the heating and "emergency gang"; there is also a niche for an audio system; 12V socket and "glove box".
For those sitting in the rear of the cabin, there is another heater with a fan, thanks to which an even, optimal temperature is maintained in the car.
By the way, on-board UAZ models have an updated steering wheel with different switches.
Do not forget that this car was originally created not for a comfortable ride for citizens, but for military purposes. And that is why the “loaf” does not take over the cross-country ability of any other SUV in areas that are absolutely unsuitable for driving.
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26.11.2017, 15:52 33110 0 Denis Orlov
It is much better to give our people nicknames. Especially the drivers. One gets the feeling that those of us who have opened the category "C" in our rights have, on top of everything else, passed a special exam in wit. "Goat", "Loaf", "Pill", "Tadpole" - all these are unofficial model names Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant. And it is unlikely that a citizen of the former USSR will have to explain which ones. After all, nicknames, as they say, hit not in the eyebrow, but in the eye.
History of "Loaf"
And it all started with "Magpie". Imagine the city of Ulyanovsk in 1956. Ilyich's homeland is still a rather dull sight, and then even more so. Barracks, legless invalids, dirt and yesterday's ZK, sullenly seeing off any stranger with a look. And here is a car of an outlandish shape, without a hood, wings, but with a smoothly falling roof and embossed "eyebrows" above the headlights. And the color is black and white. Neither give nor take forty.
At that time, the department of the chief designer of the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant mainly consisted of people from GAZ. The people were experienced, so when the order came from the Ministry to carry out the amount of development work to create several types of wagon-mounted vehicles, no one was surprised.
And it was necessary to make a van, an ambulance, a minibus and a flatbed truck. And, as usual with us, everything had to be done in a short time. It is quite logical that they decided to link the new family as much as possible with the manufactured GAZ 69. A similar problem has not yet been solved in our country. So, unexpectedly for themselves, the designers discovered that the truck driver, when reversing, usually looks not in the mirror, but through the ajar door. And in prototypes, it is cheerful on the back loops. Remade. I also had to change the shoes of the novelty into tires with an increased cross-section, since with a wagon layout front axle was overloaded.
In the all-wheel drive version, they somehow put up with this. But when the UAZ 451 rear-wheel drive family was put into production in 1961, drastic measures were required. As a result, the engine was moved deep into the base, sacrificing the size of the cargo compartment. But the goal was achieved.
With the style of the UAZ 450, and the word design in those years was almost abusive, everything did not go smoothly either. Early samples of vans were born in Moscow. The plant did not have its own designers. We contacted US. In the winter of 1956-57, a whole group of specialists arrived from Moscow to Ulyanovsk: Aryamov, Dolmatovsky, Kobylinsky, Molchanov. But they designed such that the phrase "designer in Ulyanovsk" became offensive. Why did the factory workers not like the Moscow art so much? Since the car was created by order of the Ministry of Defense, the requirements for it were very specific. The military also agreed that the driver who drove the car into the helicopter could not leave his workplace. Something else was worse. According to the terms of reference, the body of the all-terrain vehicle was supposed to accommodate four wounded on a stretcher. But the author of "Magpie" Vladimir Ivanovich Aryamov, based on aesthetic considerations, made the roof sloping. It looked nice, but the rear doorway was so low that the stretcher on the top tier couldn't be brought in if the bottom tier was occupied.
The first samples were built five pieces. And they had to be redone a few more times. But in 1958, the production of the UAZ 450A ambulance van began. Next, a UAZ 450 cargo van was launched. And in 1959, the turn came airborne UAZ 450D.
During the entire time of release, that is, to the present day, the car was slowly modernized, experimented with modifications, from truck tractors to tracked snowmobiles.
In 1985, the three-digit indexing was changed to a four-digit one. It's no secret that over the many years of production, the Ulyanovsk "Loaf" has repeatedly wanted to be replaced with something fresh, but nothing sensible came out. Apparently, this car is one of those rare one-piece designs that are created once and for all.
There were attempts to make a novelty. So in 1989, as part of the development work on the topic "GAK", the UAZ 3972 family was created.
We built four cars. Them appearance was controversial. The factory workers immediately nicknamed them King Kongs. But this topic did not go further.
At the beginning of the 21st century, UAZ once again tried to replace the "Loaf" new model. Thus was born "Simba" or UAZ 3165 - a semi-bonnet all-wheel drive minivan. We made four prototypes: two minibuses, ambulance and flatbed truck. But at that time the plant had no time for new products, it would have to survive. And "Loaf" is a time-tested model that you can bet on. If anything, take it out.
Photo from the archive