[Development] Motorizing the logistics

[aimway921]

In preparation for the upcoming military campaigns, Ashinara urgently needed to motorize it's logistics chain. As of now, the plan was to deliver supplied to frontline troops first by ship from Ashinara to the country where the theater of operations is, then by train to warehouses and supply dumps safe behind the frontline - and the last proverbial mile, delivering to supply depots closer to the frontline and to the troops on the line itself - by horse-drawn carriages. 

This had to change if the Ashinaran Army were to face the more technologically advanced foe that is the SU. While it would be nice to also motorize the troops themselves, that was sadly deemed economically unfeasible, for now at least. Studebaker-Ashinara (SA) would immediately receive a government contract for an urgent development of a new truck model, with the following requirements:

-Simple construction for low cost and fast pace of production
-Ease of maintenance in the field
-At least 2,000 kg carrying capacity

SA would be given a deadline of 2 months to come up with a prototype, with no more than 1 more month after that to begin production, should the prototype be accepted by the Army.

[aimway921]

While the government hedged it's bets on Studebaker Ashinara, several industrious and persuasive nobles convinced to extend the contract offer to all Ashinaran companies - citing that multiple companies working on a design - and perhaps cooperating together - may lead to a faster development of a new truck.

The first proposal came in a month and a half from an unlikely contender - the Akvilla Traincar Factory (AVF - Akvillska Vahonobudivelna Fabrika), in collaboration with the Rozimtsev Stagecoach Company (DKR - Dilizhansnaya Kompania Rozimtseva). They have constructed a sturdy steel frame, constructed a leaf spring suspension based on the DKR stagecoach - strengthening it sufficiently to handle the truck requirements - and then they gutted the most powerful Studebaker vehicle they purchased, bolted the engine and transmission directly to the frame to save costs on engine mounts, with custom-made extended driveshaft to allow for a longer wheel base than the original Studebaker truck the parts were taken from, and completed it all with a wooden cabin made of a mixture of slats and plywood, simple window glass panes, and a thick oiled-canvas roof. 

The prototype was incredibly successful, being able to haul well over the 2,000 kg capacity at around 45 km/h. All they needed now is to convince Studebaker to provide them with engine to start mass production.

[aimway921]

To consolidate and streamline production, the two companies who designed the truck - Akvilla Traincar Factory and Rozimtsev Stagecoach Company, have jointly created a new company which would be their automotive division - the Akvilla Motorcar Cooperative (Akvillska Motomashynne Obshchestvo - AMO). The Akvilla Traincar Factory provided several of the factory floor buildings of it's own industrial complex to the new company to begin building as soon as the production line is set up - a dedicated factory would be built later when time and resources allowed it. 

The new truck would be built under the AMO badge.

[EpicToaster1]

DEVELOPMENT STATUS

Not much I can say on this at the moment.

- You will have to speak to RP out the Studebaker part with Greywall, as they are a Gaelic company. I cannot make a call on what they say with regards to making engines for AMO.