The state of the Soviet cruise fleet in the early 30-ies of the last century can hardly be described as sad. The last ships of this class light cruisers of “Svetlana” have not been completed. Of the remaining into operation relatively quickly introduced, only one unit in the Baltic and the Black sea — “Red Crimea” and “Chervona Ukraine”, respectively. The third “lucky”, and with a much more interesting shipbuilding fate, became the “Admiral Lazarev”. Ship, ready to 1918, nearly 70%, after the revolution, became the object of various plans. In 1924 the Council of Labor and Defense passed a resolution on the completion of the cruiser with the installation of eight 203-millimetrovogo taken from old ships that are not subject to recovery. However, in the following year, Soviet designers started to create a fundamentally new naval gun. Original it was almost all starting caliber.
In the middle of 1950-ies to meet a car on the streets of Moscow was not easy. Still, it came across lendlizovskie “Studebaker” and Jimsy, reparation “Opel” and “Jorge” as well as produced in the Eastern zone of Germany copies of the pre-war BMW. And only ubiquitous boys knew that the capital of the USSR had a good look at the different cars you can only have foreign embassies, consulates and missions. The most important exhibition of foreign cars was, of course, the American Embassy, located on Tchaikovsky street (now the street is called Novinsky Boulevard), on the Garden ring. Here, along the long building always stood a row of magnificent cars, however, the Soviet adult pedestrians passing in front of a makeshift exhibition, in order to avoid accusations of cosmopolitanism were not slow of step, and only occasionally “throwing school” at the most attractive brand. Well, the Soviet boys there was nothing to fear, especially that immortal work “imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism,” they have not yet passed. They immediately isolate from saturated with foreign cars series autonovelties and tightly clustered around their Windows, folding palms houses to see the details of the device the cabin once “Plymouth”, “Dodge” or “Cadillac”.
After reviewing long series of projects the reader is already well placed to judge myself about some of the doctrines of the Soviet fleet development-related class cruisers. In brief these can be summarized in couple of words: universality and self-sufficiency. It is not surprising that in seeking to achieve these cornerstones in the end, there appeared a giant among modern missile ships – type “Kirov”. Another branch of “self-sufficient” combat units of the fleet of the Soviet Union became the cruiser-helicopter carrier “Moskva” and “Leningrad”, also very versatile ships. But they turned out to be only an intermediate on the way to the emergence of these monsters hybridization of aircraft carriers.
Locomotive PB-21 of issue, 1934. In the early 1930-ies the USSR had embarked on the reconstruction of Railways, in particular, the decision not to build cars with the number of axes less than four. Rolling stock was assumed to be equipped with automatic couplers and air brakes automatic. For the traction was designed and built powerful locomotives – freight and passenger FD IP. It was planned and the electrification of the Railways; it was built Сс11 electric locomotives, cargo and passenger vehicles ВЛ19. In addition, the Central lokomotivostroenie Bureau (CLPB) together with the plant “Dinamo” has designed a locomotive designed for pure passenger services. It was a very original car, not like any one of the locomotives of the time. Moreover, this engine was absolutely unique – a hitherto nothing of the kind in our country were not built.
19 April 1968 a joint resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the USSR Council of Ministers “On creation of gas turbine propulsion for objects of armored vehicles” SKB-2 at the Leningrad Kirov plant (LKZ) was instructed to establish on the basis of tank T-64 a new car with a gas turbine power plant. The development of the engine was entrusted to the Leningrad NPO. Klimova. Gas turbine engine (GTE) with the same amount that diesel has developed a much greater capacity. This would allow the tank to achieve higher speeds and to significantly increase the maneuverability on the battlefield, to improve the management of the machine itself. Experience in the application of GTE Soviet tank builders already had, especially at the Kirov factory. In 1948 here in SKB turbine production under the guidance of A. Starostenko was the project of a heavy tank with this engine, but it remained a draft. When in 1955 LKZ requested the creation of a new heavy tank with engine 1000 HP — weighing up to 55 tons, with 130 mm cannon, began to conduct work in two directions: developed the options and a diesel engine (“object 277”), and GTE (“object 278”). Two prototypes of the GTD was designed under the direction of G. Ogloblina.
After the complete defeat in 1898 in the war with the United States, Spain, once a great naval power, retreated far back and fell into a deep “hibernation”. Moral decline in society the worst way combined with political instability and severe financial problems. It is not surprising that to implement the first major of the marine program managed to start only after 10 years when the government has taken decisive action. Perhaps chief among these was the creation of the national shipbuilding company “Sociedad española de A. Nawal”, which was to revive the Spanish fleet. Good idea interfered with the traditional obstacle: lack of funds. And then the “noble dons” made good progress, offering to buy a quarter of all of the assets of British firms. “Investors” were going to as on selection — “Vickers”, “Armstrong” and “John brown”. Now the Spaniards were able to calculate not only English money but also to acquire new technologies and modern projects. They immediately thought that their country is washed by two seas, or rather, a sea and an ocean. Therefore, shipbuilding yards started in El Ferrol in the Atlantic in the North and Cartagena in the Mediterranean sea. And the British discovered so addicted now to their new friends, the secret folder with the drawings.
Speaking about the Austro-Hungarian Empire, historians experience a certain difficulty — classify or not to classify it among the great powers. On the one hand, the dual monarchy was noticeably inferior to the rest of the political monsters of Europe and the United States and economic and military power and influence. On the other — the successor of once one of the most significant European countries tried hard to maintain its own line in everything, including in shipbuilding. Unfortunately, the “patchwork monarchy”, as ironically called her neighbors, detractors over the motley Nations and autonomies, is not shining more resources to create the naval forces. In particular, this concerned the cruisers, even those of a purely defensive “fleet of coastal defense”, is not going to stick out beyond the Adriatic.
The peak of development of hydroaviation was in the middle of the 1930-ies. The main advantage of amphibians compared to ground vehicles, flying over extensive areas, it was considered a possibility to land on water surface in case of an emergency, even with waves up to five points. But as time went on. The reliability and service life of the aircraft led to the rapid displacement of the seaplane first with the airlines and then military aircraft. Operation of land planes was easier, and their weight returns payload, as well as a high aerodynamic efficiency has reduced the cost of commercial transportation. The development of the airfield network and other transport arteries, and the appearance of helicopters resulted in an almost complete elimination of the flying boat in commercial aviation. There was only a small segment of the lungs of amphibians, serving tourists and residents of remote, “forgotten God” corners of the Earth.
