Description
Like the BTR-50PK, the OT-62 TOPAS has a flat, boat-shaped hull and has a superstructure in the front of the vehicle. The hull of the OT-62 TOPAS is made of all-welded rolled steel with the crew compartment at the front, troop compartment in the center and the engine compartment at the rear. It has an ability to transport up to sixteen fully equipped infantrymen who sit on benches which run across the full width of the troop compartment. Their primary way of mounting and dismounting the APC by climbing over the sides of the hull and going through two rectangular roof hatches however OT-62 TOPAS has side hatches in the sides of the superstructure making for a good alternative to the rectangular roof hatches thus it doesn't have the protection issue of BTR-50 APC in which the passengers didn't have any kind of alternative route in and out. Driver sits in the center of the front of the hull and has three vision blocks and periscopes located at the top of the sloping glacis plate. During night operations the center periscope is switched for the TVN-28 night vision device which gave the driver a clear vision up to 60 meters. The driver also has a small hatch that opens upwards and while it can't be used for the driver to leave the vehicle, it can be opened by the driver in relatively safe areas for extra vision. When in combat the hatch is closed and the driver can use a vision block for a limited vision. Under the driver's seat there is an emergency hatch which can be used by all crew members. The commander who sits on the left hand side of the front of the vehicle has three vision blocks and periscopes in a projecting bay and a copula with vision block on its basis facing forward. It is located on top of projecting bay, opens forwards and can be locked vertically. It also has two projecting bays like the BTR-50PU command vehicle instead of one in BTR-50 APCs. However the bays are different from one another when it comes to shape. The second projecting bay also has three vision blocks and periscopes. On top of the second projecting bay is a copula which replaces the additional rectangular roof hatch from BTR-50PK.
The torsion bar suspension consists of six evenly spaced large rubber-tired road wheels with the drive sprocket at the rear and the idler at the front. Road wheels are hollow to ensure additional amphibious abilities. Usage of hollow road wheels increased APC's buoyancy by 30%. There are no track-return rollers. The first and last road wheels have a hydraulic shock absorber and the steel tracks with a single pin have 96 chain links each when new. There is a small, thin, horizontal skirt over each track. OT-62 has the PV-6 6-cylinder, in line diesel engine developing 300 hp (224 kW) at 1,800 rpm. The engine gives it a road speed of 60 km/h with a cruising range of 450 km – 550 km. The vehicle can cross 0.9 m high vertical obstacles and 2.8 m wide trenches and climb 38° gradients.
OT-62 TOPAS is amphibious thanks to its flat, boat-shaped hull which is hermetical and ensures minimal resistance when APC is afloat and can swim after switching on the two electric bilge pumps, erecting the trim vane which improves the stability and displacement of the vehicle in water and prevents the water from flooding the bow of the APC and switching the driver's periscope for a swimming periscope that enables the driver to see over the trim vane. There is also a manual bilge pump for emergency use. The bilge pumps keep the APC afloat even if it is hit, damaged or leaks. In water it is propelled by two hydrojets, one in each side of the hull, with the entrance under the hull and exits at the rear of the hull. There are also additional assistant water-jet entrances in both sides of the hull over the last road wheels. The rear exits have lids that can be fully or partially closed, redirecting the water stream to the forward-directed exits at the sides of the hull, thus enabling the vehicle to turn or float reverse, for example to go left the left water-jet is covered, to go the right the right water-jet is covered and to make a 180° turn the left water-jet sucks in water and the right water-jet pushes it out. This system was designed by N. Konowalow. It is the same system as the one used in PT-76 amphibious light tank. The vehicle has a low freeboard of 15 cm to 20 cm however it can compensate for it by using the snorkel the mount for which is located on the right hand side of the front of the engine deck.
The vehicle is equipped with an IR driving light and an IR searchlight. The vehicle also has a stowage bucket placed centrally in the front of the engine deck. The IR searchlight was removed from the right hand side of the front of the superstructure as the area there was used for the second projecting bay. It was instead fitted on the commander's copula. It also has two mounts for shovels on either side of the front of the vehicle as well as two mounts for pickaxes on left hand side of the superstructure.
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