Old Soviet military truck used screw propellers to traverse land and sea

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Updated Feb 17, 2018

Screw Prop Truck

Okay, so you wouldn’t want to drive it over asphalt or concrete. Nonetheless, a former Soviet military truck built with two giant stainless steel screw propellers looks like a lot of fun to drive.

All-Terrain Vehicles Plant, based in Russia, has restored the truck and posted it on their website alongside other impressive off-road vehicles, including a 6Ă—6 Veya.

“Transport platform (TP) with with rotary screw drive (RSD) is designed to operate in a moisture saturated soils, swamps of all categories, afloat, in the virgin snow as the vehicle is equipped with various technological equipment (excavator, crane, dredging pump, etc.) for carrying out construction, reclamation, rescue, etc.,” All-Terrain Vehicles notes on its website.

The RVD ZVM-2901 is powered by a 152-hp Cummins 3.8-liter turbocharged diesel. The transmission can spec’d as a manual 2 or 5-speed. Don’t expect super sonic speed, though. On land, the double-cab can get up to around 15 mph while on water it will cruise around 6 mph or roughly 5.2 knots. Check it out for yourself below. (Note: The video lists 159 horsepower, but the spec sheet posted by All-Terrain Vehicles has it at 152.)