Original and practical designs by the Vinnytsia resident Oleg Andreyevich Ostapenko clearly appealed to the readers of our magazine. After a Central TV broadcast “This You Can”, in which the editorial office plays an active role, and a publication in “Fotopanorama” (see “M-K” No. 1 for 1986) of some developments by a self-taught designer, many Read more…
“My childhood fell on the hard postwar years,” begins M. I. Psaryov in his letter to the editorial office. “Back then, we made our own toys. Apparently, that is what planted in my soul a love for designing – all my life I have never parted with tools, metal, wood, and, of course, pencil and Read more…
Is it really necessary to divide transport into urban, intercity, off-road? Wouldn’t it be better to create some kind of universal one that could be used everywhere? It must be said that there have been many such attempts throughout the history of technology. But life shows their failure. The search for something universal, suitable for Read more…
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…
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…
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…
When designing this car roof rack, the aim was to create a device that, in addition to everyday use, would suit the active outdoor enthusiast—allowing two sets of sailboards to be carried in summer and (with minor changes) 5–6 pairs of skis in winter. Given the considerable weight of two sets of sailboards (about 54 Read more…
In Bashkortostan, we call the Belaya River “Agidel” — a favorite recreation spot for Ufa residents. I named my micromotorcycle “Agidel” as well, because it was conceived primarily as a standard design for fishermen, mushroom pickers, and lovers of long journeys. The purpose determined the main qualities of the machine — high reliability, ease of Read more…
I built the self-propelled chassis called “Bychok” (Little Bull) more than ten years ago. Over this substantial period of use the machine has proved unpretentious, reliable and capable. Its layout is classic: cargo body at the front, driver’s station (in this case open) and engine at the rear; front axle steering, rear axle driven. “Bychok” Read more…
Low-pressure, large-diameter pneumatic tires are excellent propulsion systems for all-terrain vehicles even in the most difficult road conditions. However, when they work with modern high‑speed engines, they require a significant reduction of angular velocities by means of the transmission and, as a result, an increase in the number of gear stages, as well as in Read more…
