The Praga RV was an off-road truck built for the Czechoslovak army between 1935 and 1939. It carried military cargo and personnel, served as an ambulance and towed artillery, and was exported beyond Czechoslovakia as well.
Praga RV at a glance
| Maker | ČKD–Praga, Prague-Libeň |
|---|---|
| Production | 1935–1939 |
| Type | light off-road truck, 6×4 |
| Engine | 3,468 cc water-cooled six, 68 hp at 2,600 rpm |
| Payload | 2,000 kg on the road, 1,500 kg off it |
| Weight | 3,810 kg |
| Length / width / height | 5.69 / 2.00 / 2.09 m |
| Top speed | 70 km/h |
| Fuel consumption | up to 35 l/100 km, 49 l with a trailer |
| Fuel tank | 137 l, giving 390 km |
| Gearbox | four speeds and reverse |
| Radio version | Praga RVR, 59 built in 1938 |
The sources differ slightly on engine output (68 hp at 2,600 rpm in the English and Czech tables, 60 hp at 2,600 rpm as an alternative Czech figure); the table gives 68 hp.
History of the Praga RV
The RV was developed specifically for the army as a light off-road truck that could also serve as an ambulance, a radio vehicle and an artillery tractor. It had a rigid ladder frame of rectangular section, a petrol six-cylinder engine and a front axle with independently suspended wheels on torsion bars; the two driven rear axles were swing half-axles on semi-elliptic springs, with dual tyres of 6.00–20 in. A winch and a tyre-inflation compressor were part of the standard equipment, and the radiator was built in six sections joined by through-bolts.
On the road the flatbed was rated at 2,000 kg and in the field at 1,500 kg. With a 137-litre tank the truck could cover 390 km at 70 km/h, using up to 35 litres per 100 km, a figure that rose to 49 litres when it pulled a three-ton trailer. When carrying infantry the usual load was 8 to 12 men, seven to eleven in the body and one in the cab beside the driver.
Some 3,290 vehicles were earmarked for Czechoslovakia, and the rest were exported to Iran, Peru, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. In 1938, 59 trucks were converted into the Praga RVR radio communication vehicle. The type was also used by the German and Romanian armies, and an unknown number of Praga trucks was acquired by Romania to raise the mechanisation of its forces.
Design and features
- Three axles, two driven: a 6×4 layout with dual rear tyres and a two-tonne rating.
- Army equipment: winch and tyre-inflation compressor fitted as standard.
- Long range: 390 km from a 137-litre tank.
- Many roles: cargo, troop carrier, ambulance, artillery tractor and the RVR radio vehicle.
Praga RV versions
- Praga RV cargo truck: the standard flatbed with a two-tonne payload.
- Praga RV ambulance: medical bodywork for the Czechoslovak army.
- Praga RV artillery tractor: rated to pull a three-ton trailer.
- Praga RVR: radio communication vehicle, 59 converted in 1938.
- Export vehicles: delivered to Iran, Peru, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.
The RV was the army’s companion to the civilian Praga RN, whose place in production was later taken by the Praga V3S. More vehicles are in the Praga collection.
Sources
- Praga RV, English Wikipedia: roles, engine, payload, range, exports, RVR
- Praga RV, Czech Wikipedia: chassis, suspension, dimensions, equipment
