The “R”-Series Fighter

Yak-9R fighter-recon aircraft: history and design

On September 18, 1943, Guards Junior Lieutenants Vladimir Bakulin and Anatoly Pakov took off in two MiG-3s from Murmashi airfield near Murmansk with the mission of photographing the Nazi air base at Luostari. The aircraft quickly reached the target, and the pilots began photographing. But within a few minutes, at an altitude of 5,000 m, Read more…

A Safe Cellar

Safe wall-adjacent cellar by the house wall DIY

Despite the widespread use of electric refrigerators, a structure such as a cellar has not given up its positions. Especially in rural and suburban areas, where in these compact, carefully arranged storerooms with good waterproofing and properly chosen ventilation people still know how to maintain the required temperature and humidity regime and favorable conditions for Read more…

Lecturer’s Assistant

Lecture calculator B3-34 for large auditoriums

It is simply impossible to introduce students frontally to the rules of calculation and programming on a microcalculator if there is no enlarged demonstration analogue of it. Our magazine has already described a similar teaching aid intended for use in an ordinary school classroom (see “M-K” No. 4, 1986). Continuing this topic today, we acquaint Read more…

Landing Support Ships

Amphibious Assault Support Ships”, “Ships Supporting Amphibious Landings

After fascist forces occupied Greece in April 1941, the British had no doubt that they would soon try to land on Crete. Fearing a seaborne landing, almost the entire British Mediterranean Fleet was urgently assigned to the island’s defense from the sea. But the Nazis, who held air superiority, “jumped over” the naval patrols and Read more…

Hallway Wall Unit

DIY hallway furniture wall unit: build guide

In modern standard apartments, the hallway is usually small, so the furniture placed in it should be multifunctional. A furniture wall unit meets this requirement most fully. It may include a wardrobe for outerwear, a coat rack, a place for shoes, and mini-storage for various items, household and sports equipment. Unfortunately, wall units available for Read more…

A Washing Machine… Made from a Bucket

DIY mini washing machine from a plastic bucket

When my second child was born, we once again faced the problem of washing diapers, baby undershirts, and romper suits. Wash by hand? Long and tedious. Wash in a large washing machine? That is completely uneconomical — neither in terms of detergent consumption, nor water and electricity use… And a large machine also takes quite Read more…

Tiny Cart

Tiny Cart mini hand trolley: light 25 kg utility cart

For a long time I have been using a long-purchased single-axle hand utility cart (unfortunately, information about the manufacturer has not survived). But, as I recall, the cart’s passport listed the following data: load capacity — 25 kg, mass — 6.5 kg. The cart is made, as they say, conscientiously; the design is reliable, it Read more…

Meat Grinder Plus Drill

Meat grinder with a drill: chop greens in half an hour

Any rural housewife knows how much time and effort it takes to prepare enough chopped greens and vegetables for livestock and poultry feed, or to process berries for preserving with sugar. A very simple device can make this work much easier. Just connect a meat grinder to an electric drill, and in 20–30 minutes about Read more…

The Angler’s “Glider”

Homemade duralumin fishing boat: DIY build guide

For a successful fishing trip it would be nice if good tackle were joined by luck, and also, as they say, “you have to know the places.” And while luck is an unreliable thing, I did know the places where fish could be found. Getting to them, however, was often difficult even for someone on Read more…