"Ikarus 250": specifications and photos

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The growing Soviet state at one time was in dire need of roomy and comfortable buses. Citizens did not have so much personal automobile transport, and therefore long-distance travel was considered a rather problematic matter. The Hungarian plant Ikarus volunteered to help, where they began to produce the legendary Ikarus 250.

It should be noted that their production did not start from scratch, since back in the late 1960s, the concept of the 200 series buses was developed, which were the cutting edge of road transportation for their time. The main idea that predetermined the prevalence of the Ikarus 250 bus was modularity and high unification, which made it possible to quickly and cost-effectively introduce new models into production. The simplification of the design made it possible to put a new bus on the stocks already in the early 70s of the last century.

A living legend of Soviet routes

The Ikarus 250 model was in production from 1971 to 2003! Over 32 years! It is believed that during this timeabout 150 thousand cars left the factory walls. Initially, this bus was widely imported to the "fraternal" republics for the organization of intercity traffic, but soon, due to the accelerated growth of cities, cars began to be put exclusively on domestic flights. Due to their capacity and comfort, these Icaruses have become very popular with various tourist organizations that have used them to organize excursions.

In the southern republics, the removal of all passenger seats in the cabin is still practiced, with the subsequent transformation of the Ikarus into a huge truck. True, for its normal operation, it is necessary to sort out and re-boil the entire suspension, since the old one simply cannot cope with the increased loads. However, this situation is typical not only for our country: "Ikarus 250" is found even in the USA and Latin America. Of course, most of the buses of this series are now in such a deplorable technical condition that their operation is purely periodic.

Basic information about the model

Oddly enough, even the body color in red with a white line on the bottom was once regulated by a separate GOST. The new model differed from its predecessors not only in this, but also in a much more elongated body. There are five extended windows on each side, which (in recent years) could be tinted at the request of the customer. The air vents are located through the window, there are rather massive air intakes on the roof, one of which can be used as an emergency hatch. It is worth considering thatthe bus "Ikarus 250" initially differed from its urban "brothers" with four round headlights (two on each side). On some varieties, a spotlight was placed on the roof.

The latest modifications are distinguished by the presence of two fully glazed doors at once. The first was equipped with a pneumatic drive, triggered by pressing a button on the panel. The door moved parallel to the board. Interestingly, on some buses there was no pneumatic drive initially, and therefore it had to be opened and closed manually. The second door is located in the "stern" compartment, opens and closes with a manual lever.

About the salon

Of course, the bus "Ikarus 250" is not equipped with a cabin, which can be called modern at least to some extent, but still it has no gross shortcomings. From 43 to 57 paired seats with wooden armrests can be installed in it, and the distance between the seats is very small, only 65 cm. The seats are quite hard and have proven themselves poorly on long flights. But each pair of seats has individual air ducts and small lamps, which was something “cosmic” for the 70s in the USSR.

Convenience/inconvenience for passengers

Three ceiling lamps with eight lamps each are responsible for the general interior lighting. Heating - radiators installed under each pair of seats, the engine cooling system is responsible for heating the liquid. The bus is notable for the fact that the floor in it is much lower than the levelseats. This not only made it possible to significantly expand the luggage compartment, but also completely isolate the “bulges” from the wheels. However, it is the design of the cabin that makes the Ikarus 250/40 (and its other varieties) practically unsuitable for urban use, since passengers who often have to get in and out are extremely uncomfortable in a narrow aisle.

In normal configurations, blinds were mounted on the windows, which were very convenient for long flights during the daytime, when the sun could prevent people from taking a nap. The front part of the cabin is distinguished by the presence of an additional folding seat, which is used by guides, controllers, or an additional driver sits there. In the export versions of the Ikarus 250/40 (photos of the bus are presented in the article), a special room with a toilet and a small refrigerator was mounted at the end of the building. Unfortunately, in the European part of the USSR, this variety was no more common than any Cadillac. An additional five seats were placed in the back of the cabin, although it was extremely difficult to ride on them due to the strong vibration of the engine and the heat from it.

Driver's seat

Steering - type ZF S6-90U. The driver's seat in style and functionality is practically no different from the passenger seat. The only caveat is the height adjustment. The driver's workplace is not separated from the passenger compartment, except for a small glass wall. The instrument panel is characterized by large dimensions and good readability of all sensors: speedometer, tachometer,voltmeter, as well as a fuel gauge.

Body

Assembled from square tubes, wagon type. The designers provided for a service life of at least three decades. Alas, but such a design entails unpleasant consequences. If the bus was operated in difficult climatic conditions without major repairs, then the body sections in its rear part literally sagged, greatly deforming the interior. On the sides there are two large luggage compartments (one on each side), each with a volume of 5.3 m3. There are two ways to open the compartments: either using the hand lever directly on the case, or using the button on the dashboard.

The rear bumper on the Ikarus 250 bus (you will see the photo in this material) is metal, attached to the body by means of welded fasteners. In the first buses of the series, almost exactly the same bumper was installed in front, which differed in some minor details. Due to the practical structural uselessness of the metal, later they began to install plastic structures, which made it possible to somewhat reduce the cost of the structure.

About engines

Most often, the Ikarus 250 engine is the infamous Raba-MAN D2156HM6U among drivers, there are also cars equipped with Raba D10 and D11. They were in-line, had six cylinders, turbocharging. Their power varied, the most advanced modifications produced up to 220 hp. With. In recent years, the Raba-MAN D2156HM6 diesel has been installed on buses. The power of thesemotors was slightly higher, but their main characteristics remained the same. A common drawback of engines is poor power and even more sad traction on the bottoms. These factors contribute to both poor acceleration and extremely poor uphill performance.

Many people remember how "Ikarus" for almost hours stormed those climbs that even "MAZs" with completely "killed" engines could cope with. However, in a straight line, these diesel engines could well provide a constant speed of 100 km/h, which was a very good result for Soviet buses.

Disadvantages and advantages of Raba D10 (D11)

The main drawbacks are the same - dynamics and overclocking, although these engines still show much better results. But they were completed with better parts, which provided quite acceptable reliability, durability and maintainability of the motor. Here are just a weak dynamics, coupled with winding roads common in most of the territory of the USSR with frequent ascents, nullified all the advantages, quickly devouring the resource. When worn, the engines begin to vibrate and smoke very strongly. In addition, "Slaves" had a sad reputation among Soviet drivers, as oil was consumed on a cosmic scale. The real dream of the drivers was the Detroit Diesel Cummins VT350DAF LT120 engine, which was devoid of almost all the shortcomings of the "Slave", was more economical and more powerful, but practically did not occur in cars serially operated on the territory of the USSR.

Checkpoint

Gearbox manual, sixsteps, there is no synchronization in reverse, quite reliable. The peculiarity of this box is that, although it does not contribute to rapid acceleration, it provides stable and relatively economical movement at high speeds, which was rare for Soviet buses. The drive includes reinforced cardan shafts with hinges. Dry type clutch, equipped with a hydraulic drive and a pneumatic booster.

Brake specifications

The Ikarus 250 bus, the technical characteristics of which we are considering, was equipped with a dual-circuit drum brake mechanism. The brakes were actuated by a pneumatic actuator. The brake drums had a radius of 21 cm, their thickness was 14 and 18 cm, respectively. When driving at a maximum speed of 60 km / h for a settlement, the braking distance was up to 37 meters. Parking brakes on the rear wheels - mechanical spring with pneumatic drive. There is an auxiliary brake drive, the functions of which duplicated the parking. Compression in system drives - from 6.2 to 7.4 kgf/cm2. So that the condensate formed there does not block the operation of the brakes in the winter, a special fluid based on technical alcohol is used.

Other features

High beam lights are equipped with 45 W lamps, 40 W lamps are used for low beam. The parking lights are fitted with Villtes series 5W bulbs. If there are any malfunctions in the engine cooling system orthere is a drop in compression in the hoses of the brake system, a red signal immediately lights up on the instrument panel. A separate indicator also signals the discharge of the batteries. For repairs, the bus is convenient in that all electrical fuses are located directly on the driver's seat, in the form of one block.

In principle, the Ikarus 250 bus (whose photo you will see in the article) had a good reputation among passengers, who were most dissatisfied only with insufficient operation of the heater in winter. Other factors did not significantly reduce the comfort of the trip. An advanced interior for those times and soft seats, a reliable suspension and a normal ventilation system - these are the factors that made it possible to travel long distances with relative comfort. It is not surprising that in some places the Ikarus 250/59 is still in operation.