Sorry folks, I was foolishly editing my Photobucket albums and inadvertently corrupted most all the links to this blog thread, darn it,

I have now started basic construction on this vehicle so it is a rotten time to mess up the links. I hope this will turn into a worthwhile build log so my apologies!

The F/A pusher tractor was used in conjunction with a forward E series 537 tractor for bringing the really large Russian ICBM's from the assembly plant to the missile silo base.

The missiles where so heavy and large that the trailer itself was remotely powered using electric motors. These motors ran off generators geared directly to the engines on the fore and aft 537's.

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A MAZ-534D with a somewhat smaller missile trailer - no active electric drive requied:

I am guessing the rear load body is an enlarged ballast body with lead weights much like the aircraft tug varriant of the 537.


Note the stowed jib crane for loading/unloading from the ballast body.

These are all shots taken from the MAZ-537A Airport Ballast Tractor.

Are similar ballast weights present in the F/A? It would seem plausable but we may never know:

A preserved example of this very rare vehicle on display at the Strategic Missile Forces Museum;
Ukraine, Kirovohrad region, Golovanovsky District, pgt. Pobuzhskoe.
Phone: +38 (05161) 7-39-72 or 6-54-27,
Fax: 7-32-30

The Museum website can be viewed at:

http://englishrussia.com/2011/04/18/strategic-missile-forces-museum/

Here is an edited (corrections made by your's truely) drawing set of both the 537E puller tractor & 537F/A pusher tractor. (Image found on the internet.)



As found, the drawing had the spare tire centered on the vehicle and the gas tanks were totally missing on the Pusher Tractor.

In these drawings there are still problems with the position and length of the rear loadbox as well as the rear fenders. Further research will hopefully clear up these questions.

Off topic but of some possible interest:

Trailer erector fixture for loading missile into launch silo.

The generator pack behind the gas tanks on both the 537 E series as well as the F/A.

On the E tractor the electric supply wiring feeds to the rear of the vehicle. On the F/A there are enclosed wireways along the running boards allowing the electricial supply feed to go around the cabin all the way to the front of the vehicle.



As you can see here you are free to model the E tractor using either the early or late production MAZ kits. Actually using the early production MAZ for the E would probably be more correct! As the missiles got heavier the F/A tractors were added later as pushers so chances are all F/A's were built using the later production tractor.

Early production E model 537 tractor.

Shown here is one of the forward "pull" tractors so the electrical cables are routed to the rear to attach to the active drive trailer. The electrical arrangement of the F/A "push" tractor would be considerably different as power must be routed forward, around the cab to the push probe on the front bumper, from there to be connected to the powered trailer.



Love that big honking spare tire!

I feel the gen-pack must be run off the PTO on top of the transfer case. However research continues. If anyone has any reference here PLEASE chime in!

I often wonder why only a select few 537 trucks carry spare ties??

The MAZ TM manual that is available online seems to cover only up to the Series D vehicle which has simply a basic electric generator in a big rectangular box, for general use purposes and this generator DOES appear to be driven off the PTO.

The photos I have shown up to now have illustrated the Stinger (the Pushing Probe) in the extended position. These next few images show the vehicle with the Stinger removed and stowed for return transit to the assembly plant:




The stabilizers remain attached to the front of the vehicle but the probe and its' associated wiring are removed entirely.

The larger stabilizer with shock absorber at the peak of the A frame supports the vertical weight of the probe before attachment to the transport trailer. However the two smaller stabilizers are used exclusively to limit the left/right movement of the probe as the pusher tractor goes through the connecting process with the transport trailer. After attachment to the trailer they are disconnected and stowed during trasit.

I am not entirely sure just how I will choose to build my F/A.

I WILL TRY TO MAKE THIS A BRIEF DEPARTURE FROM THE PRIMARY TOPIC -
as I have stated elsewhere in other threads I am extremely disappointed with the MAZ driveline as Trumpeter has chosen to depict it which is nothing short of grossly incorrect AND mechanically impossible!

Here is the correct driveline layout for the MAZ-537:

And on the actual vehicle:

On my MAZ 537D towing tractor where the driveline is much more visably exposed I have chosen to correct these faults.

- The final drive units; there are two of them - one between the first and second axles and another between the third and fourth axles.


And here are the corrections to the transmission, transfer case and driveshafts:

THE TRANSMISSION:


THE TRANSFER CASE:

Not sure I will be doing much of the correction shown above on my new MAZ F/A as very little of this work would be visible under the generator assembly and load box.

Just ordered the Tank Workshop resin wheel set for the 537 from Dragon Hobbies. I don't find anything wrong with the Trumpeter wheels and tires but it is the only way to get that spare!

A few more detail photos of the massive missile Transporter/Erector Trailer:




(Photo by Simon Burcon)


(Photo by Leonid Varlamov)