Škoda MU-4
The Škoda MU-4 Tankette was a Czechoslovakian tankette design of 1933. It was designed as a successor to the Škoda MU-2 tank.
| Škoda MU-4 / Škoda Š-I | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Tankette |
| Place of origin | Czechoslovakia |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Škoda |
| Designed | 1933 |
| Produced | 1933 |
| No. built | 1 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 2.98 m |
| Width | 1.85 m |
| Height | 1.3 m |
| Crew | 3 |
Main armament | 2 × ZB vz. 26 (7.92mm) light machine guns |
| Engine | Skoda, petrol, 4-cylinder, with a working volume of 2660 cc |
| Maximum speed | 25 mph (41 km/h) (road) |
History
In 1932, the company Škoda tried to develop a new tank after the unsatisfactory Škoda MU-2. The result was the MU-4, made from a modified Carden-Loyd Mk. VI tankette chassis, which was entered into a competition for tankettes in the Czechoslovak Army, where it lost to the Tančík vz. 33. It was then entered into a competition for the Yugoslav Army, where it lost to both the Polish TK-3 (also developed from the Carden-Loyd) and the ČKD PI. The Škoda MU-4 was then offered to Afghanistan, Hungary, and Sweden, but was rejected by all of them. In the end, only a single prototype was made, which survived World War II. The prototype was acquired by the Military History Institute Prague in 1972 and was restored to running condition. The prototype is now in the Military Museum Lešany where it is occasionally shown in exhibits.
Bibliography
- Kliment, Charles K. & Francev, Vladimír (1997). Czechoslovak Armored Fighting Vehicles 1918-1948. Atlgen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 0-7643-0141-1.
