page_title: Airoll
section_title: Advanced Prototypes (1965)
hierarchical_section_title: Airoll / History / Advanced Prototypes (1965)
caption_attribution_description: English: Image of Prototype BorgWarner Airoll vehicle "Airoll 1" known by the US Marine Corps as "LVA-X1". In the background is another prototype, the Kristi KT-4.
context_page_description: Airoll is a system of vehicle propulsion that attempts to combine the strengths of air filled tires with those of caterpillar tracks to create an all-terrain amphibious vehicle while maintaining a reasonable speed and payload capacity. First conceived in the 18th century, the concept was still a novelty in the mid 20th century, which saw rapid development of the idea into practical vehicles by the United States, the Soviet Union, and multiple civilian enterprises. The most notable of these vehicles is perhaps the XM769 Marginal Terrain Vehicle, which is on display at the Marine Corps Mechanized Museum at Camp Pendleton, California.
context_section_description: In 1965 two very similar prototypes were unveiled. One developed in the USA - the second BorgWarner prototype, named “Airoll 1”. Airoll 1 was a refined version of the original BorgWarner test vehicle made for the U.S Marine Corps. It was narrower, shorter, and had a smaller automotive engine of 80bhp with 13 tires per track, weighing less than a third of that of the test vehicle, at 5900lb (2680kg). However this prototype was a practical vehicle and featured a cargo compartment, access ramp, mud guards, position lights, headlights and a windshield. Known to the USMC as the LVA-X1, this vehicle was claimed to have a cargo capacity of over half a ton.
  The other Airoll prototype was developed in the USSR by the  Russian heavy vehicle and car manufacturer ZiL, known as the PKU-1 (Sometimes referred to as the PKT-1 or PCC-1). Little information is readily available about this vehicle despite ample photographic and even video resources. Notably, ZiL also manufactured the ZIL-29061, arguably the most successful example of a screw propelled vehicle.
caption: ‘LVA-X1’ was the US Marine Corps Prototype Airoll vehicle, unveiled in 1965
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