The History of Creation

«KhADI-3» is one of the most original and unusual designs of record setting cars in the history of the Soviet motor racing. It was created in 1961 – 1962 in LRC (Laboratory of Racing Cars) of KhAHI under the supervision   of V.K. Nikitin and T.V. Utemov. It was nicknamed «Pencil» for its unusual shape. It was one of the first and favourite pieces of work of the laboratory. The carwaslisted in the Guinness Book of Records.

The idea of possibility to achieve record speeds using a serial motorcycle racing engine on condition that the weight and dimensions of the car were reduced down to the limit was the starting point of creating such a vehicle. Accordingly, the wheels track was reduced to 350 mm at the front and to    380 mm at the rear; the height was decreased to 506 mm due to the driver's recumbence.

The «KhADI-3» body panelswere made of fiberglass plastic on a metal frame, which allowed to reduce significantly the weight of the vehicle. Rubber blocks were springing mediums. The forced step taken to keep a small height was using wheels without tyres (the tyres of 4.00-12″ size manufacturedby NIISHP were too big for «KhADI-3»). Each wheel was a disc of 400 mm in diameter made of glass cloth, glued with epoxy resin, and consisted of two halves. Such wheels, having some elasticity, were assumed not to require pneumatic tyres on a smooth surface. The engine from the Czech racing motorcycle had a working volume of 498 cm3. So,           «KhADI-3» referred to class 3 of group I according to the actual classification  of  record setting cars. The calculated  speed  was  220 km / h.