CZK/HUN - OT-65 (prehľad verzií)

OT-65
Version overview



OT-65 R - type 00 (reconstructed in Czechoslovakia)
OT-65 M - type 01 (modernized)



Modified types:


OT-65 A - type 03 - vehicle with VYDRA gun turret(modified from type 00 or 01)


OT-65 DP - type 04 - artillery observation vehicle (modified from type 00 or 01) (DPP OT-65M)


OT-65 Ch - type 10 - chemical vehicle (modified from type 01)


OT-65 VS - type 21 - command and communications vehicle (modified from type 01)


OT-65 CHV - type 22 - command-chemical vehicle (modified from type 01)


OT-65 RL - type ?? - reconnaissance vehicle with PSNR-1 radar (modified from type 01)



Source: Tank-51-42/s OT-65 spare parts catalogue, ČSLA regulation - Prague 1975

For the needs of special forces, the CSFA imported Hungarian FUG-D-442 armoured personnel carriers, designated in the CSFA as OT-65 (versions A, Ch, ChV, VP, DPP, M). Between 1963 and 1967, a total of 842 units were delivered (mainly OT-65A, Ch, DPP).


Source:K. Stepanek - P. Minařík - Czechoslovak People's Army on the Rhine, NV Prague 2007

Light wheeled armoured personnel carrier OT-65.



Source : Tank-26-5 Light wheeled armored personnel carrier OT-65 Description and operation - ČSĽA regulation, Prague 1966

Dear Sir,
I am looking for info on rebuilding a OT 65 I own. Problem is my lack of language skills. Any help would be interesting.
Thanks, Ed

Dear Ed, what exactly are you looking for ?

Dear Sir, Thanks for the reply. I have a manual, unfortanatly it is in Polish. I′m looking for history of the OT65 use and deployment. Camoflage schems and markings. Also translations for controls on the back wall, I have yet to figure out how to switch tanks. Also how to operate the heater and where to put transmission oil. I still have a lot of tracing as to the air syatem and wiring. That′s just a start.
Thanks, Ed

I will translate your request into czech language and let my colleagues who are well educated on this specific vehicle answer and translate it back for you.


kolega eseitz hleda informace o historii, pouziti a nazeni vozidel OT-65, kamuflazni schemata a marking, pro restauraci vozidla, ktere (zrejme) vlastni. Dale by ho zajimaly informace / preklad popisek ovladacu na zadni stene. A dale radu jak prepinat nadrze, ovladat topeni a kam ma nalivat olej (do prevodovky ?). Zkratka kazda rada k manipulaci s OT-65 bude dobra prelozim pak zpet do AJ az tu budou nejake informace.

Dear Sir, I′m also interested in the correct gun mounts for the OT 65. Which MG did in mount, DP28 or RPK or RPD? If one of these, would I be able to find a picture of the correct mount?
Thank you, Ed

Ed, I had served with unit equipped with OT-65, but frankly speaking it was nearly 25 - 30 years ago. So it could be said all the knowledge and skills have disappeared long time ago.
If you have OT-65A Vydra (Otter) with turret, you will need UK-59 with special attachment instead of usual wooden stock to be mounted inside the turret and certainly Tarasnice vzor 27 ATW to be mounted externally.
If you have "slick" turretless OT-65 without turret I have to admit I can not remember any (pintle) mounts for MGs - only "push and turn tuo open" circle shaped firing ports. When our SMGs were fired through these firing ports there were no attaching points and those weapons were fired "freehand" in fact.


What I can recommend to you is NOT TO USE ENGINE PRE-HEATER because of the system it is based on. When switched on the engine pre-heater makes flame heating directly oil pan and that is the beginning of high danger of vehicle being set in flames. That was real PITA with permanent leakage of oil and fuel from the engine, this highly flammable mixture remains under the engine pretty close to engine oil pan. If there is at least a small piece of cleaning cotton your OT-65 will work as a Zippo Lighter. That is why we called our APCs "Hungarian Lighters" or even "Hungarian revenge"...
To switch the engine on needs
1. really good batteries to make control light on the dashboard lightig bright cherry red (with switching handle turned to the first position) and
2. takes some time of patience (keeping switching handle in the second position) and hearing kch-..kch-..kch-..kch-..tak-tak-tak-dd-dd-dd-turrn-turrn-turrnurrn-er-ta-ta-ta-tatatata wrouum (ugh, ugh) white smoke choking.


Pressurised air system was another PITA because of constant air leakage... No air, no brake action... When I was driving OT-65, it was funny for me turning the steering wheel and hearing sst-ccccc, st-cccc. When I did not hear such sound I knew it was the end of all fun...


We will try to obtain Tank 51-16 OT-65 Driver′s Manual and Tank 51-30 Repairs of OT-65 Manual to be ready to answer your questions.


There: www.militaryvehicles.cz is a link to website with some b/w pics of our (I mean of our Armed forces) OT-65. But you can expect only overall green (or khaki) camo, mabe with some one Inch thin black outlines for camo stripes and water-soluble paints... There are more pics of such camoed vehicles here...

Diky O Zarputily

WoW, Thanks for the first hand info and the cautions as to the preheater. I live in Texas, so the chance of me ever needing the preheater is slim to none. I have had it cranked up and I understand about the air system. The first time I went to stop it took about 10 secounds before anything happened. Needless to say those were a long ten secounds. I have replaced the brake hoses and reworked the compressor. I do have a slick version, I would like to find the turret section but think that to be near impossible. I′m interested in the kaki color scheme. I′ll drop another note latter, once again, thanks for the info.
Ed:D

I loved our OT-65s because of their silent engine. You can compare that "noise" to that produced by let us say BMP based vehicles fitted for recce (Svatava). You can hear them (noise produced by engine and tracks) at the distance of kilometres - but OT-65 is soooo silent you can not hear that at the distance of let us say 100-200 metres. Coming a bit closer you can you hear something like bzzeeee-buzzz-taka-taka-taka-..tak-..tak coming from... nowhere.
But the firepower was close to zero ("slick" version), heavy terrain performance nearly too and the number of technical failures directly depended on the time you spent doing maintenance. All the tubes coming along the floor central tunnel were exposed to boots of crew so that was a cause of pressurised air leakage. During winter they were too close to frozen floor of hull.
Combination of hydraulic and pressurised air brakes system tended to fail during winter due to water residuum freezing in the tubes. That means pressurised air part of brakes system had to drained and cleaned frekvently.

I am slightly afraid it could be hardly possible to convert "slick" variant of vehicle to turreted one - it would need a lot of torch cutting, fitting, welding, ...

Well 25 to 30 years ago I spent my time in the US Navy, I was a missile tech on the FBM subs. I know what you mean about freezing lines. We spent a lot of time in the North Atlantic. Thankfully when I got this OT it had wood floor boards in it, I hope to put them back in when I′m done.

Ed, I have got Driver′s manual ready (many thanks to bloke nicknamed "beteer") so hopefully I should be able to answer your questions. In the case of any problems beteer should be able to give us a helping hand because he is not only the owner of manual but of runner OT-65, too. So we have first-hand information.
Ed, would you be so kind and take some pics of your vehicle? We are so curious.

There are some pics of my little gem:

great pictures, thank you for sharing ! it seems there is a lot of work to be done, hope the information will help you at least a bit

I′m glad you all like the pic′s. Any chance you can help me identify the controls on the back bulkhead of pics 3 and 4.?
Thanks

Will draw a pic of better quality than in manual... Be patient, please.

Hello, Just by chance, what was the offical color of the slicks ? And was it flat or gloss.

Hi Ed,
all the vehicles of ČSLA (if not imported from USSR) sported single "Khaki Green" colour "email syntetický pololesklý S 2021 v odstínu khaki 5450", in English: synthetic semigloss enamel S 2021 shade Khaki 5450 (hope somebody could find proper FS match). Exact shade of colour varied a bit because this paint was provided in 200 l drums and had to be stirred well.
Interior surfaces of armoured vehicles (not floor, certainly) were painted in yellowish White colour called Ivory. Interior of hatches was painted in the same "Khaki Green" colour.
Some examples here: forum.valka.cz


All the paints were gloss or semigloss.


There was more colourful temporary "combat" camo used during exercises or for the case of war. Water-soluble powder paints were used for this type of camouflage. There were (four) combinations of paints (schemes) for different seasons there. Some vehicles (that was not a strict rule) sported thin (up to 1 inch) black lines marking edges of areas to be painted in different colours.
There were powder paints:
- white
- yellowish brown (ochre)
- brick red
- earth brown
- light green (close to grass green)
- dark/deep green
- black


These paints were hard matt.