Object 490 "Тополь" - "Poplar"

    The project of a promising tank developed in the 1980s by E.A. Morozov.

Object 490 "Тополь" - "Poplar" mockup

                    The design had some primary characteristics which are worth mentioning.

• A crew consisting of two people - the gunner commander and the driver. Reducing the crew to two and placing them in a compact, well-protected capsule. 
  
  
• The use of a hydropneumatic suspension. In addition to solving the main task - increasing average speeds by improving the smoothness characteristic, it makes it possible to control the tank's clearance, which increases the manoeuvrability and survivability in battle. In addition, the controlled hydropneumatic suspension by changing the trim of the machine allows you to increase the gun pointing angles in the vertical plane.
  
  
• Reducing the crew to two people and placing them in a compact, well-protected capsule with the automation of the functions performed by tankers. The principled ability to control firing and movement by two operators is beyond doubt. The combat places were equipped with a similar set of instruments and tank controls, which ensured complete duplication of functions by the crew members. Each workplace was equipped with 2 monitors, unified fire and movement control panel. Starting with the 2nd variant of the layout, the stake was made on the use of promising solutions for ensuring visibility and information transmission - fibre-optic communications, onboard computers, television cameras.

Object "490" Variant 3. The shading shows the placement of ammunition and fuel

Movement control was supposed to be carried out using a stereoscopic television driving system (STS) installed in the bow of the hull. For reverse driving, a television camera was also placed on the rear of the hull. Backward movement at a speed of up to 30 km/h can significantly increase manoeuvrability and survivability, eliminating shelling of the rear of the tank on the battlefield. The static survey was carried out using 8 daytime instruments with light-fibre communication. The system provided a 360° view for each of the tankers without obstructing the view by elements of the Objects architecture installed on the tower (there were no blind areas). The installation of such devices also eliminated the weakening of armour and radiation protection caused by the cutouts in the roof necessary for the installation of periscopic devices.

A television camera mounted on the left side of the tank.

Additionally, the television camera was supposed to be installed on an air supply pipe, which greatly improves the performance of the vehicle underwater. The use of the camera was also assumed when moving in a column when visibility drops drastically from the dust of the vehicles in front. In addition, drawing air for the engine through the air intake pipe from the upper, less dusty layers can increase the engine life, by reducing the overall usage of filters to clean air. 

In 1981, the project under the title "Topol", fully consistent with the concept approved by the USSR Ministry of Defense, was presented by the leading designer of the KMDB Evgeny Morozov. The layout of the tank included a low-profile turret, a bow fuel compartment, a turret control compartment, an insulated compartment with a replenishment conveyor autoloader, a conveyor autoloader in the aft niche of the tower and Engine-Transmission compartment. The tank's crew consisted of 2 to 3 crew members (depending on the level of automation). It was possible to proceed to make a prototype in metal.

However, the Kharkiv designers, led by the chief designer Shomin, made a fatal mistake and in 1982 rejected the Morozov project in favour of the project, of the leading designer BR Kovalyukh, which completely contradicted the approved NST "New Soviet Tank" concept. The Kovalyukh project envisaged mixing in the same volume of the hull the crew accommodation with the fuel and ammunition accommodation, which reduced the new tank to the level of the existing T-64, T-72 and T-80 tanks. In addition, it was proposed to take the gun out of the internal tank compartment and place it openly on the gun carriage.

Object 490 "Тополь" - "Poplar"

At the initial stage, two variants of the layout were considered as promising: with a crew of two - Object "490" placed in a low-profile turret and with a crew of three - the driver on the left, the commander above the gunner in the low-profile turret to the left of the gun - Object "490A".

The armament of the tank is a 125 mm gun of 'increased power' 2A66. The sighting system was supposed to consist of two panoramic sights without a night channel, a night panoramic sight was placed independently with the remote transmission of information from it to the crew. A tank with a new layout and a crew of two people ensured a significant increase in combat performance with a small weight and overall dimensions. At the same time, the transition to a two-man crew was not sufficiently developed, especially in the aspect of a command tank. The low silhouette of the tank, along with the advantages, also had disadvantages - a low line of sight and the ability to stick the gun into the ground.

It is worth mentioning that the Object 490 "Тополь" - "Poplar" had 2 different variants as mentioned in E.A. Morozov's Diary.

Quote - 11.07.80 "Voronin came to the Design Bureau to look at our perspective, Anischenko, Chubarenko, Rachitsky and others were with him. Morozov was on vacation.

Two options were reported: Mazurenko with a crew of two and Kovalyukh with a crew of three, with a new 130mm cannon placed outside of the fighting compartment, the gunner and commander to the left of the gun. All deputies reported on their directions. Slovikovsky reported on the control system, I attended Slovikovsky's report (at a meeting of this level for the first time). It was felt that Voronin was trying to figure out and evaluate the options.

Rachitsky again spoke about an all-day system based on an on-board computer, which he borrows from aviation. It would be interesting to get acquainted with him. An order is being prepared by three ministers of the Ministry of Defense Industry, the Ministry of Radio Industry and the Ministry of Communications and Mass Communications on the creation of this complex."

    Quote - "25-26.03.82. We had a Council of Chief Designers to select a variant of the "Poplar" Object; almost all the first persons were present. We considered two options, the majority was in favour of Kovalyukh's option. EA Morozov reported poorly and it was felt that his version was crude. In the end, Shomin spoke and said that in his heart he was for two people, but the issue of controlling a tank was practically insoluble, so he could not go for this option. We accepted Kovalyukh's version."

Taken from: THE FINAL PUSH of SOVIET TANK BUILDERS (Diary of a participant in the development of the tank "Boxer"), BTVT