14204 AS-2 SOVIET WWII AIRFIELD STARTER ON GAZ-AAA CHASSIS

The AS-2 was a Soviet mobile airfiled starter from the interwar period and World War II. Serial production of this vehicle started in 1936. The length of the car, without special equipment, was about 5.34 meters, with a width of 2.04 meters. The drive was provided by a single 3.3-liter 4-cylinder engine. The maximum speed was about 60-65 km / h. The AS-2 specialist vehicle was constructed on the basis of the GAZ-AAA truck. The main task of the AS-2 vehicle was to start the aircraft engines at airports in winter conditions. The engine starting mechanism was located at the front of the vehicle, had a very simple structure and was manually operated. Due to its simplicity, it performed very well in extremely low temperatures and fulfilled its tasks. The AS-2 vehicles were used to start the engines of such aircraft as: Polikarpov I-15 or I-16, Ilyushin Il-2 or Bell P-63 Kingcobra. The car was used on a relatively large scale even before the outbreak of World War II.