OBJECT 279 SOVIET SUPER HEAVY TANK 1955 (3 in 1)

Description

Object 279 was a Soviet experimental heavy tank developed at the end of 1959. This special purpose tank was intended to fight on cross country terrain, inaccessible to conventional tanks, acting as a heavy breakthrough tank, and if necessary withstanding even the shockwave of a nuclear explosion. It was planned as a tank of the Supreme Command Reserve. The tank was developed at the Kirov Industrial Plant, Leningrad, by a group headed by the engineer L. Troyanov. The work on the tank started in 1957, which was based on a heavy tank operational requirements developed in 1956, and a pre-production tank was completed at the end of 1959. This unique tank boasted increased cross-country capability. It featured four-track running gear mounted on two longitudinal, rectangular hollow beams, which were also used as fuel tanks. The tank suspension was hydro-pneumatic with complex hydrotransformer and three-speed planetary gearbox. The track adjuster was worm-type. The specific ground pressure of this heavy vehicle did not exceed 0.6 kg/cm2. The track chain, running practically along the whole track length provided for increased cross-country capabilities on swampy terrain, soft soils and area full of cut trees, Czech hedgehogs, antitank obstacles and the like. The tank was equipped with the powerful 1000 hp 2DG-8M diesel engine, enabling the 60 metric ton tank to attain 55 km/h speed, with active range of 300 km on one refuel. It also had an auto fire-fighting systems, smoke laying equipment and combat compartment heating/cooling system. The reasons that this tank project was abandoned, as with other heavy tank projects, was the fact that the Russians stopped operating with heavy fighting vehicles of that type, tanks and similar, as of 1960. The kit is a 3 in 1 model allongé to make either one of three different real tank. 1 figure of Soviet soldier wearing an anti nuclear/biological/chemical prospection is included. LIMITED EDITION (Scale : 1/35e)