[PDF] Kubelwagen From The Military Beetle To The Amphibious Schwimmwagen eBook

Author : Chris McNab
Publisher : Haynes Publishing UK
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 47,4 MB
Release : 2015-06-15
Category : History
ISBN : 9780857337795

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Few war films made about the 1939-45 period are complete without sight of a boxy little Kübelwagen light utility vehicle being smartly driven by a German officer. Designed by Ferdinand Porsche and built by Volkswagen, the ‘Kübel' was to the Germans what the Jeep was to the Allies and was used widely by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS. When production ceased at the end of the war, 50,435 Kübelwagen had been built. Of simple but sturdy construction, the VW Type 82 Kübelwagen (which translates as 'bucket car' because of its similarity to a metal bathtub on wheels) was based closely on the legendary VW Beetle. Its winning design features included air cooled engine (the absence of a radiator meant the engine was less vulnerable to bullet damage), a light-weight, flat and smooth under-body that allowed the car to slide over the surface when its wheels were sinking into sand, mud or snow, independent suspension, portal gear hub reduction and self-locking differential. Because the body was not a load-bearing part of the structure of the vehicle it could easily be modified to special purposes. Several dozen variants of the 'Kübel' were developed and built during the war including its cousin the Schwimmwagen. The VW Type 128 and 166 Schwimmwagen (which means floating or swimming car) were amphibious four-wheel drive off-roaders. Like the Kübel, they were used widely by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the Second World War. The Type 166 Schwimm is the most numerous mass-produced amphibious car in history (14,265 between 1942 and 1944). Erwin Komenda, Ferdinand Porsche's first car body designer, developed an all-new unitized body-tub structure for the Schwimmwagen swimming car. When crossing water a screw propeller could be lowered from the rear deck engine cover and coupled to the engine's crankshaft to provide drive. The ‘Schwimm' also shared many of the Kübel's mechanicals. The appeal of the Kübel lived on long after the war's end when a derivative version, the Volkswagen Type 181, was manufactured by VW from 1968 to 1983. This was a two-wheel drive, four-door, convertible, off-road military vehicle, which had been developed for the German Army but was also sold to the civilian market as the Kurierwagen in Germany, the Trekker in the UK, the Thing in the US, and the Safari in Mexico. In recent years both the Kübel and Schwimm have acquired something of a cult status among military vehicle collectors worldwide, particularly in Europe (eg, Germany, Poland Czech Republic, Switzerland), the UK and US. There are literally dozens of Kübelwagen and Schwimmwagen enthusiast/owner/interest groups! About 150 original Type 166 Schwimmwagens remain today.

Author : Bernd Wiersch
Publisher : Schiffer Pub Limited
Page : 48 pages
File Size : 39,42 MB
Release : 1997-01-08
Category : History
ISBN : 9780887404016

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The seventh volume of trucks and cars used by Germany during WWII.

Author : William Burt
Publisher :
Page : 102 pages
File Size : 31,15 MB
Release :
Category : Volkswagen Beetle automobile
ISBN : 9781610592444

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This all-color book details the ubiquitous Beetle, from its beginnings in Germany, through its introduction in the United States in 1949, to the demise of the coupe in 1976 and the convertible in 1979, through the introduction of an all-new Bug. Burt lays out the complete evolution of this unique automotive milestone from "People's Car" to counterculture icon.

Author : Rodolphe Roussille
Publisher : Histoire & Collections
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 25,39 MB
Release : 2012
Category : Amphibious warfare
ISBN : 9782352501602

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The fruit of the seven years' research, this is the first of a series devoted to the vehicles and crossing equipment used by the German pioneers during World War Two, a theme neglected by military specialists until now. This book now fills the gap, tracing the development of amphibious vehicles from the initial hesitations in the thirties to the secret projects at the end of the war which remained on the drawing board. Illustrated with thirty or so color profiles and more than 200 black and white period photographs, of which a hundred or so are as yet unpublished, this book is the new reference for as yet relatively unstudied subjects such as: - The Trippelwagen amphibious cars and how they evolved. - The Land-Wasser-Schleppers in all its forms - The L.W.S. II Panzerfähre - The Skoda LWS III Project - Amphibious trailers A historian and model-maker, Rodolphe Roussille has specialized for more than ten years now in engineers' vehicles and equipment, and in the secret weapons developed by the Allies and the Axis forces during WWII; he is the author of numerous articles on the subject.

Author : James May
Publisher : Hodder & Stoughton
Page : 207 pages
File Size : 25,38 MB
Release : 2012-03-01
Category : Humor
ISBN : 1444717987

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Our world has been transformed beyond recognition, particularly in the twentieth century, and so were our lives and our aspirations. Throughout James May's Magnificent Machines, our Top Gear guide explores the iconic themes of the past hundred years: flight, space travel, television, mechanised war, medicine, computers, electronic music, skyscrapers, electronic espionage and much more. But he also reveals the hidden story behind why some inventions like the Zeppelin, the hovercraft or the Theremin struggled to make their mark. He examines the tipping points - when technologies such as the car or the internet became unstoppable - and gets up close by looking at the nuts and bolts of remarkable inventions. Packed with surprising statistics and intriguing facts, this is the ideal book for anyone who wants to know how stuff works and why some stuff didn't make it.

Author : Max Wagner
Publisher : Todtri Productions
Page : 84 pages
File Size : 33,73 MB
Release : 1998
Category : Transportation
ISBN : 9781577170839

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Over 80 illustrations. This volume follows the amazing history of the Volkswagen Beetle, the popular bug which has become an American icon. Starting with its beginnings in pre-World War II Germany and its introduction into the United States in 1949, the story of how it came to be embraced by the American motoring public unfolds. Also featured are the distinctive Karmann Ghia, the beautiful Hebmuller cabriolet, the Microbus, and the Type III Notchback, Squareback, and Fastback models. This absorbing tale, illustrated with 88 full-color photographs, comes to its conclusion with the debut of the sleek and racy New Beetle.