First a bicycle, then a motorcycle

DIY two-seater four-wheel velomobile with soft suspension

No one will argue that a velomobile is good for your health. And for lovers of technical creativity it is doubly useful, as it provides invaluable experience before building more advanced designs. The velomobile described here was designed and built in the workshop of the Young Technicians’ Station in our city together with club members. Read more…

The best in Europe

F2B Control-Line Aerobatic Model: Čech Design

At the 1983 European Championship, many athletes’ attention was drawn to the “aerobatic model” designed and built by Czechoslovak modeler Stanislav Čech. The unusual engine position, increased bending elasticity of the detachable wing, simple and effective contours of the fuselage that read excellently in flight, and a whole range of design innovations benefited the operational, Read more…

Shower cabin

DIY brick shower cabin in a warm boiler room

For water procedures there are quite a few different devices. In Russia, the traditional ones are the banya, the bathtub, and the shower. People say that the banya heals, the bathtub relaxes, and the shower invigorates. In addition, a shower is the quickest way to wash, not requiring any special preparations. In my view it Read more…

Buggies for training and sports

Buggy: DIY Cross-Country Car Build Guide

Many youth technical stations have their karting sections. The kids who train in these sections build and improve their karts themselves, achieving very good results in competitions. So what’s next? Logically — high-speed racing cars. But teenagers cannot compete in them: driver’s licenses can only be obtained from the age of 18. In recent years, Read more…

Two-wheeled recovery vehicle

Homemade tow dolly for passenger cars

Motorists know that cars sometimes suffer breakdowns that make towing them on a rope either prohibited (steering or braking system failures) or impossible (certain transmission or running gear damages). For such cases I made a tow dolly. The broken car is loaded onto it partially — only the front or rear axle is rolled up. Read more…

Gliding over the waves

DIY Aquaplane: Complete Build Guide & Riding Techniques

An aquaplane is a board on which one rides on water, tied with a long rope to a motorboat or boat. Just like water skis, an aquaplane keeps a person on the surface of the water due to the lift force generated during its movement. Mastering the technique of riding an aquaplane is much easier Read more…

Automatic incubator

Fig. 1. General view of the incubator

A compact incubator in which you can hatch turkeys and chickens, ducks and geese, operates from an AC power supply. The design automatically maintains the required temperature: chicken and turkey eggs are cooled twice a day, and waterfowl eggs — four times. In addition, the machine turns the eggs 180° every hour. If something fails Read more…

Folding utility block

Folding Utility Block Extension: Design and Construction

You can find all kinds of utility buildings on garden and dacha plots. Most often it is a tiny shed at the far end of the site or a large utility block combined with a summer kitchen. The disadvantage of such structures is the significant consumption of sawn timber. And most importantly, they take away Read more…

IZh becomes a tractor

DIY Izh mini tractor from motorcycle for homestead work

In recent years, with the growth of personal household farms, demand has increased for the Muravey cargo scooter; it is especially needed by rural residents. In 1983 alone, 12,000 of these machines will be sold. For the huge number of our villages, this is, of course, not much. By contrast, almost half a million motorcycles Read more…