The most powerful dump truck of the USSR

In 1975, the Soviet industry introduced a mining dump truck that not only surpassed the existing load capacity standards at that time, but also set new benchmarks for the entire industry. We are talking about BelAZ-7520 — a machine capable of transporting up to 110 tons of cargo. Against the background of foreign counterparts of that era, which were mainly limited to 25–30 tons, this model looked truly revolutionary. The dump truck became the largest in the USSR and one of the most powerful machines of its class in the world.

This load capacity allowed mining enterprises to significantly increase the volume of transported ore and overburden, which directly affected the efficiency of production processes. BelAZ-7520 quickly turned into not only an engineering achievement, but also a symbol of the country's technological potential, which gained recognition abroad.

Managing a giant without a conventional gearbox

Despite its impressive size — the weight of the machine was often compared to the weight of 48 elephants — driving the dump truck turned out to be surprisingly simple. The design did not include a traditional gearbox. The driver had three pedals at his disposal: an accelerator, an electrodynamic brake, which served as the main one, and an emergency hydraulic brake. The engine was started with a key, and to start moving, you only needed to press a button on the transmission lever.

BelAZ-7520
Image source Domestic automotive industry

Logistics and assembly at the place of operation

The process of delivering the machine to the place of work in itself was a complex operation. The dump truck was transported disassembled on three railway platforms, after which assembly took about a week. Special attention was drawn to the wheels: eight giant tires the size of a human, designed for a load of up to 100 tons each. The cost of one such tire reached 100 thousand dollars, so often dump trucks were supplied without them — tires were purchased separately.

Technologies ahead of their time

Several innovative solutions were implemented in the design of the BelAZ-7520. For the first time in the Soviet automotive industry, a hydropneumatic suspension was used, which ensured a smooth ride even at maximum load. The power plant operated on the principle of a series hybrid: a diesel engine drove a generator, which, in turn, supplied energy to electric motors on each wheel. Such a scheme is still considered advanced today.

Operational features and economics

With its own weight of 66 tons, the dump truck developed a speed of up to 64 km/h. The steering was so light that it was possible to turn the steering wheel with literally one finger. However, operation required significant costs: fuel consumption reached 550 liters per hour, and two fuel tanks with a total capacity of 5600 liters were emptied during one work shift.

At the time of release, the cost of BelAZ-7520 was about 10 million dollars. Nevertheless, for large mining enterprises, such investments were justified by increased productivity and increased transportation volumes.

BelAZ-7520 is still perceived as a benchmark of engineering thought of its time. This machine became not just an outstanding example of heavy equipment, but a symbol of an era when ambitious technical tasks were solved to the limit of the capabilities of industry and design school.