Rikman Ihtiandr-2

The Ihtiandr-2 is a home-built amphibious off-road vehicle created by the Russian engineer Igor Rikman, a designer of coal-mining machinery. Its predecessor, the Ihtiandr-1 of 1979, was a one-off with no equivalent in the country; over several years it covered more than 1,000 km at sea, on the Black, Caspian and Barents Seas, and a great deal more on land. Drawing on that experience, Rikman built the more modern and comfortable Ihtiandr-2, which has been in use since 1991 and had covered some 200,000 km when it was described in the press.

Design

The estate-style body is made of glass-fibre over a welded frame of thin-walled rectangular steel tube, which carries mostly home-made running gear and suspension. A rubber fender runs around the whole body, and 1.6 m³ of foam-filled cavities make the car unsinkable and also insulate it against heat and noise. It is 5.2 m long, 2.0 m wide and 1.6 m high, weighs 1,450 kg and carries five people plus 300 kg. Ground clearance can be changed hydraulically on the move between 250 and 400 mm.

A VAZ-21213 engine with a modified LuAZ gearbox sits in the rear compartment, with a single-stage axial waterjet mounted in line behind it and engaged by a dog clutch. In the water the front wheels act as the rudder. The car has four-wheel drive with lockable front and rear differentials, and the front axle can be disconnected on the road to save fuel. Suspension is independent, using leaf and coil springs; the brakes are discs all round, which are easier to dry after swimming. An electric anchor winch is fitted, and drums on the rear wheels can act as a winch for climbing slippery banks of up to 40 degrees.

Top speed is about 130 km/h on the road, using up to 12 litres per 100 km, and about 16 km/h on water.