Disabled size. Wheelchair FDD: characteristics

Possibly, for this reason, ordinary motorists were not very aware of the technical intricacies of this “machine”, and other nuances for many residents of the USSR remained “behind the scenes”. That is why healthy citizens were often mistaken about the device, the real shortcomings and features of the operation of the "invalid". Today we will recall the facts and debunk the myths associated with the SMZ-S3D.

A bit of history

From 1952 to 1958, a three-wheeled motorized carriage S-1L was produced in Serpukhov, which received the designation S3L at the end of production. Then the three-wheeled microcar was replaced by the C3A model - the very famous "morgunovka" with an open body and a canvas top, which differed from its predecessor by the presence of four wheels.

However, for a number of parameters, the C3A did not meet the requirements that were imposed on such cars - primarily due to the lack of a hard top. That is why in the early sixties in Serpukhov they started designing a new generation car, and at the early stages specialists from NAMI, ZIL and MZMA joined the work. However, the conceptual prototype "Sputnik" with the index SMZ-NAMI-086 was never put into production, and in Serpukhov they still produced a four-wheeled "morgunovka".

Only at the end of the sixties, the department of the chief designer of SMZ began to work on a new generation of motorized carriages, which in 1970 entered the conveyor under the symbol SMZ-S3D.

This model was a deep modernization of the "blinker"

In the USSR, many car models appeared in an evolutionary way - for example, it grew out of, and was created on the basis of the AZLK M-412.

However, the third generation of the Serpukhov motorized carriage differed significantly from the previous "microbes". Firstly, the impetus for the creation of the SMZ-S3D was the new motorcycle power unit IZH-P2 of the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant, around which they began to “build” a new model. Secondly, the car finally got a closed body, which, in addition, was all-metal, although in the early stages fiberglass was also considered as a material for its manufacture. Finally, instead of springs in the rear suspension, as in the front, torsion bars with trailing arms were used.

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SMZ-S3D was a primitive design for its time

Most motorists of the Soviet era perceived the "invalid" as a wretched and technically backward product. Of course, a single-cylinder two-stroke engine, an extremely simplified but functional body design with flat windows, overhead door hinges and a practically absent interior did not allow treating a motorized stroller as a modern and perfect product of the Soviet automobile industry. However, for a number of design solutions, the SMZ-S3D was a very progressive vehicle.

Transverse engine, independent suspension of all wheels, rack and pinion steering, clutch cable drive - it's all about the "disability"!

In addition, the motorized stroller received hydraulic brakes on all wheels, 12-volt electrical equipment and "car" optics.

The motorcycle engine was too weak for S3D

Soviet drivers did not like "disabled women" on the road, because a motorized carriage with a leisurely disabled person at the wheel slowed down even a rare by today's standards flow of cars.

The dynamic performance of the SMZ-S3D turned out to be not outstanding, since it was derated to 12 hp. the IZH-P2 motor for a 500-kilogram microcar turned out to be frankly weak. That is why in the fall of 1971 - that is, already a year and a half after the start of production of the new model - they began to install a more powerful version of the engine with the IZH-P3 index on motorized strollers. But even 14 "horses" did not solve the problem - even a serviceable "invalid" was loud, but at the same time extremely slow-moving. With a driver and a passenger on board and 10 kilograms of “cargo”, she was able to accelerate to only 55 km / h - and in addition she did it extremely slowly. Of course, in Soviet times, another tipsy owner of a Serpukhov car could boast that he was gaining all 70 kilometers on the speedometer, but ...

Alas, the options for installing a more powerful engine (for example, from IZH-PS) were not considered by the manufacturer.

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"Invalidka" was issued to any disabled person for free and forever

SMZ-S3D at the end of the eighties cost 1,100 rubles. Motorized carriages were distributed through social security agencies among disabled people of various categories, and the option of partial and even full payment was also provided. It was given free of charge to disabled people of the first group - first of all, veterans of the Great Patriotic War, pensioners, as well as those who received a disability at work or while serving in the Armed Forces. Disabled people of the third group could purchase it for about 20% of the cost (220 rubles), but for this it was necessary to wait in line for about 5-7 years.

They issued a motorized stroller for use for five years with one free overhaul two and a half years after the start of operation. Then the disabled person had to hand over the motorized wheelchair to the Social Security authorities, and after that he could apply for a new copy. In practice, individual disabled people "rolled back" 2-3 cars! Often, the car received for free was not used at all or they drove it only a couple of times a year, not experiencing a special need for a “disabled person”, because in times of shortage, people with disabilities in the USSR never refused such “gifts” from the state.

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The Serpukhov motorcycle stroller combined paradoxical qualities - being a social phenomenon, it, nevertheless, acted as a full-fledged personal transport. Of course, adjusted for the fact that it was issued by the Social Security.

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In addition, the absence of a traditional cooling system was not a disadvantage, but an advantage of the car, because the owners of motorized strollers were spared the painful daily procedure for filling and draining water. After all, in the seventies, rare lucky people who owned Zhiguli drove the antifreeze familiar to us, and all the rest of Soviet equipment used ordinary water as a coolant, which, as you know, froze in winter.

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Neither before nor after, not a single car for people with disabilities was produced in such quantities in the CIS. And thanks to a tiny and funny car from Serpukhov, hundreds of thousands of Soviet and Russian disabled people acquired one of the most important freedoms - the ability to move around.

This is a two-seater four-wheeled motorized carriage, which was produced at the Serpukhov automobile plant in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Its length was a little less than three meters, and the engine power was only eighteen horsepower. A vehicle weighing more than 500 kg could accelerate to sixty kilometers per hour on a public road, which at that time was very fast. It became a replacement for the S-ZAM motorized stroller, which was released in 1970.

Dimensions

The length of this motorized carriage was about 2 meters 60 centimeters, but due to the fact that the body was metal and the car was compact, it weighed about six hundred kilograms and could be equal to such machines as the Trabant, which weighed 620 kilograms, Okoy , whose curb weight was also equal to 620 kilograms, and "Zaporozhets", whose mass is 640 kilograms.

Engine

The motor was a two-stroke, from a motorcycle of the Izh Planet-3 model, which had forced air cooling. However, he was, of course, quite weak for such a relatively heavy machine. Such a two-stroke engine had a big drawback - fuel consumption. It was large enough, given that it must be very small. However, at that time the price of fuel was small, therefore, this did not introduce “disabled people” into the large expenses of the owners of the SMZ. However, the engine had a peculiarity: it required a lot of oil, which already gave additional costs. Also in those days there was no function of showing the fuel in the tank, and therefore gasoline was poured “by eye”. And this led to the fact that the engine wore out more. Therefore, quite often they broke down at the mileage mark of no more than one hundred thousand.

Transmission

The transmission at the SMZ “invalidka” consisted of a main gear with a differential and two axle shafts, as well as a chain drive from the engine to it. She had a reverse gear, and this gave the motorized carriage not one, but even four reverse gears.

Despite the very incomprehensible and unique appearance, the motorized carriage had a number of engineering solutions unusual for that time: independent suspension of all three wheels. Change the steering, make a clutch cable drive - all this was very unique for those times, and this is what made the car different from others. And especially in the practice of building “disabled women” for the world, this is something completely new.

Due to the fact that the engine was at the rear, the foot pedals were replaced with handles. There was plenty of legroom for the driver in the cabin as the pedals were removed. And this was a plus for paralyzed people.

patency

On sand and broken asphalt, the car moved without difficulty, drove through all the bumps and almost did not skid. This was achieved due to the fact that the car weighed some five hundred or six hundred kilograms. And also due to the fact that the wheelbase was short, and the suspension was independent. The biggest disadvantage is driving in the snow, as it was easy to skid the vehicle there, and it was not easy to get out if you got stuck. However, some owners of the SMZ "invalid" used extended rims on the wheels, but at the same time, the life of the tires decreased, as they were more worn out. But contact with the road is stronger, so in the northern regions of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, this helped a lot.

Exploitation

Yes, according to the reviews of the owners of the SMZ C3A, the cars were very unpretentious, they did not require large expenditures. However, the weakest point was the winter time, when the fuel pump froze and the engine stalled while driving. The rest of the car was good enough, never failed.

Is it possible to buy a motorized stroller today?

At the moment, this car is a real rarity, and on sites selling used cars, you simply cannot find options for buying a “disabled” motorized stroller, because there are very few of them.

However, there are several options, for example, in the capital of Russia, where a car costs about five hundred thousand Russian rubles. The car has already been completely restored and is a copy for the collection. Ordinary such motorized carriages can be found at a price of six to twenty thousand Russian rubles in different towns and cities, but they are most likely no longer on the move. Therefore, they buy a “disabled blinker” now only for memory.

Peculiarities

A couple of decades ago, this very unusual vehicle for the disabled could only be seen in remote provinces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. “Invalidka” is the nickname given to the SMZ S-3D. Despite the fact that the car was quite small, and also despite its simple and non-prestigious appearance, it served as a very reliable car produced by the Serpukhov Automobile Plant. The first such machines were produced in 1952. After the end of the production of SMZ, C3A came to replace it - “morgunovka”, with an open body. And the most important difference from the old motorized stroller is that it already had full four wheels.

They were presented with many requirements that were not implemented, so the car was not popular, and the Serpukhov Automobile Plant already in the sixties of the last century began developing a new wheelchair for people. C3A had many technical inconsistencies, because of this, disabled people could not drive such cars at all. It is worth noting that famous engineers and specialists from ZIL, MZMA and NAMI companies participated in the construction phase. When the first version of SMZ-NAMI-086 was released, it was not published, but production on the creation of the legendary "blinker" was continued. SMZ S-3D was lucky that it went on sale at all.

The motor from the SMZ motorcycle was not equipped with a cooling system by itself, and therefore there was no stove in the motorized carriage, and in winter it was very cold to ride on it. There was an alternative, something like a heater, but it was rather weak, but it was possible to set it up and make the interior of the car a little warmer. The “invalid” SMZ S3D did not shine with technical characteristics, but this was not necessary at that time.

Also, despite the fact that the car had a single-cylinder engine, the design of the car and its construction were at a fairly high level. The front suspension was combined with the steering wheel into a single unit, and this gave greater handling. And also the brake drive was hydraulic, very effective. SMZ C3A is a great car for the disabled.

The dynamic performance and speed at the SMZ were very poor, since the engine from the 12 hp motorcycle could not cope with this. With. This is not enough for five hundred kilograms of metal. With a driver and a passenger, this car accelerated to a maximum of 55 kilometers per hour on a public road. This created much fewer accidents and traffic accidents on the roads of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Tuning "invalid", as such, did not exist.

Competitor

Already at the end of the sixties, designers and engineers began to work on motorized strollers with the SMZ S-3D index. They came out way back in 1970. This was already the third generation of cars for the disabled. The car was very different from the others, because there was a new motor from a motorcycle, much more powerful and efficient. Also there was a completely closed metal body. Instead of a spring suspension, technology with torsion bars with levers was used. This made the Soviet "invalid" even more unique.

cost before

The price of such a wheelchair with an engine in the late eighties was approximately 1,100 Russian rubles. At the same time, it is worth recalling the fact: the average salary of workers in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was seventy to one hundred Russian rubles. SMZ motorized strollers were distributed through social security agencies, they were often given to people with disabilities just like that. For them, options were provided for incomplete, partial and even complete non-payment. Free of charge - for disabled people of the first group, that is, those who were injured or became disabled after the Great Patriotic War with the Germans, as well as the military who served in the Armed Forces. Disabled people of the third group could buy a motorized wheelchair for 220 Russian rubles, but they had to stand in line for about five years.

And they gave it out free of charge for 5 years and provided the owner with the opportunity to overhaul it once in 2.5 years in a service station. After the expiration of the period of use, the disabled person handed it back to the social security authorities and waited for a new copy for himself.

If the state of health of a motorist did not allow him to drive ordinary cars, and his driver's license said that you could not have anything else but a motorized wheelchair, then disabled people completed courses on driving such disabled vehicles as SMZ, waited for their copy and started moving around the city . To drive a motorized carriage, a category “A” driver's license (motorcycles and scooters) with a special mark was required. Education for people with disabilities was organized by the social security authorities.

In the seventies of the last century, the indicators of plans and production of Soviet cars crossed all limits and norms, and the pace of production at the Serpukhov plant also increased every day. The mark was ten thousand Russian cars that were created for the disabled. The peak was at around twenty thousand, but not for long. In just twenty years of production of such a rare specimen, about 250 thousand Russian cars of the SMZ brand were created. All of them were designed for people with disabilities.

Thanks to this production, thousands of Soviet and Russian citizens in the period from the fifties to the eighties of the twentieth century were provided with free transport and could live like all other people. In the CIS countries, such big ideas in the field of mechanical engineering that would be made for the benefit of people with disabilities were no longer noticed. The SMZ "invalidka" was a very noble machine, and its engineers really tried to make life easier for people with disabilities.

control levers

Yes, they are truly unique. After all, a disabled person without legs could do with his hands what usually needs to be done with his feet. The car, in addition to the usual levers, had:

brake;
reverse;
kickstarter;
clutch;

However, the ride was not very comfortable. And yet, SMZ S-3D was intended only for the disabled.

Why a motorized stroller?

The designers and engineers of the Serpukhov Automobile Plant during the period of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics have always been eager to create their own simple, trouble-free and reliable car for urban and rural residents. However, the state allocated money to build cars for the disabled and people with disabilities, so they did it on the basis of a motorized carriage. “Invalids” were supposed to be produced under the GAZ brand, but there was no place at the plant for the production of this car, so it was decided to do it differently. In Serpukhov, there was much less developed technology and production, but the main thing was desire.

For the sake of justice, it is worth mentioning that the parts of this car were in demand in the automotive market of that time, as they were very durable. In general, it was a whole breakthrough in the field of car reliability.

With the world on a string

Especially for the “disabled” car in the USSR, they didn’t invent something new at the start of the project, but they took the old one and improved it a bit. The engine, as mentioned above, was from the IZH-Planet motorcycle. The suspension was independent, the brakes were hydraulic. The suspension was "removed" from the "Volkswagen Beetle".

The engine was deformed. They put cooling on it, which was not there initially. Also added a starter and alternator. The fuel tank has been enlarged. So, from the old trash with the help of various improvements and improvements, a very good automobile tool was obtained.

At the end of the last century, the characteristic rattling of this unusual vehicle could be heard in the most remote corners of the vast country. "Invalidka" - just such a nickname literally stuck to a motorized carriage manufactured by the Serpukhov Motor Plant. The boys really liked the tiny car, because in terms of physical dimensions it seemed to them an almost ideal children's car. However, SMZ-S3D, despite its modest size and unpretentious appearance, performed a much more important task, being a vehicle for the movement of people with disabilities.

Perhaps for this reason, ordinary motorists were not very aware of the technical intricacies of this “machine”, and other nuances for many residents of the USSR remained “behind the scenes”. That is why healthy citizens were often mistaken about the device, the real shortcomings and features of the operation of the "invalid". Let's recall the facts and debunk the myths associated with SMZ-S3D.

From 1952 to 1958, a three-wheeled motorized carriage S-1L was produced in Serpukhov, which received the designation S3L at the end of production. Then, the three-wheeled microcar was replaced by the C3A model - the very famous “morgunovka” with an open body and a canvas top, which differed from its predecessor by the presence of four wheels.

SZD-S3A - the famous "morgunovka"

However, for a number of parameters, the C3A did not meet the requirements that were imposed on such cars - primarily due to the lack of a hard top. That is why in the early 60s in Serpukhov they started designing a new generation car, and at the early stages specialists from NAMI, ZIL and MZMA joined the work. However, the conceptual prototype "Sputnik" with the index SMZ-NAMI-086 was never put into production, and in Serpukhov they still produced a four-wheeled "morgunovka".

Only at the end of the 60s, the department of the chief designer of SMZ began to work on a new generation of motorized carriages, which in 1970 entered the conveyor under the symbol SMZ-S3D.

In the USSR, many car models appeared in an evolutionary way - for example, the VAZ "six" grew out of the VAZ-2103, and the "fortieth" Moskvich was created on the basis of the AZLK M-412.

That is why the SMZ-S3D should be considered an independent design, which is united with its predecessor only by the concept - a two-seat four-wheeled motorized stroller.

Plane-parallel design by the standards of its time was very relevant.

The independent front suspension was combined with rack and pinion steering into a single unit. In addition, the motorized stroller received hydraulic brakes on all wheels, 12-volt electrical equipment and "car" optics.

Soviet drivers did not like "disabled women" on the road, because a motorized carriage with a leisurely disabled person at the wheel slowed down even a rare by today's standards flow of cars.

The dynamic performance of the SMZ-S3D turned out to be not outstanding, since it was derated to 12 hp. the IZH-P2 motor for a 500-kilogram microcar turned out to be frankly weak. That is why in the fall of 1971 - that is, already a year and a half after the start of production of the new model - they began to install a more powerful version of the engine with the IZH-P3 index on motorized strollers. But even 14 "horses" did not solve the problem - even a serviceable "invalid" was loud, but at the same time extremely slow-moving. With a driver and passenger on board and 10 kilograms of "cargo", she was able to accelerate to only 55 kilometers per hour - and in addition, she did it extremely slowly. Of course, in Soviet times, another tipsy owner of a Serpukhov car could boast that he was gaining all 70 kilometers on the speedometer, but alas, the options for installing a more powerful engine (for example, from IZH-PS) were not considered by the manufacturers.

On early modifications, round "UAZ" lanterns were used.

SMZ-S3D at the end of the eighties cost 1,100 rubles. Motorized carriages were distributed through social security agencies among disabled people of various categories, and the option of partial and even full payment was also provided. It was issued free of charge to disabled people of the first group - first of all, veterans of the Great Patriotic War, pensioners, as well as those who received a disability at work or while serving in the Armed Forces. Disabled people of the third group could purchase it for about 20 percent of the cost (220 rubles), but for this it was necessary to wait in line for about 5-7 years.

While later models used larger optics from trucks and agricultural machinery.

Often, the car received for free was not used at all or they drove it only a couple of times a year, not experiencing a special need for a “disabled person”, because in times of shortage, people with disabilities in the USSR never refused such “gifts” from the state.

Management was carried out by a whole system of levers. Gear shifting is sequential.

If the driver was driving a car before the injury or illness of his legs, but his state of health no longer allowed him to continue driving a regular car, all categories were crossed out in his rights and the mark “motorcycle” was marked. Disabled people who did not previously have a driver's license completed special courses for driving a motorized wheelchair, and they received a certificate of a separate category (not A, as for motorcycles, and not B, as for cars), which allowed driving exclusively "disabled". In practice, the traffic police practically did not stop such vehicles to check documents.

SMZ-S3D was equipped with a motorcycle engine. As you know, he did not have a liquid cooling system, so there was no “stove” familiar to ordinary cars in a motorized carriage. However, as in the Zaporozhets, which had air-cooled engines, the designers provided an autonomous gasoline heater for driving in the cold season. He was quite capricious, but he allowed to create an acceptable air temperature in the passenger compartment of the disabled woman - at least positive.

Salon SMZ-S3D 1982 release

In addition, the absence of a traditional cooling system was not a disadvantage, but an advantage of the car, because the owners of motorized strollers were spared the painful daily procedure for filling and draining water. After all, in the 70s, rare lucky people who owned Zhiguli drove the antifreeze familiar to us, and all the rest of Soviet equipment used ordinary water as a coolant, which, as you know, froze in winter.

In addition, the “planetary” engine started easily even in cold weather, so potentially the “disabled person” was even better suited for operation in winter than Muscovites and Volga. But in practice, in the frosty season, condensate settled inside the diaphragm fuel pump, which immediately froze, after which the engine stalled right on the go and refused to start. That is why the majority of disabled people (especially the elderly) preferred not to use their own transport during the frosty period.

As at other Soviet factories, in the 70s in Serpukhov they increased the pace of production, improved quantitative indicators and exceeded the plan. That is why the plant soon reached a new level for itself, producing over 10,000 motorized wheelchairs annually, and during peak periods (mid-70s) over 20,000 wheelchairs were produced per year. In total, over 27 years of production, from 1970 to 1997, about 230 thousand SMZ-S3D and SMZ-S3E (modification for controlling one hand and one foot) were produced.

Neither before nor after, not a single car for people with disabilities was produced in such quantities in the CIS. And thanks to a tiny and funny car from Serpukhov, hundreds of thousands of Soviet and Russian disabled people acquired one of the most important freedoms - the ability to move around.

SMZ S-1L is a two-seat three-wheeled motorized carriage produced at the Serpukhov Motorcycle Plant from 1952 to 1956. In 1956-1958, the S-3L modification was produced, which differed from the base one with a more powerful engine. A total of 19,128 S-1L and 17,053 S-3L motorized sidecars were manufactured.

Specifications:

Number of doors/seats - 2/2
Engine type, volume - 1-cylinder motorcycle two-stroke engine Moscow-M1A, 123 cm³ (in S-3L the engine (Izh-49), 346 cm³ was used)
Engine power - 4 hp (8 hp in S-ZL)
Power system - carburetor
Number of gears - 3
Engine location - rear, longitudinal
Drive - rear
Maximum speed - 30 km/h (S-3L -60 km/h)
Curb weight - 275 kg
Dimensions:
length - 2650 mm
width - 1388 mm
height - 1330 mm
Rear brakes - drum/-
Front brakes - no / -
Tires - 4.50-9"
Modifications
C-1L - the basic version of a motorized carriage, produced from 1952 to 1956.
C-1L-O - variant with one right hand control
S-1L-OL - version with one left hand control
C-2L - an experimental model with a 2-cylinder engine and minor design changes, not mass-produced
S-3L - a modernized version of a motorized carriage with a more powerful IZH-49 engine, produced from 1956 to 1958.

In 1958, the SMZ S-3A motorized stroller was installed on the conveyor of the Serpukhov Motorcycle Plant. This motorized carriage became the first four-wheeled in our country. The SMZ S-ZA model was nothing more than a kind of motorized wheelchair for the disabled. However, against the backdrop of a shortage of cars, consumers began to put forward the same requirements for it as for a conventional vehicle. Attempts to satisfy them only complicated the car. The power unit for the C-3A model was the Izh-49 two-stroke motorcycle engine (346 cm3, 10 hp) in a block with a four-speed gearbox. The engine was equipped with a fan and a cylinder cooling casing, an electric starter. The motorized carriage turned out to be quite heavy (curb weight 425 kg), with insufficiently high cross-country ability (5.00-10 "tires and a ground clearance of 170 mm), poor dynamics (maximum speed - up to 60 km / h) and high fuel consumption (4 .5-5.0 l / 100 km.) Repeated attempts to upgrade the C-3A (improved silencer, telescopic shock absorbers and other innovations) were unsuccessful.

A further step, taken in 1970, turned the motorized carriage into a SMZ S-ZD vehicle with a new closed body, but practically the same chassis. The direction of the automotive industry, which was represented by SMZ motorized carriages, turned out to be unpromising. SZD is a two-seat four-wheeled motorized carriage of the Serpukhov Automobile Plant (SeAZ). The car replaced the S-3AM motorized carriage in 1970.

The car was 2.6 meters long and weighed just under 500 kilograms. The engine of the IZH-P3 model with forced air cooling was frankly weak for a rather heavy structure with an all-metal body and emitted an extremely unpleasant crack during operation (however, generally characteristic of two-stroke engines).

Despite the unsightly appearance and obvious lack of prestige, the motorized stroller had a number of design solutions unusual for the Soviet automobile industry and advanced at that time: it is enough to note the independent suspension of all wheels (the rear one is of the "swinging candle" type, that is, a kind of "MacPherson" scheme), rack and pinion steering, clutch cable drive - all this in those years had not yet become generally accepted in the practice of world automotive engineering, and appeared on “real” Soviet cars only in the eighties.

In maintenance, motorized carriages were unpretentious. The weak point in operation in winter was the diaphragm fuel pump - condensate froze in it in the cold, and the engine stopped while driving. On the other hand, a two-stroke air-cooled engine was easier to start in the cold and did not cause such problems during operation in winter as water-cooled engines (in those years, private cars were operated mainly “on the water” due to a shortage of antifreeze).

Such cars were popularly referred to as “disabled cars” and distributed (sometimes with partial or full payment) through social security agencies among disabled people of various categories. Motorized carriages were issued by social security for 5 years. After two years and six months of operation, the disabled person received a free repair of the “invalid”, then used this vehicle for another two and a half years. As a result, he was obliged to hand over the motorized carriage to the social security and get a new one. All Soviet motorized wheelchairs suffered from one common drawback - they were a kind of compromise between a self-propelled wheelchair (as Lev Shugurov aptly put it, a “motorized prosthesis”) and a full-fledged microcar, as a result, performing both functions equally mediocre. For a "wheelchair with a motor" they were unnecessarily large and heavy, and by automotive standards, their performance, comfort and other consumer qualities clearly left much to be desired. Aggravated by the shortage of conventional passenger cars, attempts to balance between these two concepts only led to an aggravation of the contradiction - even the last SMZ S-3D motorized stroller in the series, having received an automobile-type closed body, has not yet become a “real” car, and almost completely lost the qualities of a “motorized prosthesis” , approaching in weight and size to a full-fledged four-seater car like the Trabant or Mini. Attempts to start a series of designs closer to a full-fledged car, which could both be used as special vehicles for the disabled, and go on sale as the smallest Soviet production car, like the SMZ-NAMI-086 Sputnik, were unsuccessful, in including due to the low technical level of manufacturers of sidecars.

The last 300 FDD models left SeAZ in the fall of 1997. FDD has been replaced

1994 wheelchair "Invalidka" S-3D 0.8 l / 33 hp - new, mileage - 160 km

S-3D (es-tri-de)- a two-seater four-wheeled motorized carriage of the Serpukhov Automobile Plant (at that time still SMZ). The car replaced the C3AM motorized carriage in 1970.

HISTORY OF CREATION

Work on the creation of an alternative to the C3A motorized stroller has been carried out essentially since its development in production in 1958 (NAMI-031, NAMI-048, NAMI-059, NAMI-060 and others), however, the technological backwardness of the Serpukhov plant prevented the introduction of more advanced designs for a long time . Only by the beginning of 1964 did the real prospect of updating the production equipment of the SMZ appear for the production of a new model. Its development was carried out with the participation of NAMI specialists and the Special Art Design Bureau (SHKB) at the Mossovnarkhoz, and in accordance with the wishes of the customer represented by the Serpukhov Plant, the future car was originally developed as a light universal off-road vehicle for rural areas, which left an imprint on its appearance (designers - Eric Sabo and Eduard Molchanov). Subsequently, the project of a rural all-terrain vehicle was never implemented, however, design developments on it turned out to be in demand and formed the basis for the appearance of a motorized stroller.

Direct preparation for production began in 1967. For the Serpukhov plant, this model was supposed to be a breakthrough - the transition from an open frame-panel body with a spatial frame made of chromium-silver pipes and sheathing obtained on bending and beading machines, which was very expensive and low-tech in mass production, to an all-metal carrier welded from stamped parts was supposed to not only greatly increase comfort, but also provide a significant increase in the scale of production.

Production of S3D began in July 1970, and the last 300 copies left SeAZ in the fall of 1997. A total of 223,051 motorized strollers were produced.

DESIGN FEATURES

The body of the motorized carriage had a length of less than 3 meters, but at the same time the car weighed quite a lot - a little less than 500 kilograms in running order, more than a 2 + 2-seater Fiat Nuova 500 (470 kg) and quite comparable to a four-seater Trabant with a plastic body (620 kg), and even "Oka" (620 kg) and "humped" "Zaporozhets" ZAZ-965 (640 kg).

Motorized stroller engine - motorcycle type, single-cylinder, two-stroke carburetor, model "Izh-Planet-2", later - "Izh-Planet-3". Compared to motorcycle versions of these engines, designed for installation on motorized carriages, they were derated in order to achieve a greater motor resource when working with overload - up to 12 and 14 liters, respectively. With. Another important difference was the presence of a forced air cooling system in the form of a "blower" with a centrifugal fan that drives air through the fins of the cylinder.

For a rather heavy design, both engine options were frankly weak, while, like all two-stroke engines, they had a relatively high fuel consumption and a high level of noise - the voracity of a motorized carriage, however, was fully compensated by the cheapness of fuel in those years. The two-stroke engine required the addition of oil to the gasoline for lubrication, which created some inconvenience with refueling. Since in practice the fuel mixture was often prepared not in a measured container, as required by the instructions, but “by eye”, adding oil directly to the gas tank, the required proportion was not maintained, which led to increased engine wear - in addition, the owners of motorized strollers often saved money by using low-grade industrial oils or even mining. The use of high-grade oils for four-stroke engines also led to increased wear - the complex complexes of additives contained in them burned out when the fuel ignited, quickly polluting the combustion chamber with soot. The most suitable for use in the engine of a motorized carriage was a special high-quality oil for two-stroke engines with a special set of additives, but it was practically not available for retail sale.

A multi-plate "wet" clutch and a four-speed gearbox were located in the same crankcase with the engine, and the rotation on the input shaft of the gearbox was transmitted from the crankshaft by a short chain (the so-called motor transmission). The gearshift was carried out by a lever that looked like a car, but the sequential gearshift mechanism dictated a "motorcycle" shifting algorithm: the gears were switched on sequentially, one after the other, and the neutral was located between the first and second gears. To engage the first gear from neutral, with the clutch disengaged, it was necessary to move the lever from the middle position forward and release it, after which the transition to higher gears (shifting “up”) was carried out by moving it from the middle position back (also with the clutch disengaged), and to lower ( switching "down") - from the middle position forward, and after each switch, the lever released by the driver automatically returned to the middle position. The neutral was switched on when switching from the second gear "down", which was signaled by a special control lamp on the instrument panel, and the next "down" switch included the first gear.

There was no reverse gear in the motorcycle gearbox, as a result of which the motorized carriage had a reverse gear combined with the main gear - any of the available four gears could be used to move backward, with a decrease in the number of revolutions compared to the forward gear by 1.84 times - the gear ratio of the reverse gear - reducer. The reverse gear was switched on by a separate lever. The main gear and differential had bevel spur gears, the final gear ratio was 2.08. The torque was transmitted from the gearbox to the main gear by a chain drive, and from the main gear to the drive wheels - by axle shafts with elastic rubber hinges.

Suspension - front and rear torsion bar, double trailing arms front and single - rear. Wheels - dimension 10″, with collapsible disks, tires 5.0-10″.

Brakes - shoe drums on all wheels, hydraulic drive from a hand lever.

Steering - rack and pinion type.

EXPLOITATION

Such cars were popularly called "disabled cars" and distributed (sometimes with partial or full payment) through social security agencies among the disabled of various categories. Motorized carriages were issued by social security for 5 years. After two years and six months of operation, the disabled person received a free repair of the “invalid”, then used this vehicle for another two and a half years. As a result, he was obliged to hand over the motorized carriage to the social security and get a new one.

To drive a motorized carriage, a category “A” driver's license (motorcycles and scooters) with a special mark was required. Education for people with disabilities was organized by the social security authorities.

In the days of the USSR, components and assemblies of a motorized stroller (an assembled power unit, a differential with a reverse gear, steering, brake, suspension, body parts, etc.) tricycles, snowmobiles, mini-tractors, all-terrain vehicles on pneumatics and other equipment - descriptions of such homemade products were published in abundance in the magazine Modelist-Konstruktor. In some places, decommissioned motorized carriages were transferred by the social security authorities to the Houses of Pioneers and the Station of Young Technicians, where their units were used for the same purposes.

GRADE

In general, the S3D motorized stroller remained the same unsuccessful compromise between a full-fledged two-seater microcar and a “motorized prosthesis” as the previous model, and this contradiction was not only not resolved, but also significantly aggravated. Even the increased comfort of a closed body did not redeem the very low dynamic characteristics, noise, large mass, high fuel consumption and, in general, the concept of a microcar on motorcycle units, which was outdated by the standards of the seventies.

During the production of the motorized carriage, there was a gradual drift from this concept to the use of an ordinary passenger car of an especially small class adapted for driving a disabled person. At first, disabled modifications of the Zaporozhtsev were widely used, and subsequently the S3D was replaced by the disabled modification of the Oka, which was issued to the disabled before the monetization of benefits, in recent years, along with the “classic” VAZ models adapted for manual control.

Despite the unsightly appearance and obvious lack of prestige, the motorized carriage had a number of design solutions unusual for the Soviet automobile industry and quite progressive for those times: it is enough to note the transverse engine, independent suspension of all wheels, rack and pinion steering, clutch cable drive - all this in those years has not yet become generally accepted in the practice of world automotive engineering, and appeared on “real” Soviet cars only in the eighties. Due to the absence of an engine in the front, the replacement of foot pedals with special handles and levers, as well as the design of the front axle with transverse torsion bars moved far forward (like the Zaporozhets), there was enough space in the cabin for the driver’s fully extended legs, which was especially important for those , in whom they could not bend or were paralyzed.

Passability on sand and broken country roads for disabled women was excellent - this was due to its low weight, short wheelbase, independent suspension and good loading of the drive axle thanks to the chosen layout. Only on loose snow, the permeability was low (some craftsmen used extended rims - the life of the tires on such rims was greatly reduced, but the contact patch with the road increased significantly, the permeability improved, and the ride smoothed somewhat).

In operation and maintenance, motorized carriages were generally unpretentious. Thus, a two-stroke air-cooled engine easily started in any frost, warmed up quickly and did not cause any problems during operation in winter, unlike water-cooled engines (in those years, private cars were operated mainly “on the water” due to the shortage and low operating qualities of existing antifreezes). The weak point in operation in winter was the diaphragm fuel pump - condensate sometimes froze in it in the cold, which caused the engine to stall while driving, as well as the gasoline interior heater, which was quite capricious - a description of its possible malfunctions took about a quarter of the "instructions for operation of S3D", although it provided all-weather operation of a motorized carriage. Many components of the motorized carriage have earned high praise from the operators and amateur automakers who used them in their designs due to the combination of simplicity and structural reliability.