CHMZAP-5208

The ChMZAP-5208 is a Soviet heavy trailer from the Cold War period. The semi-trailer was put into service in the Soviet Army in the early 1950s. It was 9.33 meters long and 3.2 meters wide. The ChMZAP-5208 was developed at the Chelyabinsk plant in response to the demand reported by the Soviet armed forces for a new heavy semi-trailer intended for the transport of armored vehicles - especially tanks. The official acceptance of the tow truck into service took place in 1957. The tow truck could transport vehicles weighing from 40 to 43 tons, but this weight was often exceeded in the field conditions. The semi-trailer was characterized by a relatively simple structure, but also low failure rate and resistance to all types of operating conditions. It was also exported to the Warsaw Pact countries on a relatively large scale. Interestingly, it also served as a transport trailer for the AN-602 nuclear bomb (the so-called car-bomb). It is worth adding that since the 1960s, the KrAZ-255 truck was most often used as a tractor for the ChMZAP-5208 tow truck.