The two-seat car “Alezonnik-2” was built specifically for driving in urban conditions. Therefore, even before design work began, I formulated the main requirements the future vehicle had to meet: compact size, minimum curb weight, and high maneuverability combined with good road stability. Drawing on experience gained while building an off-roader (“Modelist-Konstruktor” No. 10, 1996) to Read more…
The nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union in the second half of the 20th century is regarded as one of the defining chapters of modern history. A central episode of that era was the emergence of strategic bombers. To cross the Atlantic or Arctic Ocean carrying a 5,000 kg bomb Read more…
More and more often, the editorial mail receives bulky packages with drawings and descriptions of homemade micromotorcycles. Their principal difference from designs of earlier years is a successful combination of standard and homemade units in the construction. A second important detail is a sharply improved appearance and bold design solutions. On these pages we present Read more…
As a result of defeats in two world wars, Germany suffered not only human losses but also enormous economic damage. The German merchant fleet was not spared either. But if after World War I only its best part was divided among the victorious countries, then after World War II almost everything was taken from the Read more…
The proverb usually mentions a fifth wheel. However, some car designers use a formula reflected in the title of our article. They really do consider the fourth wheel on a car redundant. Judge for yourself: unlike a four-legged stool, a three-legged one does not rock even on uneven ground (remember from school: through three points Read more…
The Peugeot 403 has a lot in common with the GAZ-21 “Volga”. They are roughly the same class and appeared at about the same time. For both Peugeot and the Gorky Automobile Plant, this was the second passenger-car model launched after the war. But unlike the “Volga”, the Peugeot 403 had a convertible body style Read more…
It is intended for dacha and garden cabins and can also be used in field conditions. The design was approved by everyone who used it for several years. A typical dacha shower is usually a booth on a frame of four posts with a water tank on top. Because of its weight, such a fixed Read more…
Building and tuning an airboat hydroglider is much easier (and cheaper) than building a racing boat model with a propeller, gearbox, and liquid-cooled engine. At the same time, if properly designed, it is practically not inferior to the “classic” setup in either speed or maneuverability. The proposed radio-controlled model with an air propulsor is based Read more…
When I bought a used passenger car and started repairing it, my first helper in the garage became… a hoist I built under the ceiling. Without it I would hardly have managed, for example, such a difficult operation to do alone as replacing the engine. Figure 1 shows the hoist placement in the garage — Read more…
In April, the individual transport exhibition “Velokult-2025” took place. The most exotic exhibits greeted visitors on the open area at the pavilion entrance. They were demonstrated by enthusiasts from the “Velotsirk” group. Dozens of specimens—and not a single one like another! Moreover, anyone could take a ride on each of them, which delighted visitors. Some Read more…
