Volugrafo
1936 - 1948
Volugrafo's success in the market with their small engine capacity motorcycles. The Volugrafo Aermoto 125 was built for the militaty during WWII from 1936-1942. Later, in 1946, Volugrafo, produced a small Bimbo type car made with an aerodynamic aluminum body. There was a small production run of the super lite 125 kg car , using a 125cc engine and 3-speed manual gearbox, which ceased in 1948.
Volugrafo Aermoto 1936-1942
The Volugrafo Aermoto 125 was an Italian parachute motorcycle produced in 1942 by the Turin Volgraph Mechanical Workshops for the Royal Army . Index
History
This bike derives from the 1936 project for a motorbike built by the engineer Claudio Belmondo. At the outbreak of the Second World War , the Axis Powers began to plan Operation C3 for the invasion of Malta . The Royal Army therefore required airborne and air-raid means to equip the paratroopers divisions . The Volugrafo Mechanical Workshops began the development of a parachute launching motorbike starting from the Belmondo motor-vehicle. The abandonment of the operation led to a slowdown in the construction of the Aermoto , which was presented only in 1942 and went into production the following year. The Royal Army commissioned a first batch of 600 Aermoto , destined for one of the battalions of the 183rd "Cyclone" paratroopers division , in the area of Tarquinia in the summer of 1943. The motorbike also equipped the parachutist school of Tarquinia, the Regiment "San Marco" and, after the armistice of Cassibile , the Paratrooper Swimmers (NP) of the Xª Flottiglia MAS . The production, after the bombardment of the Volugrafo di Torino plant, was moved to Favria , in the Canavese area , and continued until 1944 , totaling over 2,000 specimens. The Germans bought up these bikes, either by subtracting them from the loose "Cyclone" or by continuing their production; they were assigned in particular to the Luftwaffe parachutist units working on the Adriatic coast and in the Rome area.
Technique
The frame is a double cradle , rigid, in tubular steel . The engine is a 123 cm³ two-stroke single - cylinder engine , delivering 2 hp at 3600 rpm. The exhaust gases are conveyed into the frame tubes. The transmission is chain driven , the gearbox is two-speed with gearbox and drum brakes. The two-wheel tires are twinned. On the 9.5- liter tank the saddle is fixed, able to accommodate only one paratrooper; a small two-wheeled cart can be attached to a spherical support and can be used to transport a second military or materials and ammunition. In launch configuration, the handlebar is folded forward on the front wheel; the motion thus assumes the shape of a parallelepiped and can be inserted into the appropriate container, to which the parachute is attached. After landing, conditioning (removal from the container and straightening and locking of the handlebar in running position) takes just 2 minutes.
Volugrafo Bimbo 46 1946-1948
Development
The engineer and race driver Belmondo developed the Volugrafo Bimbo vehicle, which was introduced in November 1945 and produced through early 1946. Production ended in 1948 after about 60 copies total.
Chassis
A supporting metal frame formed the chassis with an extremely narrow track of only 78 cm. A differential was not needed and the front wheels were out on a parallelogram, and the steering was transmitted by a large chain.
Body
The vehicle had an open, door-less body with a bench and room enough to have two people sitting next to each other. The steering wheel was in the vehicles center. The vehicle has a length of only 2.4 meters and a height of only 90 centimeters. There is a thin fabric top without side panels for weather protection.
Technology
It was powered by an air-cooled cylinder engine with 125 cc and 5 Hp, which was installed in front left rear wheel and a chain at the left rear drive. There was also a sports version using an additional installed engine of the same size on the right rear, to the drive the right rear wheel.
Surving vehicles
At least three vehicles have survived to this day, there is one at the Musée Communal de l'Automobile in Mahymobiles Leuze-en-Hainaut, one in the Museo Ford Gratton in Farra d'Isonzo (Italy) and one privately owned in South Africa.
Literature
- Walter Description: International small car. Motor-Verlag. Stuttgart 1999.
- Harald Linz and Halwart Schrader: The International Motor Encyclopedia United Soft Media Verlag GmbH, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-8032-9876-8.
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