Aleksandr Porokhovschikov



Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Porokhovschikov (1892–1941/43) was Russian military engineer, tank and aircraft inventor, known mostly for the development of Vezdekhod, the first tank (resembling modern tankette) in 1914-1915. Vezdekhod means: "He who goes anywhere" or "all-terrain vehicle". Vezdekhod was also the first caterpillar amphibious all-terrain vehicle. Subsequently Porokhovschikov added wheels to his tank for steering, making it also the first tank design to combine caterpillar and wheel ways of movement. However the steering was ineffectual and his design rejected.

Porohovshchikov was executed by the NKVD during World War II for "expenditure of public funds for unnecessary inventions".