The first with completely domestic design. The 85th anniversary of the STZ-NATI tractor

Abstract

85 years ago, on 11 July 1937, the production of the STZ-NATI, the famous and deservedly popular tracked agricultural tractor, was launched at Stalingrad Tractor Plant. This tractor was the first which had completely domestic deisgn. Development of this tractor is an example of effective collaboration between the design engineers of STP and the scientists of All-soviet Scientific Research Tractor Insitute (NATI). In comparison with the predecessor, the STZ-1 wheeled tractor, the STZ-NATI was better suitable for soil, climate and road conditions of the USSR, 73% more powerful, much more productive and efficient. The production of this tractor was launched at Kharkiv Tractor Plant in the same year under the name of SKhTZ-NATI or KhTZ-NATI and at the newly-established Altay Tractor Plant in 1942, during the Great Patriotic War (ASKhTZ-NATI or ATZ-NATI). On the basis of the STZ-NATI and KhTZ-NATI agricultural tractors, the STZ-5 transport tractor and the STZ-8 swamp tractor were developed and produced at STP, the KhTZ-T2G gas generator tractor and the KhTZ-16 armoured tractor were developed and produced at KhTP. The ASKhTZ-NATI tractor production at STP and KhTP continued until 1949, the production at ATP continued until 1952, when the tractor was succeeded by the DT-54 diesel tractor. Three plants produced around 200,000 ASKhTZ-NATI tractors. Cutting-edge and successful design solutions, implemented in the tractors design, were used in tractors of STP/VgTD, KhTP and ATP for a long time and still find place in Chinese YTO tractors.