The Tatra V 855 was the prototype of a propeller-driven snowmobile, or aerosan, based on the Tatra 87 and Tatra 97 cars, built by the Tatra works at Kopřivnice in 1942. It used the air-cooled V8 of the T87, drove a rear propeller and a retractable roller, and was intended for service on the eastern front, but the Wehrmacht never ordered it into production.
Tatra V 855 at a glance
| Maker | Tatra, Kopřivnice, Czechoslovakia |
|---|---|
| Built | 1942, one prototype |
| Ordered by | Wehrmacht command, two examples |
| Engine | air-cooled OHC V8 from the Tatra 87 |
| Displacement | 2,968 cc |
| Power | 75 hp (55 kW) |
| Drive | rear propeller plus retractable roller |
| Top speed reached | 80 km/h, 130 km/h planned |
| Body | four-door, four seats, based on the T 87 and T 97 |
| Length | 5,325 mm |
| Replica | Ecorra, 2006–2007, for the Lane Motor Museum |
There is no English Wikipedia article on the Tatra V 855; the page is based on the German and Czech articles.
History of the Tatra V 855
A snowmobile for the eastern front
The Tatra V 855 was a prototype of motor sledges, or aerosans, based on the Tatra 87 passenger car and built by Tatra at Kopřivnice in 1942. The German Wehrmacht command ordered two machines for intended use on the eastern front, but the second was never built and only a single prototype remained. The Tatra V 855 was powered by an air-cooled OHC V8 from the Type 87 with 2,968 cc and 55 kW (75 hp). There is no record that the prototype now in the Tatra technical museum at Kopřivnice was ever driven.
Body and skis
The all-steel four-door body for four people was based on the T87, with two seats at the front and only a wooden bench at the rear; the German source describes the bodywork as that of the four-door T97 with the front separated and the bonnet modified. The aerodynamic body sat on large, wide skis through pins, with a pair of leaf springs on each ski. The driver steered the front skis with a smaller steering wheel, and the rear axle could also be steered with a larger wheel on the same steering column. The larger wheel also operated the rear roller, which had a braking function; both pairs of skis swung sideways together rather than separately, and the rear skis could be locked straight. Controlling both pairs allowed the vehicle to be driven even sideways.
Propeller and roller
The rear-mounted engine drove, through the gearbox, clutch and a vertical shaft, a fixed two-blade wooden propeller on a massive pylon in place of Tatra’s usual fin. Because the propeller was fixed, its blades could not be adjusted for reverse or braking, so the vehicle also had a large transverse rotating drum with arrow-shaped slats, driven through a clutch and a shaft with bevel gears. The drum could be used when propeller thrust was insufficient or in city traffic, and a drum brake at its mounting gave safe stopping. Maximum speed in test runs was 80 km/h, with 130 km/h planned. The prototype with a blue-and-white body is displayed in the Tatra technical museum at Kopřivnice. Its engine, quoted at 100 hp, has not survived and it is not known how the increase over the series engine was achieved; the museum exhibit has had a standard T 87 engine since the 1960s. A faithful replica was built in 2006–2007 by the company Ecorra for the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, USA.
Design and features
- Propeller drive: a fixed wooden propeller pushed the machine forward.
- Retractable roller: a drum with arrow-shaped slats for starting and braking.
- Four skis: steerable front and rear pairs, which could also let it move sideways.
- T87 V8: the 2,968 cc air-cooled engine from the luxury car.
Tatra V 855 versions
- V 855 prototype: the single 1942 machine, now in the Kopřivnice museum.
- Replica: built by Ecorra in 2006–2007 for the Lane Motor Museum.
The V 855 used the engine of the Tatra 87 and the body ideas of the Tatra 97. Other unusual Tatra projects are in the Tatra collection.
Video: Tatra V855 trials.AVI
Video by Lane Motor Museum on YouTube.
Sources
- Tatra V 855, German Wikipedia: purpose, engine, propeller
- Tatra V 855, Czech Wikipedia: body, skis, roller, museum car
