Type Heavy tank Width 3.3 m | Place of origin PRC Height 2.497 m | |
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Weight 44 to 46 tonnes (based on the specific variant (none exists as only one single prototype was designed and then built)) Length 10.625 m (with the tank gun facing forward) | ||
The WZ-111 heavy tank (Chinese: WZ-111重型坦克) was a heavy tank that was developed by the People's Republic of China (PRC) during the 1960s but was eventually cancelled in 1966 due to many mechanical problems.
History
The WZ-111 featured a 750 hp supercharged diesel engine and torsion bar suspension system. The idler wheels were in front with drive sprockets in the rear. Many of the suspension components were the same type used in Soviet heavy tank designs such as the IS-2.
The first prototype began testing in 1964. This prototype lacked a turret, but was fitted with a steel weight to simulate the actual mass of the turret during testing. Because of many technological problems that surfaced during testing, the design was shelved about 1966. A WZ-111 tank hull is now displayed at the Tank Museum near Beijing.