The T-80 turned out to be a complete disaster. T-80 turned out to be a complete disaster The power plant of the tank t 80
T-80 tanks are the main combat vehicles that were mass-produced back in the USSR, starting in 1978. Operation was carried out until 1998. This combat unit was the first of its kind equipped with a system of dynamic protection against projectiles, as well as a power plant based on a gas turbine.
Light tanks T-80 were also produced in the period from 1942 to 1943. Only 70 samples were released. Subsequently, at the plant, its “stamping” was replaced by the production of SU-76M artillery systems. Light tanks T-80 were no longer produced.
History of creation
The history of the tank dates back to 1964, when at a meeting of the Central Committee of the CPSU it was decided to develop a new combat vehicle based on the T-64. The innovative tank was conceived as a carrier of a gas turbine engine, which would contribute to a cruising range of 450 kilometers at 1000 horsepower and a warranty period of 500 hours.
The reason for making such a decision is due to the obsolescence of the T-64. The management relied on as a means of improving the operational characteristics of a combat unit. A feature of this mechanism was the absence of the need for warm-up before starting work, which significantly reduced the time for bringing the tank crew to combat readiness. Especially in harsh winter conditions.
First tests
From about 1968 to 1974, experimental T-80 tanks (then still bearing modest experimental names like "Object-219") underwent a series of tests. Some showed unsatisfactory results in the operation of a new type of engine, some completely failed.
After a number of improvements, the equipment was again tested - either in conditions of high dustiness, or during maneuvers on virgin snow.
T-80 tanks with a diesel engine were noted for their high maneuverability when interacting with the tank. The vehicle was easily moved to the front positions in order to attack the enemy, developing a speed of 20 to 30 km/h.
On different types of terrain, these tanks showed average speeds from 20 to 40 km / h, while oil consumption tended to zero, and fuel costs ranged from 435 to 840 liters.
Tank T-80. Characteristics and modernization
In 1976, the "Object-219" was put into service under the designation T-80. This is how the first tanks with a gas turbine engine appeared. For comparison: the American tank "Abrams" was put on stream only in 1980.
The T-80 tank (photo below) had a hull made of welded armor plates, in many respects similar in design to its predecessors - the T-72 and T-64A.
The turret is completely cast from armored steel, has a complex configuration and is equipped with a rangefinder. The caliber of the gun is 125 mm, the gun is equipped with a casing at the base of the barrel, the charging mechanism and the projectile chambering system are in many ways similar to the T-64A. Also located on the tower anti-aircraft machine gun "Cliff" and infantry PKT.
Steel rolled and cast, as well as combined. The weight of the T-80 tank was 42 tons. Length (with gun) - approximately 9656 mm, hull - 6780 mm, width - 3525 mm, height (from the lowest point to the top of the tower) - 3525 mm.
T-80BV and other upgrades
Technological progress did not stand still. In 1978, an improved version appeared - T-80B. It was notable for the presence of the Cobra guided weapon system, the Tucha tactical smoke grenade launcher, and reinforced armor for both the hull and the turret.
At the same time, the T-80BK model was being developed at the Omsk plant.
In 1985, the T-80BV model entered service. It differs from its predecessor by the presence of dynamic protection on the turret and hull.
The latest and most successful modification was the T-80U model, developed in the same 1985. Design principles inherited from the previous models of the "eighty". Weight increased to 46 tons.
The fire control system received a number of improvements, such as the gunner's night and day aiming system and the commander's computer-aiming mechanism.
Innovations made it possible to fight not only with armored targets, but also with low-flying helicopters thanks to integrated system missile guidance control "Reflex". The fired projectile is guided by a laser beam pointer at a distance of 100 to 5000 meters.
TTX of new products
T-80 tanks were rightfully considered one of the most advanced achievements of domestic design thought. For comparison, their performance characteristics should be considered.
The T-80BV weighed 43.7 tons, while the T-80U was heavier and weighed as much as 46.
The length of the first, together with the gun, was 9651 mm, while the improved model was shorter - 9556 mm.
As for the body itself, it's the other way around. The T-80B has a length of 6982 mm, a width of 3582 mm, and the T-80U had the characteristics of 7012 mm and 3603 mm, respectively.
The difference in height is almost imperceptible to the naked eye. The numbers indicate the difference only in the documentation - 2219 versus 2215 mm.
Termination of production
The T-80 tank (photo below) had a number of modifications intended for export to different countries peace. Those are countless. For example, the model "eighties" on a diesel engine, produced in Kharkov under the marking T-80UD, formed the basis of Ukrainian military equipment: "Oplot", BM "Oplot" and T-84.
The production of the "eighties" was discontinued in 1998. The reasons, unfortunately, are unknown. Nevertheless, the combat vehicle is still in service with the army. Russian Federation.
"Armata"
On May 5, 2016, at the parade on Red Square, the new generation T-14 tank on the Armata platform was presented to the general public.
It was developed as part of the Combat Systems of the Future project, as well as to participate in the "network-centric war". This term means military doctrine, proclaimed by the NATO countries, which is the coordination of the actions of offensive or defensive forces, united in a single information network.
The T-14 was the first stealth tank in Russia. The body of the vehicle is constructed from a special material that makes it difficult to recognize vehicles by the main known radar waves and significantly reduces the distance required for target acquisition by Javelin or Brimstone missile guidance systems.
The peculiarity of the tank is that the crew is completely located in the hull. The tower remains uninhabited, which also contributes to the protection of crew members in combat conditions.
The Armata complex is equipped with the Afganit system, which makes it possible to intercept shells. The built-in system for the formation of smoke-metal curtains allows you to "dazzle" radio-controlled drones and mines due to signal distortion by the mentioned particles. This, in turn, does not harm the infantry and equipment accompanying the combat vehicle.
The T-14 is equipped with dynamic armor, the principle of which is based on firing armor plates towards a flying projectile. It is believed that this method of booking is also capable of reflecting shots from an anti-tank grenade launcher.
Technological progress does not stand still, every day new types of weapons are being developed in secret laboratories. It is known that "Armata" is put into mass production until 2020. And they do not plan to interrupt the "stamping" of innovative technology even in a crisis.
But what will be the novelty that can surpass the T-14, is it really futuristic walking tanks? Time will tell.
Main battle tank (MBT) is a term given to a combat vehicle capable of combining high maneuverability, security, and firepower. An example of a Soviet MBT is the T-80 heavy tank, which has been in service for 42 years.
This is the first machine where the designers used a gas turbine plant as an engine, which was ahead of its time. According to the Western Military District, there are now about 4,000 pieces of equipment in the army of the Russian Federation. In total, more than 10,000 vehicles of various modifications were produced, including 6,000 T-80U tanks.
How the legendary car was created
In fact, the roots of the creation of the T-80 go back to the distant 1942-1948 of the last century. It was then that the designer Alexander Starosenko designed the first tank with a gas turbine engine instead of a standard diesel engine. Unfortunately, the project was not launched, but it was not forgotten either. Seven years later, in 1955, the designers Chistyakov and Ogloblin at the Leningrad plant named after Kirov designed and produced the "Object 278", with the GTD-1 engine.
Its power was one thousand horsepower. This car, which had a mass of 53.6 tons, developed a serious speed for its weight - as much as 57.3 km / h. But again, failure - the slightly earlier versions with a diesel engine of the "Object" were rejected by Khrushchev, and the tank again went into the shadows, this time for three years.
In 1963, together with the new T-64 medium tank, its gas turbine version was designed under the code name T-64T.
The design continued to be modified until 1976. As a result, little was left of the "sixty-four". In addition to the engine, the undercarriage, the shape of the hull, even the turret were redone. The designers left only the gun, automatic loader and ammunition.
And in the summer of 1976, the USSR army received an order for a completely new main battle tank called the T-80. The technique turned out to be successful and suitable for deep modification, which continued until the end of the nineties. This is how the thorny and difficult path of our "eighties" began.
Design features and changes
Although the T-80 was, in fact, a converted "sixty-four", there are plenty of changes in its design, and it concerns not only the engine. The layout was left the same - classic, the crew consists of three people. But the driver got three viewing devices at once, although he previously had only one.
Unlike its predecessors, the designers added the possibility of heating its place warm air from the turbine compressor.
The body of the T-80 was still welded. It was also decided not to change the angle of inclination of its frontal part - it remained equal to 68 °. The protection of the crew is differentiated, the frontal parts of the hull of the equipment consist of multi-layer combined armor. Materials - steel together with ceramics. The rest of the armor is steel, with various angles of inclination and thickness. The sides are covered with special protective screens made of reinforced rubber, this solution has improved protection against cumulative projectiles.
Inside the equipment there is a polymer lining that performs several functions. When armor is pierced by kinetic shells, the lining reduces the spread of fragments inside the vehicle, thereby increasing the protection of the crew. The second function is to reduce the impact of gamma radiation. To prevent exposure to radioactive areas of the terrain, a special plate was installed under the driver's seat by the designers. The mass of the tank varies depending on the modifications - from 42 to 46 tons.
The T-80's turret was originally cast, with a thickness of 450 mm at its thickest point. In 1985, it was replaced with a more modern, welded one with fewer vulnerable zones. After modernization, there is the possibility of attaching dynamic protection "Contact-1/2" and "Cactus". The designers placed the tank's underwater driving equipment at the rear of the turret, thus covering the MTO compartment and providing it with additional protection.
Armament T-80
The tank has a 125 mm 2A46-1 smoothbore gun, later 2A46-2 / 2A46M-1, capable of firing Cobra, Invar, Reflex-M guided missiles. Direct fire range - 4000 meters, missiles fly up to 5000 meters. Ammunition contains sub-caliber, high-explosive fragmentation and of course cumulative shells, with a separate case charge. Total varies from tank modifications (38-45 charges).
The designers also transferred the loading mechanism from the T-64A.
The T-80 mechanized combat stowage carousel holds 28 rounds, the average rate of fire is 6-9 rounds. On serial samples, the gun received a thermal casing. The tank is equipped with a twin caliber 7.62 mm. On the turret of the commander there is an anti-aircraft 12.7 mm "Utes", a firing range of 1500 meters for air and 2000 meters for ground targets.
The table shows the performance characteristics of various tanks of the T-80 type
| Type | T-80 | T-80B | T-80U | T-80UD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| plant-designer | Kirov Heavy Tank Building Plant | Kharkov Heavy Tank Building Plant | ||
| The tank entered the troops | 1976 | 1978 | 1986 | 1987 |
| Mass of equipment | 42 | 42,5 | 46 | 46 |
| Main dimensions | ||||
| Length, (mm) | 6781 | 6983 | 7013 | 7021 |
| Width, (mm) | 3526 | 3583 | 3604 | 3756 |
| Height, (mm) | 2300 | 2220 | 2216 | 2216 |
| Clearance, (mm) | 450 | 527 | ||
| The presence and type of dynamic protection of the machine | ||||
| dynamic armor | Not | "Contact-1" | "Contact-5" | "Cactus" |
| Active protection | Not | "Curtain" | ||
| Armor | Cast, welded, combined | |||
| Armament T-80 | ||||
| main gun | 2A46 | 2A46-2 2A46M-1 | 2A46M-1 2A46M-4 | 2A46-1 |
| Firing range, m | 0-4000 | |||
| Tank ammunition | 40 | 38 | 45 | 45 |
| The crew of the T-80 | 3 | |||
| Engine | ||||
| Type | Gas turbine (GTE) | Diesel | ||
| Power, hp | 1000 | 1110 | 1200 | 1000 |
| Maximum speed on asphalt | 70 | 60 | ||
| Country road speed | 40-50 | |||
| Engine power | 23,8 | 25,7 | 21,73 | 21,6 |
| Fuel reserve, l | 1845 | |||
| Fuel consumption l/km | 3,65 | |||
| Suspension | Torsion | |||
Engine and transmission
The main difference between the T-80 and its predecessors and contemporaries is a gas turbine engine. The designers had to increase the length of the hull due to its longitudinal arrangement. The mass of the engine is 1050 kilograms, and the maximum speed is about 26 thousand revolutions per minute. The engine compartment has four fuel tanks with a total capacity of 1140 liters. The main advantage of a gas turbine engine is its multi-fuel capability.
The engine successfully runs on a variety of aviation fuels (TC-1/2), as well as on diesel fuel and low-octane gasoline. Thanks to the turbine exhaust directed backwards, the noise visibility of the tank was noticeably reduced, which had a positive effect on the overall camouflage.
To facilitate the start of the gas turbine engine on the T-80, the designers installed an automatic engine control system (SAUR). This made it possible to increase its wear resistance by 10 times. The engine starts within -40° to +40° Celsius. Operational readiness in 3 minutes, engine oil consumption is minimal.
The transmission was heavily redesigned compared to the T-64.
The increased weight and power forced the designers to replace the drive and guide wheels, support and road wheels. New tracks have got rubberized tracks. Some experts consider telescopic shock absorbers to be the scourge of the tank, but replacing them is not difficult even in the field. Thanks to these changes, the undercarriage of the T-80 is considered the best in its class.
Comparison with the MBT of a potential enemy
By right, the main competitor of the T-80 is the American main one. This is quite logical, because the machines entered service with their countries at about the same time. American competitor younger domestic tank only for 4 years.
An interesting fact is that both machines are equipped with gas turbine engines. At the same time, the dimensions of the T-80 are smaller than those of the M1A1. This makes him less visible on the battlefield. Although with the possibilities of modern precision weapons this is a rather controversial advantage, for which the designers had to sacrifice the engine heat exchanger.
According to the declared data, the degree of air cleaning of the M1A1 engine is one hundred percent, while the T-80 has 1.5% less. But in the desert, Abrams is somehow more difficult to operate. The American engine stalls due to a clogged filter. The domestic analogue feels great in any weather and climatic conditions.
The mass of the M1A1 is 60 tons, the cruising range is 395-430 kilometers with a maximum speed of 70 km/h. Our T-80 boasts 46 tons of live weight and 355 kilometers of power reserve. This can be due to the lower fuel consumption of Abrams. It is corrected by installing additional tanks on the T-80 hull, unfortunately, this does not allow increasing the ceiling speed to 60 km / h.
The armament of the American is slightly different from the Soviet competitor.
M1A1 is equipped with a 120 mm smoothbore gun, with 40 rounds of ammunition (against our 45 for the T-80U). It is possible to fire sub-caliber and cumulative projectiles, guided missiles. The charge of the gun is carried out manually, so the number of tankers is four. A 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun is installed on the tower near Abrams, two more 7.62 mm are paired with the main gun.
Most main question- price. The cost of the M1A1 Abrams is approximately $6 million. T-80 costs the treasury about two million, which is cheaper.
You can argue whose main battle tank is better indefinitely. Everyone has pluses and minuses, the most important thing is that they meet only at tank competitions, checkered sheets and virtual space.
Oddly enough, the equipment created to protect the borders of the Soviet motherland did not take part in their defense. Not a single instance of the T-80 took part in the battles for the USSR. The first combat use took place on the territory of the Russian Federation in the autumn of 1993.
It was the "eighties" who fired on the building of the "White House" in Moscow.
And then there was Chechnya. From 1995 to 1996, T-80 tanks took part in the battles against the Republic of Ichkeria. I would like to note that the equipment was used inadequately, sometimes not for its intended purpose.
Poor crew training, lack of dynamic protection, the use of vehicles in urban and mountainous conditions led to losses. The command drew conclusions and the T-80 was no longer used in the second Chechen campaign.
It should be said that after the collapse of the USSR, most of the tanks remained on the territory of Ukraine, along with the Kharkov plant, where this equipment was produced.
Victories in the virtual space
The T-80 tank is associated among gamers with the confrontation between the USSR and the USA. In most games where these superpowers clash head-on, this machine is the main armored force of the country of the Soviets. New "Free to play" games, such as "Armored Warfare" also promise this piece of Soviet technology at the end of the upgrade branch. It is popular with developers of military strategies.
The T-80 was the final chord of the Soviet designers who worked on the creation of technology for 10 years.
In 2015, the government of the Russian Federation decided to replace this model of equipment with. The reason for the replacement is the futility of upgrading the tank.
Instead, the troops will also receive latest tanks"Armata". It cannot be said that this is the end of the T-80, because the replacement will take place gradually, and the equipment will serve its homeland for a long time. Especially in the cold regions of Russia, where the gas turbine engine is a good ace in the hole. Still, for a tank, 42 years is the prime of life, and not the end of life.
Video
| T-80 | |
|---|---|
| Light tank T-80 in the Armored Museum in Kubinka |
|
| T-80 | |
| Combat weight, t | 11,6 |
| Crew, pers. | 3 |
| Story | |
| Number of issued, pcs. | 70 |
| Dimensions | |
| Case length, mm | 4285 |
| Width, mm | 2420 |
| Booking | |
| armor type | heterogeneous rolled high hardness |
| Forehead of the hull (top), mm/deg. | 35/60° |
| Forehead of the hull (bottom), mm/deg. | 45/−30° and 15/−81° |
| Hull board, mm/deg. | 25/0° |
| Hull feed (top), mm/deg. | 15/76° |
| Hull feed (bottom), mm/deg. | 25/−44° |
| Bottom, mm | 10 |
| Hull roof, mm | 15 |
| Gun mantlet, mm/deg. | 35 |
| Turret board, mm/deg. | 35/5° |
| Tower roof, mm | 10 and 15 |
| Armament | |
| Caliber and make of the gun | 45 mm 20-K |
| Barrel length, calibers | 46 |
| Gun ammunition | 94-100 |
| Angles VN, deg. | −8…+65° |
| GN angles, deg. | 360° |
| sights | TMF-1, K-8T |
| machine guns | 1 × 7.62 mm DT |
| Mobility | |
| engine's type | twin in-line 4-stroke 6-cylinder carburetor |
| Engine model | GAZ-203F (M-80) |
| Engine power, l. with. | 2×85 |
| Highway speed, km/h | 42 |
| Cross-country speed, km/h | 20-25 |
| Cruising range on the highway, km | 320 |
| Power reserve over rough terrain, km | 250 |
| Specific power, l. s./t | 14,6 |
| suspension type | torsion individual |
| Specific ground pressure, kg/cm² | 0,84 |
| Climbability, deg. | 34 |
| Passable wall, m | 0,7 |
| Crossable ditch, m | 1,7 |
| Crossable ford, m | 1,0 |
| T-80 at Wikimedia Commons | |
The T-80 was the last Soviet wartime light tank.
History of creation
Starting from the very first moment the T-70 light tank was adopted by the Red Army, Soviet military experts pointed out its main weakness - a single-man turret. But the design of the tank still had reserves that could be used to eliminate this shortcoming. The GAZ tank design bureau, headed by N.A. Astrov, promised this to the military even when the GAZ-70 prototype was shown and got into work almost immediately after the serial production of the T-70 was established. During late spring, summer and early autumn of 1942, it was found that the installation of a two-man turret would greatly increase the load on the engine, transmission and undercarriage of the tank. Tests of the T-70 tank loaded up to 11 tons fully confirmed these fears - suspension torsion bars burst during tests, tracks broke, transmission units and assemblies failed. Therefore, the main work was carried out to strengthen these structural elements; it successfully ended with the adoption of the T-70M modification by the Red Army. Also by the fall, a two-man turret for the T-70 tank was manufactured and successfully tested, but two obstacles stood in the way of mass production.
The first of these was the insufficient power of the GAZ-203 twin propulsion system. It was planned to increase it by forcing up to 170 liters. with. in total due to an increase in the filling ratio of the cylinders and an increase in the compression ratio. The second obstacle arose from the requirements to provide large gun elevation angles for hitting targets on the upper floors of buildings in urban battles. It could also make it possible to increase the possibilities of fire countermeasures against enemy aircraft. In particular, the commander of the Kalinin Front, Lieutenant-General I. S. Konev, insisted on this. The already developed double turret for the T-70 did not meet this requirement and was redesigned to allow the gun to be fired at a high elevation angle. The second prototype with the new turret received the factory designation 080 or 0-80. For more convenient placement of tools with the possibility anti-aircraft fire and two crew members had to widen the diameter of the shoulder strap and make an armor ring-barbette 40-45 mm thick under the inclined edges of the tower. Due to the wider shoulder strap of the turret, it became impossible to dismantle the engine without first removing the turret - the armor ring began to enter the removable armor plate above the engine.
Production
Serial production of the T-80 was launched in Mytishchi at factory number 40 in February 1943. Production volumes were small, until the end of production in October 1943, about 80 vehicles were produced. The total number of T-80s produced remains unclear. According to the documents of the Main Armored Directorate of the Red Army, a total of 70 "eighties" were built. However, the reports of the People's Commissariat of the Tank Industry contain somewhat different figures. According to this department, 81 T-80 tanks were produced in 1943, and 85 during the entire war. However, this number may include prototypes, prototypes and pre-production vehicles. Also, some authors include prototypes built by GAZ in the total number of T-80s produced. According to the factory number 40 in 1943, only 66 tanks were manufactured, and 11 of them were handed over twice. Hence the confusion. In total, together with four prototypes of the GAZ plant, 70 cars were built.
The cessation of production of the T-80 was to a certain extent due to several reasons: to a lesser extent, the unreliable operation of the M-80 forced propulsion system (in the sources, its designations also differ - the M-80 or GAZ-203F indices are mentioned); to a greater extent, the reasons were insufficient firepower and armor protection of the "eighties" as of 1943 (see section "") and the extreme need of the Red Army for self-propelled artillery mounts SU-76M. By the end of 1943 - the beginning of 1944, the forced propulsion system was brought to an acceptable level of reliability, but there was no question of resuming the production of the T-80 at all.
Due to the unreliable operation of the propulsion system, weak weapons in 1943 and the great need of the Red Army in self-propelled guns, the SU-76M T-80 was discontinued. At the beginning of 1943, an experimental tank was built on the basis of the T-80 with a high-powered 45-mm VT-43 tank gun, but it was not adopted by the Red Army either. However, according to other sources, the curtailment of the production of these tanks was simply caused by the destruction of the production facilities of the Gorky Automobile Plant as a result of a series of unpunished bombings by the Luftwaffe in 1942.
Design description
Armored corps and turret
The armored body of the tank was welded from rolled heterogeneous (surface hardening was used) armor plates with a thickness of 10, 15, 25, 35 and 45 mm. The armor protection is differentiated, bulletproof. The frontal and stern armor plates had rational angles of inclination, the sides were vertical. The side of the T-80 was made of two armor plates connected by welding. To strengthen the weld, a vertical stiffening beam was installed inside the hull, riveted to the front and rear side parts. A number of hull armor plates (over-engine and over-radiator plates) were removable for ease of maintenance and replacement of various components and assemblies of the tank. Workplace the driver was in front of the armored hull of the tank with some offset to the left from the central longitudinal plane of the vehicle. The hatch for boarding and disembarking the driver was located on the frontal armor plate and was equipped with a balancing mechanism to facilitate opening. The presence of the driver's hatch weakened the resistance of the upper frontal part to projectile hits. The bottom of the T-80 was welded from three armor plates 10 mm thick, and to ensure rigidity, transverse box-shaped beams were welded to it, in which the torsion bars of the suspension units were located. An emergency manhole was made in front of the bottom under the driver's seat. The hull also had a number of air inlets, hatches, hatches and technological openings for ventilation of the habitable premises of the tank, draining fuel and oil, access to the fuel tank fillers, other units and assemblies of the machine. A number of these holes were protected by armored covers, shutters and casings.
Armament
The main armament of the T-80 was a rifled semi-automatic 45-mm tank gun mod. 1938 (20-Km or 20Km) The gun was mounted on trunnions in the plane of longitudinal symmetry of the turret. The 20-K gun had a 46-caliber barrel, the height of the line of fire was 1630 mm, the direct fire range reached 3.6 km, the maximum possible - 6 km. A 7.62 mm DT machine gun was paired with the gun, which could be easily removed from the twin mount and used outside the tank. The twin installation had a range of elevation angles from -8 ° to + 65 ° and circular horizontal fire. The rotary mechanism of the gear-type turret, with a manual drive, was located to the left of the tank commander, and the lifting mechanism of the gun (screw type, also with a manual drive) was located on the right. The descent of the machine gun is mechanical, the gun was equipped with an electric trigger.
The coaxial DT machine gun had an ammunition load of 1008 rounds (16 disks), and the crew was also equipped with one PPSh submachine gun with 3 disks (213 rounds) and 12 F-1 hand grenades. In a number of cases, a pistol was added to this armament for firing signal rockets.
Engine
The T-80 was equipped with a GAZ-203F power unit (later designation M-80) of twin four-stroke in-line six-cylinder liquid-cooled carburetor engines GAZ-80. As a result, the maximum total power of the GAZ-203F unit reached 170 hp. with. (125 kW) at 3400 rpm. Both engines were equipped with K-43 carburetors. The crankshafts of the engines were connected by a coupling with elastic bushings. In order to avoid longitudinal vibrations of the entire unit, the flywheel crankcase of the front GAZ-80 was connected by a rod to the starboard side of the tank. Ignition, lubrication and fuel supply systems had their own for each "half" of the GAZ-203F. In the cooling system of the power unit, the water pump was common, but the water-oil radiator was two-section, each section was responsible for servicing its own GAZ-80. The GAZ-203F installation was equipped with an oil-inertial type air cleaner.
Like its predecessor, the T-70, the T-80 was equipped with an engine preheater for operation in winter conditions. A cylindrical boiler was installed between the side of the tank and the engine, in which heating was carried out due to the thermosyphon circulation of antifreeze. The boiler was heated by an external gasoline blowtorch. The heater boiler and oil-water radiator were an integral part of the cooling system of the entire power unit of the tank.
The engine was started by two ST-06 starters connected in parallel (power 2 hp or 1.5 kW). Also, the tank could be started with a hand crank or towed by another tank.
Transmission
The T-80 tank was equipped with a mechanical transmission, which included:
- double-disk semi-centrifugal main clutch of dry friction "steel according to Ferodo";
- four-speed gearbox (4 gears forward and 1 reverse), parts from the ZIS-5 truck were used;
- cardan shaft;
- bevel main gear;
- two steel-on-steel dry-friction multi-disc side clutches with band brakes with Ferodo linings;
- two simple single-row final drives.
All transmission control drives are mechanical, the driver controlled the turning and braking of the tank with two levers on both sides of his workplace.
Chassis
The chassis of the T-80 tank was almost completely inherited from its predecessor, the T-70M. Suspension of the machine - individual torsion without shock absorbers for each of the 5 single-sided solid stamped road wheels of small diameter (550 mm) with rubber tires on each side. Opposite the suspension units closest to the stern, suspension balancer travel stops with rubber buffers were welded to the armored hull to mitigate shocks; for the first and third suspension units from the forehead of the vehicle, support rollers played the role of limiters. Pinion gear drive wheels with removable gear rims were located in front, and sloths unified with track rollers with a caterpillar tension mechanism were in the back. The upper branch of the caterpillar was supported by three small support rollers on each side. Fenders were riveted to the tank hull to prevent the caterpillar from jamming when the tank was moving with a significant roll to one of the sides. The caterpillar is small-linked from 80 tracks, the width of the two-ridge track is 300 mm.
electrical equipment
The electrical wiring in the T-80 tank was single-wire, the armored hull of the vehicle served as the second wire. The sources of electricity (operating voltage 12 V) were a GT-500S generator with a 500 W RRK-GT-500S relay-regulator and two 3-STE-112 batteries connected in series with a total capacity of 112 Ah. Electricity consumers included:
Sights and observation devices
The twin installation of the 20-K gun and the DT machine gun was equipped with a TMF-1 sight for firing at ground targets and a K-8T collimator for firing at air targets and the upper floors of buildings. The workplaces of the driver, gunner and commander of the T-80 also had one periscope viewing device to monitor the environment outside the tank. However, for a vehicle with a commander's cupola, visibility could have been even better - the lack of viewing devices still affected.
Means of communication
On T-80 tanks, a 12RT radio station and an internal TPU intercom for 3 subscribers were installed in the tower.
The 12RT radio station was a set of transmitter, receiver and umformers (single-arm motor-generators) for their power supply, connected to the 12 V on-board electrical network. frequency range from 4 to 5.625 MHz (respectively, wavelengths from 53.3 to 75 m), and for reception - from 3.75 to 6 MHz (wavelengths from 50 to 80 m). The different range of the transmitter and receiver was explained by the fact that the 4-5.625 MHz range was intended for two-way tank-tank communication, and the extended receiver range was used for one-way communication "headquarters-tank". In the parking lot, the communication range in the telephone (voice, amplitude carrier modulation) mode in the absence of interference reached 15-25 km, while in motion it somewhat decreased. A longer communication range could be obtained in the telegraph mode, when information was transmitted by a telegraph key in Morse code or another discrete coding system.
The TPU tank intercom made it possible to negotiate between members of the tank crew even in a very noisy environment and connect a headset (head phones and throat phones) to a radio station for external communication.
Modifications
Serial
The T-80 light tank was officially produced in the only serial modification without any significant design changes during production. Serial combat and special vehicles (self-propelled, artillery, ZSU, armored personnel carriers, armored personnel carriers, tractors, etc.) based on the T-80 light tank were also not produced.
Experienced
The lack of armament (first of all, the low armor penetration of the 20-K gun by the standards of the end of 1942) of the T-80 tank actively stimulated work on its rearmament with a more powerful artillery system. As a solution to the problem, it was proposed to use the 45-mm long-barreled gun VT-42 jointly developed by factory No. 40 and Design Bureau No. 172 with the ballistics of a 45-mm anti-tank gun mod. 1942 year (M-42) . This gun has already been successfully tested in the T-70 tank, however, in connection with the planned transition to the production of the T-80, it was not installed in serial "seventies". However, the BT-42 did not have the capability to fire at the high elevation angles required for the T-80, so its design had to be significantly redesigned. At the beginning of 1943, these works were completed, and the version of the 45-mm long-barreled gun VT-43 was successfully tested in the T-80 tank. With the exception of a higher muzzle velocity (950 m/s) and a higher maximum elevation angle (+78°), all other characteristics of the tank remained unchanged. The gun was adopted to arm the T-80 tanks, but due to the cessation of their production, all work on it was completed.
Organizational structure
The T-80 light tank was intended to replace the T-70 light tank in the troops and was to be used as part of separate tank brigades, tank regiments and armored battalions. However, due to the objective weakness of the T-70, from November 1943 the organizational and staffing structure was revised towards their exclusion from the tank brigades (unified states No. 010/500 - 010/506), and from March 4, 1944 General Staff The Red Army issued directive No. Org / 3/2305 on the exclusion of the T-70 from the tank regiments. T-80s began to arrive at the front already in the course of this reorganization, so it is not yet possible to determine their exact place and number in the organizational structure. The surviving T-70s and new T-80s were transferred to reconnaissance armored battalions (they included a company of light tanks numbering 7 vehicles, the rest were BA-64 armored vehicles) and, for use as command vehicles, in part of self-propelled artillery, armed with self-propelled guns SU- 76, which had the same type of chassis as the T-70M and T-80.
Combat use
As of 2007, no details of the combat use of T-80 light tanks have yet been found in the archives and memoirs. The literature sometimes mentions complaints from the troops about the overload and insufficient reliability of the tank's power plant, however, this may be the result of reports on military tests of the vehicle manufactured in mid-1943, where these shortcomings were indeed noted. From front-line reports, it is known that several T-80s were used in self-propelled artillery regiments in 1944. There is also information about the receipt in the replenishment of the 5th Guards Tank Brigade on February 15, 1945, two T-80 tanks that arrived from repair. In addition, on September 7, 1943 in Tula in the 230th tank regiment 27 T-80s were shipped (of which 20 were radio-equipped). Another 27 vehicles were shipped there for the 54th detachment of the 12th Guards. cd. Nothing is known about the use of the T-80 in the armies of other states besides the USSR.
Project evaluation
"Eighty", created in the extreme conditions of wartime, was the last in a series of Soviet serial light tanks of the Great Patriotic War. According to the pre-war views of the Soviet leadership, light tanks should have made up a significant proportion of the material part of the tank forces of the Red Army, had a low production cost compared to medium and heavy vehicles, and in the event of a large-scale war, they should have been produced in large quantities in non-specialized enterprises. The pre-war T-50 was supposed to be such a light tank. However, for a number of reasons (evacuation of the manufacturer, lack of diesel engines, etc.), the production of the T-50 amounted to about 70 tanks. In addition, for plant No. 37, whose mobilization task was to master the production of the T-50, the task set turned out to be impossible. Nevertheless, a tank with characteristics close to the T-50 was objectively needed by the Red Army. The design bureau of plant No. 37 (later GAZ), headed by N. A. Astrov, starting from the T-40 small amphibious tank, which was well established in production and consistently improving the idea of a light tank with the widespread use of cheap automobile units, managed to create such a tank by the end of 1942. car, which was the T-80. The previous stages in this hard work were the T-60 and T-70 light tanks. However, the lighter-weight "eighty" was not a full-fledged substitute for the T-50, inferior to the latter in a number of indicators: specific power, visibility, armor protection (especially onboard), power reserve. On the other hand, the manufacturability and low cost of the "eighty" compared to other Soviet tanks (the legacy of the predecessor of the T-70) made it possible to fulfill the wishes of the top management about the potential possibility of mass production of such tanks in non-specialized enterprises, the ergonomics of the machine (a significant weakness of the "seventies") already could be considered acceptable. However, for reasons not directly related to the design of the tank, this potential was not realized in practice.
An important circumstance that influenced the fate of both the T-80 and domestic light tanks in general was the changed situation at the front. The appearance on the battlefield in large numbers of T-34s required the Germans to qualitatively strengthen their anti-tank artillery. During 1942, the Wehrmacht received a large number of 50 mm and 75 mm anti-tank guns, tanks and self-propelled guns armed with long-barreled 75 mm guns. If against 50-mm shells the frontal armor of the T-80 in some cases could still somehow help, then the 75-mm long-barreled guns had no problems in defeating the T-80 at any distances and angles of battle (the given thicknesses of homogeneous hull sheets for 50 -mm armor-piercing projectile: bottom sheet - 60 mm, ram sheet - 52 mm, top sheet - 67 mm). The side armor of the latter did not save even the obsolete 37-mm Pak 35/36 cannon from normal fire, although, compared to the T-70M, the thickening of the side armor to 25 mm improved its projectile resistance at visible angles of fire. As a result, when breaking through the defense prepared in anti-tank terms, the T-80 units were doomed to high losses. The power of 45-mm shells was clearly insufficient both to deal with enemy anti-tank guns, and with German armored vehicles (the frontal armor of even the medium modernized PzKpfw III and PzKpfw IV could only be pierced by a sub-caliber projectile from extremely short distances). Therefore, the attack of the armored forces of the enemy by T-80 units had to be carried out mainly from ambushes, with fire from short distances to the side and stern. This required high skill and skill from Soviet tankers. Battle of Kursk clearly showed the validity of these theses in relation to the T-70; The T-80 in this regard was practically equivalent to the "seventies", which was one of the reasons for the cessation of production of light tanks in the USSR.
Main battle tank T-80 and T-80B
History reference
After the cessation of work on heavy tanks, the design bureaus of the Leningrad Kirov Plant were engaged in the creation of a rocket tank based on the Kharkov “object 432”. In 1967, work on the tank was stopped, which was a serious blow to the team and chief designer J. Ya. Kotin.
By this time, preparations were underway for the mass production of the T-64 tank at tank factories, the Kirov Plant was instructed to prepare the mass production of this tank. The idea of installing a gas turbine engine on the T-64 tank arose, attempts to install a gas turbine engine on a tank were made earlier, but these were modifications of the existing engines developed for helicopters. In those years, the gas turbine engine was considered a fairly promising engine, the development of a specialized tank gas turbine engine began at the Leningrad NPO named after V. Ya. Klimov under the leadership of S. P. Izotov.
In 1968, Zh.Ya. Kotin took up the duties of deputy. Minister of the Ministry of Defense, his place was taken by N. S. Popov.
The decision to create a gas turbine tank was made by the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR on April 16, 1968. From that moment, the history of the T-80 tank began. Already in May 1969, a new gas turbine engine was installed on a prototype tank. In 1970 The Kaluga Motor-Building Plant was entrusted with the development of serial production of the GTD-1000T tank engine, developed by NPO named after. V. Ya. Klimova.
The vehicle was put into service in 1976 and became the world's first mass-produced tank with a main power plant based on a gas turbine engine. Three main tanks began to be in service - T-64, T-72 and T-80. In terms of combat characteristics, they differed slightly from each other.
The design of the T-80 used used elements of the T-64A tank: gun, ammunition, loading mechanism. The first T-80s were equipped with turrets similar to those installed on the T-64A.
On the T-80B, the control system 1A33 "Ob", developed on the T-64B, was adopted without changes.
Thus, in terms of individual structural elements, the T-80 was unified with the previously released T-64A and T-64B tanks.
The layout of the T-80 tank is similar to that adopted on the T-64A. Improved visibility from his seat was achieved by installing three viewing devices instead of one.
The undercarriage of the T-80 was designed specifically for this tank, and unlike the T-64, it contains road wheels with an outer rubber band. Caterpillar track, made of stampedelements connected to each other parallel, those. double The use of suchcaterpillars reduced vibrations,transmitted from the running gear totank hull, and significantly reducednoise level generated by movement.
In the period of the mid-70s, diesel engines with a power of 1000 hp had not yet been created. and more, therefore, a number of high-ranking officials, primarily D.F. Ustinov, saw the prospect of tank building in the gas turbine engine.
The T-80 tank with a gas turbine engine arose as an alternative to the T-64 tank with5TDF engine. PTherefore its designer N.S. Popov tried in every possible way to prevent the organizationproduction of the 6TD-1 engine, which was developed in the late 70sand its installation in the T-80 tank. In the highest circles of the country there was a constant discussion - which of the engines is better. It was obvious that the gas turbine engine is significantly inferior to the piston engine in terms of cost, has largetravel fuel costs, which requires additional costsfor its transportation and large volumes in the tank to accommodate it.
But few could resist D. F. Ustinov - one of the first persons of the state. For D. F. Ustinov wasthe important fact is that American tank"Abrame" was preparedresponse in the form Soviet tank T-80.
And few people asked the economic aspect of this issue. The cost of one experimental GTD-1000T for the period of 1970 was 167 thousand rubles. the cost of a whole T-64 tank at that time was 174 thousand rubles. that is, in the T-80, only the engine cost as much as a whole T-64 tank, while the main characteristics, except for the maximum speed, the tanks were similar.
For the period of adoption in 1976, the cost of the T-80 exceeded the cost of the T-64A three times - 480 and 140 thousand rubles, respectively.
By the beginning of the 80s, the cost of serial production of gas turbine engines, due to mass production, had dropped to 100 thousand rubles. But the cost of the T-80B compared to the T-64B equipped with the same FCS and produced in the same period of time was 2 times higher. But, the economic characteristics did not change the determination of D. F. Ustinov to focus on the T-80 as a single tank for the army. Opinion of D.F. Ustinov was not supported by many, including the head of the GBTU A.Kh. Babadzhanyan, who replaced him in 1980 Yu.M. Potapov, but did not openly express their opinion.
By the end of the 80s in Soviet army(east of the Urals) there were about 100 T-80 tanks, 3700 T-80B tanks and 600 T-80BV tanks. In GSVG in 1987 there were 2260 T-80B and T-80BV tanks and about 4000 thousand T-64A, T-64B and T-64BV. Tanks T-64 and T-80 formed the basis of the Soviet tank forces.
More « The history of domestic tank building in the post-war period.
On the this moment T-80BV tanks make up a significant part of the Russian tank forces and need to be modernized. In the absence of a mass-produced engine with a capacity of 1200 hp at the moment in the Russian Federation. the modernization of the T-80B is quite reasonable. Existing developments to improve firepower, such as the 45M complex, the active protection complex, introduction of hydrostatic transmission (GOP) of the turning mechanism, the reserves of the modernization of the loading mechanism provide the T-80B with great potential for modernization. It is also rational to equip T-80B tanks with turrets of decommissioned T-80UD tanks with more advanced protection and weapons systems. The direction chosen in the Russian Federation for the modernization of the existing tank fleet until 2015, instead of expensive purchases new technology at UVZ opens up prospects for the modernization of the T-80B and T-80U.
Firepower
On all modifications of the main battle tank T-80 as an artillery weapon installed 125 mm smoothbore gun type D-81, unified with domestic tanks.
The fighting compartment is similar in layout to the fighting compartment of the T-64 tank. In addition to 28 shots in the mechanized ammo rack, there are three shots within the fighting compartment (7 shells and charges for them are placed in the control compartment).
Ammunition for the gun consists of 38 shots. 28 shotscatches are placed in the conveyor and by type fit into anyratio. 10 shots placed in non-mechanizedlaying and are completed only with high-explosive fragmentation and kumu-lazy shots.
The fighting compartment contains: 1 projectile - vertically on the cabin floor, behind the back of the commander's seat; 1 sleeve - on the floor of the front right side of the cab; 2 shells and 2 shells - at the partition between the middle fuel tanks.
In the department of management are placed: 5 shells and 7 shells - in the tank rack; 2 shells - on the bottom of the tank rack.
Sleeves installed in the fighting compartment must be covered with covers.
The ammunition load of the coaxial PKT machine gun includes 1250 rounds of ammunition, equipped in five belts (250 rounds each) and stacked in their magazines.
Five stores included in the ammunition are located in the fighting compartment of the tank:
one store - on a machine gun;
three shops - in the niche of the tower on the right;
one store - on the front right side of the cab.
Ammunition for anti-aircraft installation consists of 300 cartridges,
equipped with three belts (100 rounds each) and packed in regular magazines, which are located:
one shop - on an anti-aircraft installation;
two shops - on the right side of the stern of the tower.
Ammunition for the AKMS assault rifle includes 300 rounds, filled in 10 magazines (30 pieces in each). Stores are stacked in two bags and placed; one bag - in a rack in the tower, behind the back of the commander's seat; the other is in a rack in the tower, in front of the commander, above the radio station. F-1 hand grenades (10 pcs.) Are stacked in five bags and placed in a rack in the tower, in front of the commander, above the radio station. On the shelf of the cockpit, behind the back of the commander's seat, there is an expelling charge for emergency ejection of the 9M112M product. Ammunition for rocket launcher (12 flares) is stowed in two cartridge belts, which are placed in a rack on the wall of the commander's cabin.
The T-80 tank and its modifications are equipped with MZs similar to those used on the T-64 tanks.
The first T-80 tanks were equipped with a gunner's sight TPD-2-49 with an optical base rangefinder, with independent stabilization of the field of view only in the vertical plane. Later, the development of a tank sight with a laser rangefinder began. The task was to develop the designs of the laser rangefinder and its installation in the TPD2-49 tank sight-rangefinder, the development was carried out by the Central Design Bureau of Krasnogorsk mechanical factory them. Zverev.
It was possible to place a laser rangefinder module and elements of its interface with the optics of this sight in the body of a serial sight. The sight of the first stage was named TPD-K1. The specialists of the Kirov plant took an active part both in the "binding" of the modernized sight to the tank, and in the creation of the sight itself. With this sight, the tank was put into service, but the most common modification of the T-80 was the T-80B with the 1A33 Ob control system and the 9K112 guided weapon system, completely borrowed from the T-64B. More about the SLA 1A33. The gunner also has a TPN3-49 night sight with an image intensifier I - generation and target identification range in passive mode 850 m and in active mode with illumination up to 1200 m.
The TPD-K1 sight was later used in the T-72A and T-64A tanks. The task of the T-80B gunner is to point the mark of the sight at the target, measure the range, select the ammunition and fire the shot.
A 7.62 mm PKT machine gun is paired with the cannon. For firing at air targets, there is a 12.7 mm NSVT anti-aircraft machine gun mounted on the base of the tank commander's hatch.
The ZPU on the commander's turret is made in the old fashioned way, without any electric drives. Moreover, whether or not an anti-aircraft machine gun is needed, in order to rotate the commander's turret, the tank commander must rotate the entire structure along with the ZPU, and this is about 300 kg of mass, and even the NSV-12.7 "Utes" machine gun protrudes from axis of rotation by one and a half meters, that is still a lever.
Protection
Strengthening the protection of the T-80B was carried out through the use of rolled armor of increased hardness of the BTK-1 type for the frontal and side parts of the hull. The frontal part of the hull had an optimal ratio of three-barrier armor thicknesses similar to that proposed for the T-72A.
During the development of the tank, there were attempts to create a cast turret from steel with increased hardness, which were unsuccessful. As a result, the design of the turret was chosen from cast armor of medium hardness with a poured core similar to the turret of the T-72A tank, and the thickness of the armor of the T-80B turret was increased, such turrets were accepted for serial production from 1977.
Further reinforcement of the armor of the T-80B tank was achieved in the T-80BV, which was put into service in 1985. The armor protection of the frontal part of the hull and turret of this tank is fundamentally the same as on the T-80B tank, but consists of reinforced combined armor and hinged dynamic protection "Contact-1". During the transition to serial production of the T-80U tank, some T-80BV tanks of the latest series (object 219RB) were equipped with towers of the T-80U type, but with the old FCS and the Cobra guided weapon system.
To provide protection against high-precision weapons that hit the tank, as a rule, from the upper hemisphere to the engine compartment area (all of them are mainly with thermal homing heads), the exhaust manifold guide grille was made in a box shape. This made it possible to somewhat remove the exit point of hot gases from the aft armor plate and actually "deceive" the homing aids. In addition, the set of underwater tank driving equipment (OPVT) available on the machine was placed at the stern of the tower, thus covering a significant part of the MTO roof.
The inner walls of the fighting compartment and the control compartment were covered with a layer of lining made of polymer material. It performs a double protective function. When kinetic and armor-piercing high-explosive anti-tank ammunition enters the tank, it prevents small armor fragments that form on the inner surface of the armor from scattering inside the hull. In addition, thanks to specially selected chemical composition, this lining significantly reduces the effect of gamma radiation on the crew. For the same purposes, a special plate and an insert in the driver's seat (protecting it from radiation when overcoming contaminated terrain) serve.
Protection against neutron weapons is also provided. As is known, these particles with zero charge are most effectively retained by hydrogen-containing materials. Therefore, the lining, which was mentioned above, is made of just such a material. The fuel tanks of the engine power system are located outside and inside the vehicle in such a way as to surround the crew with an almost continuous anti-neutron belt.
Also, a special semi-automatic system installed in the tank is designed to protect against weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical and bacteriological) and to extinguish fires arising in the vehicle. collective defense(SKZ). It includes: a radiation and chemical reconnaissance device (PRKhR), ZETs-11-2 switching equipment, a filter-ventilation unit (FVU), a sub-pressure meter, an engine stop mechanism (MOD), closing seals with actuators and permanent hull and turret seals. The system operates in two modes: automatic and manual - by commands from the control panel (in exceptional cases, to extinguish fires by command from the P11-5 panel).
In the automatic (main) mode, when radioactive or chemical air contamination is detected outside the tank (using the PRHR device in the constant air monitoring mode), a command is sent from the sensors of the system to the actuators of the closing seals and the filter-ventilation unit is turned on, creating an excess pressure of purified air in the habitable compartments . At the same time, sound and light alarms are activated, notifying the crew of the nature of the contamination of the area. The efficiency and reliability of the system's operation has been proven during special tests with simulations of situations of air contamination that are close to realistically possible.
The fire-fighting equipment is connected to the CPS through the ZETs-11-2 switching equipment and can operate automatically or from the buttons on the consoles of the driver and commander. In automatic mode, the equipment is triggered by a signal from the temperature sensors of the ZETs-11-2 equipment. At the same time, the supercharger is turned off and the HVU valves are closed and the MOD is activated. As a result, air access to the MTO is stopped. Then the squib of one of the three cylinders with fire extinguishing composition is blown up and through the sprayer it is filled with the appropriate (place of fire) compartment of the tank. After extinguishing the fire, the HVU supercharger automatically turns on with the opening of the valves, which contributes to the rapid removal of combustion products and fire extinguishing composition from the habitable compartments of the tank. In this case, an electrical signal is removed from the MOD, which makes it possible to start the engine.
The listed design solutions serve to protect the crew and internal equipment of the tank in case of hit by various anti-tank weapons. In order to reduce the likelihood of their hit, thermal smoke equipment was installed on the T-80 for setting up TDA smoke screens and smoke grenade launchers of the 902B Tucha system. The tank is equipped with equipment for self-digging and for hanging a mine trawl.
Mobility characteristics
Power point
The power plant consists of a gas turbine engine and systems that ensure its operation: fuel, control, oil, air cleaning, air and special equipment. The special equipment of the power plant includes dust blowing and vibration cleaning systems, a fuel spraying device and nozzle purge, thermal smoke equipment.
T-80 tank with gas turbine engine from 1976 produced in Omsk with an engine that producedKaluga Motor Plant of the Ministry of Aviationindustry. The development of this engine wasimplemented LNPO them. Klimov in the period 1968-1972.
The engine had the symbol GTD 1000T. Power it upwas 1000 hp on the stand, which corresponded to 795 hp. intank, specific effective fuel consumption in benchconditions - no more than 240 g/e.l.s.h. In tank conditions - 270 g / e.l.s.h. The warranty period is 500 hours, engine life is 1000 hours.
GTD 1000T engine -three-shaft, with two-stage centrifugal-centrifugalcompressor, two single-stage compressor turbines,annular countercurrent combustion chamber, freesingle-stage power turbine with adjustable nozzle.
The working cycle of a gas turbine engine consists of the same processes as the cycle of a piston engine - intake, compression, combustion, expansion and exhaust. However, unlike piston engines, in which these processes proceed sequentially in the same place (in the cylinder), in GTE they are carried out simultaneously and continuously in different places: intake and compression processes in compressors; combustion - in the combustion chamber; expansions - in turbines; release - in the outlet pa-tube.
The power take-off to the driving wheels of the machine is carried out from a free turbine through the engine gearbox and transmission. The frequency of rotation of the rotor of a free turbine, depending on the position of the fuel supply pedal and soil resistance, can vary from zero to 26650 rpm.
The engine in the power section of the machine is installed in a monoblock with units and system nodes, which speeds up and simplifies assembly and disassembly work.
The monoblock is mounted along the longitudinal axis of the tank on three supports: two rear yokes and a front suspension support. On the T-80 tank, the time to replace the engine is 5 hours, each gearbox - 4.5 hours. (Final report on military operation of the 3rd company in the PriVO).
On the T-72 tank, the engine replacement time is 24 hours. (Report 38 of the Research Institute of BTT, “Control over the course of military operation of T-72 tanks in the BVO). The replacement time for each gearbox is 10.5 hours, the guitar is 17.7 hours (Manual for the military repair of T-72 tanks).
Fuel system
The fuel system includes eight internal and five external fuel tanks, pumps, filters, valves, taps, pipelines and control drives.
To refuel the fuel system, fuel grades T-1, TS-1, RT, as well as diesel fuel L, 3, A are used. The main fuel is T-1 and TS-1. It is allowed to mix diesel fuel with fuel T-1, TS-1 and RT in any proportion. The total fuel supply in the booked volume is 1110 liters, external tanks - 700 liters, additional barrels 400 liters.
Air cleaning system
The air cleaning system is designed to clean the air entering the engine, turbine nozzle high pressure, for blowing the units of the power compartment.
The air cleaning system includes air intake louvers of the roof of the power compartment with a protective mesh, an air cleaner and radiator unit, a fan for blowing units, two fans for dust extraction and oil cooling, an air duct for blowing units,
two air ducts for ejection of cooling air and dust, hatch of the bulkhead of the power compartment, air filters for the nozzle apparatus of the high-pressure turbine and pressurization of the support cavities.
Transmission
The transmission of the machine is mechanical, with a hydraulic servo control system, based on that used on the T-64, adapted for the gas turbine engine.
Chassis
The design of the chassis T-80contains track rollers with outer rubber, a caterpillar track made of stampedelements connected to each other parallel, those. doublerubber-metal hinge, whilestamped track elements in placescontact with road wheels (i.e. on the tracktrack) are made with a rubber band.
The suspension of the tank is individual, torsion bar, with hydraulic shock absorbers. It consists of 12 suspension units and 6 shock absorbers.
The placement of the torsion bars is parallel, for the entire width of the machine body, with the torsion bars of the starboard side shifted forward, while the torsion bars of the left and right sides are not interchangeable.
Shock absorbers - hydraulic, piston, telescopic type, double-acting. The tank has six shock absorbers (three on each side): on the first, second and sixth suspension units.
Tactical and technical characteristics |
||
Parameter |
Unit of measurement |
T-80B |
Full mass |
42,5 |
|
Crew |
people |
|
Specific power |
hp/t |
25,8 |
Engine (GTE-1000T) |
hp |
1000 |
Tank width |
||
Ground pressure |
kgf / cm 2 |
0,86 |
Temperature mode of operation |
°С |
40…+55 (with power reduction) |
Tank length |
||
with gun forward |
mm |
9651 |
corps |
mm |
6982 |
Tank width |
||
along the caterpillar |
mm |
3384 |
removable protective screens |
mm |
3582 |
Tower roof height |
mm |
2219 |
Support surface length |
mm |
4284 |
Ground clearance |
mm |
|
Track width |
mm |
|
Travel speed |
||
Average on a dry dirt road |
km/h |
40…45 |
Maximum on paved road |
km/h |
|
In reverse gear, maximum |
km/h |
|
Fuel consumption per 100 km |
||
On a dry dirt road |
l, up to |
450…790 |
On paved road |
l, up to |
430…500 |
Power reserve: |
||
on main fuel tanks |
km |
|
with extra barrels |
km |
|
Ammunition |
||
Shots to the cannon |
PCS |
|
(of which in the conveyor of the loading mechanism) |
PCS |
|
Cartridges: |
||
to machine gun (7.62 mm) |
PCS |
1250 |
to machine gun (12.7 mm) |
PCS |
|
Aerosol grenades |
PCS |
|
Used materials:
“A tank that defies time. To the 25th anniversary of the T-80 tank. Team of authors: M. V. Ashik, A. S. Efremov, N. S. Popov. St. Petersburg. 2001
“Motors and destinies. About time and about myself. N.K. Ryazantsev. Kharkov. 2009
The second largest tank Russian army currently is T-80. In total, there are at least 4,500 such armored vehicles in units and storage bases. The most massive modification in this case is the T-80BV, of which there are about 3 thousand units. The production of such tanks continued until the end of the nineties.
Gradually, all available T-80s will run out of service and go for recycling. During the time preceding this event, it is possible to repair and modernize existing machines with an extension of their service life. In order for old tanks to remain in service after the update, in last years several options for modernization were created with the replacement of various systems and assemblies.
"Object 219AM-1"
In the course of work on this option for updating existing equipment, the original T-80U received a number of new systems. The upgraded tank, in addition to the "object" designation, also acquired a new index - T-80UA. The greatest changes affected the armament and its auxiliary equipment. So, the native gun-launcher was replaced with a 2A46M-4 gun with a UUI-2 barrel bending device.
For fire control, the tank received a new sighting system 1A45-1 and new sighting systems for the gunner and commander. After modernization, they have complexes TO1-KO4 (day and night) and TO1-KO5 (night), respectively. The modernization project also allows the use of thermal imaging sights of other models. The chassis, power plant and chassis of the T-80U tank did not undergo any changes during the modernization. The same can be said about the tower.
The absence of any design updates is due to the requirement to update the tank as simply as possible in a repair plant. Former driving performance after modernization, they are compensated by higher combat characteristics. Thus, the maximum turning speed of the combat vehicle, at which aimed shooting is possible, has almost doubled and is now equal to 40 degrees per second.
At the same time, the time for preparing a shot by the commander was reduced. Now he spends almost half the time on all the necessary preparations for a shot. The new 2A46M-4 gun with the UUI-2 device made it possible to significantly increase the accuracy of fire. Finally, maintenance and diagnostics of the sighting system is now carried out using a special remote control.
The tank "Object 219AM-1" / T-80UA was developed at the beginning of the 2000s and, after all the necessary tests, was put into service in 2005. Since the production of T-80 vehicles ceased a few years before the tank was put into service, it was decided to modernize some of the T-80U armored vehicles in service. The exact number of converted tanks is unknown.
"Object 219AM-2"
Simultaneously with the development of the T-80UA tank, work was underway on a simpler modernization of the T-80U, aimed at increasing its level of protection. To do this, it was proposed to install the Arena active protection complex on the base tank. It is worth noting that, if successfully completed, such a modernization project would increase the level of protection of all or almost all of the existing tanks of the T-80 family.
Regarding the course of the Object 219AM-2 project, it is only known that in the first half of the 2000s, the only prototype with the Arena system passed state tests. Their results were not published anywhere, but from the available information about the further fate of the T-80 tanks, we can conclude that the armored vehicle with the letters "AM-2" was not accepted into service. At the same time, work on equipping tanks of the T-80 family with active protection systems continued.
"Object 219AS-1"
Another modernization project for the existing T-80s involved changing the power and energy units of the tank, finalizing the sighting equipment and improving protection. For this, it was proposed to install a turret with a fighting compartment from the T-80UD on the chassis of the T-80BV tank. In addition, a GTD-1250 gas turbine engine with a capacity of 1250 horsepower was mounted on the "Object 219AS-1".
To increase the efficiency of the engine and increase the depth of the ford, the tank was equipped with a special air intake device. Thanks to him, the "Object 219AC-1" is able to overcome water bodies up to 1.8 meters deep without prior preparation. During the development of the power plant for the new modernization project, a number of measures were taken to maintain engine power and at the same time reduce fuel consumption.
To improve the combat qualities of the original weapon control system of the T-80UD tank, a 1V216M correction input device with 15 pre-installed ballistics calculation algorithms was added. The consumption of electricity by the tank units as a whole remained at the same level, but the use of a gas turbine engine with its inherent high fuel consumption forced the installation of an autonomous generator with a capacity of 18 kilowatts on the tank. With the help of this unit, the tank electronics can work even when the gas turbine engine is turned off.
The hull, turret and armor of the "Object 219AS-1" remained almost the same as they were on the original T-80BV and T-80UD tanks. Some changes have been made to the design of the built-in dynamic protection. The absence of serious modifications to the design of the armored hull and turret made it possible to simultaneously solve several problems. Firstly, it was possible to increase the combat potential of the existing equipment, and secondly, to save money on the disposal of the turrets of the T-80UD tanks that were retired from service.
In 2005, the "Object 219AS" was adopted by the Russian army under the name T-80UE-1. According to various sources, at least several dozen T-80BV tanks have been converted to this variant by now.
Tanks T-80BV. Educational and methodological collection of the ZVO, 138th rifle brigade, Leningrad region. May 2011
"Object 219M"
One of the most interesting options for upgrading the T-80BV tank was the "Object 219M". A close examination of this project gives the impression that its authors tried to radically improve all the available characteristics of the combat vehicle, but at the same time they tried to keep within the capabilities of repair plants. For this reason, "Object 219M", retaining the main details of the design, changed most electronic equipment, and also acquired a number of new systems.
Changes in the composition of the tank's equipment are visible even at first glance. The upper front part of the hull and the turret of the tank are now covered with modules of the Relikt dynamic protection system. In addition, the antenna unit of the Arena active protection complex is visible on the tower. It is noteworthy that both of these complexes have previously been repeatedly used on tanks of various models, but for the first time they were used together precisely on the Object 219M. When developing the modernization project, it was assumed that the combination latest systems dynamic and active protection will significantly reduce the likelihood of hitting a tank, including the most modern ammunition.
The armament complex of the new tank has undergone a serious revision. He received a new gun (presumably 2A46M-4) and updated electronics. The exact composition of the weapon control complex was not published, but it is known that it provides the possibility of combat work day and night, and also significantly improves the accuracy of fire. To use the new shells, the automatic gun loader was modified. Ammunition, apparently, remained the same - about 40 shots.
According to reports, during the overhaul and modernization of the T-80BV tanks, converted into the "Object 219M", should have received a modified version of the GTD-1250 gas turbine engine. Its main feature was the possibility of a short-term increase in power up to 1400 hp. Thanks to this, a slightly heavier tank could move at a higher speed for a short time or overcome more serious obstacles.
A few years ago, tests of the only prototype of the Object 219M tank were completed. On them, he showed interesting results, but he could not interest a potential customer. As a result, the idea of a comprehensive modernization of the existing T-80BV remained just another not very successful project.
As you can see, only in the last few years, Russian tank builders have created whole line projects for the modernization of tanks of the T-80 family. Not all updated machines have reached combat units, but they are of some interest. After the existing T-80s run out of service, they will be sent for scrap. Therefore, the existing modernization projects are doubly beneficial, because if they are implemented, our armored forces will have at least not obsolete equipment for several years.
In this case, when there are enough newest ones in the troops, a certain number of modernized T-80s will still remain in service, which have not exhausted their resource and are able to continue serving. However, according to the current plans of the command of the Russian army, the T-80 tanks will gradually go out of service by 2020. Therefore, modernization projects that remain at the level of prototypes will remain without attention.
Tank T-80BVK. Educational and methodological collection of the ZVO, 138th rifle brigade, Leningrad region. May 2011
It is noteworthy that the upgraded tanks could become another source of income. For example, Ukraine has been removing from storage, repairing and modernizing used tanks for several years, after which it sells them to third world countries. Obviously, the upgraded T-80s with an extended service life will cost significantly less in the export version, and even more so the Armat. Thus, Russia will be able to expand the list of tanks offered for sale and attract small and poor countries. Will be able. But will it?