The unique GMV-2 snow-and-swamp vehicle created in the 1970s still remains one of the most unusual examples of domestic engineering. The machine was assembled by enthusiast engineer Mikhail Gudrin, who used the cockpit of the Il-28U jet bomber — a training aircraft on which, according to one version, Yuri Gagarin underwent training.
Material by "Pervogo tekhnicheskogo" — about an unusual hybrid of aviation and an all-terrain vehicle, intended for work in hard-to-reach areas — in swamps, tundra, and across virgin snow.
The Aircraft on Which Gagarin Trained
The basis of the GMV-2 was the front section of the Il-28U combat trainer aircraft. It was in such cockpits that cadets mastered jet aviation at the Orenburg Flight School.
According to the recollections of contemporaries, this specific Il-28U aircraft was used during Yuri Gagarin's training period. After the aircraft was decommissioned, the cockpit was not scrapped — it was preserved and later used in the creation of the all-terrain vehicle.
A Self-Taught Engineer
The author of the machine was Mikhail Gudrin, an engineer and inventor from Orenburg Region. In the 1970s, he decided to create a universal vehicle for the northern regions.
The design was based on an original tracked chassis of his own development. An aircraft cockpit with instruments, seats, and controls was installed on it. This is how the abbreviation GMV appeared — "Gudrin Mikhail Vasilyevich," and the second version of the project received the designation GMV-2.
An All-Terrain Vehicle with an Aviation Character
Inside the GMV-2, elements of aircraft ergonomics were preserved — the instrument panel, levers, and ventilation system. Operating the machine resembled working in a pilot's cockpit.
The sealed body provided protection from wind, frost, and moisture. The all-terrain vehicle could operate for a long time far from supply bases, which made it convenient for geologists, communications workers, and rescuers.
Why the GMV-2 Became a Legend
Gudrin's project never became mass-produced. The machine was built in single units without state support or major funding. Nevertheless, the GMV-2 became an example of how, in the USSR, enthusiasts created complex machinery literally "on their knees." Today, the all-terrain vehicle remains a technical artifact of a past era — a combination of space ambitions, aviation, and popular engineering talent
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