Three years ago in our lab we design small equipment CUT Novosibirsk Akademgorodok came the eighth-grader Eugene Stepanenko. He brought the model tracked all that they had done at home. Respected the thoroughness of execution of work, the proportionality of parts of the vehicle, the invention in the manufacture of parts. It was felt that the young designer was doing my model with a lot of love n care. Miniature all-terrain vehicle had two electric motor, powered by batteries for the flashlight, and was able to execute multiple commands: move forward and backward, turn in different directions, flashing the Parking lights. And Eugene then said that all his life dreamed of building a real big vehicle, and asked him to write it down in a circle.
The work in the club began with the fact that Jack brought a thick notebook where wrote down their designs: technical drawings, sketches of different machines, among which suddenly appeared from the plane, the gun…
But one day he came finally to a decision, Jack has started production of the Rover. Soon led in a circle friend, Andrew Nalimova, and the boys began to work together.
Not all designs are some of the details became clear immediately. For example, the frame. Form revealed clearly. And the pendant? Which is better, more progressive? Where to learn? In books, magazines. About the tank, for example, was read all I could find in the scientific-technical library.
Stopped into the T-34. Picked up a willing suspension sidecar С3А But is it enough stiffness of these torsions for the future of Rover? Had to call for help of special books, first and foremost, “Details of machines”. Did a check calculation. He showed that torsney from С3А hard enough. (I note that the wrong guys are not much: just had to put an extra spring dampers at the front and rear torsion bars.)
How to take the engine? Of course, I wanted more powerful: all-terrain vehicle. Decided to use the engine of the motorcycle M-62 Ural, as the other at that time in the lab was not. But there are a lot of questions: how to position it on the frame, that was easy to maintain and in case of failure to repair? How to transfer a torque to the propulsion? And cooling? It is necessary because forced! And again books. Engine thoroughly examined, disassembled and assembled with his own hands.
Some items used are ready, and many had to do yourself. And the kids surprisingly quickly mastered machines: sharpened, rezervari, drilled. First, the head grab the parts by electric welding, and then the guys first for the sake of interest, tried it, and then to cook have learned.
Next — mover. It is clear that only the caterpillars. And where to get them? Ready something suitable there. Got a belt from some machinery. In the first case, decided to use her because to make themselves different then they were.
…Was the second year of fascinating exploration n hard work. New nodes put new questions. Caterpillar — it’s not just tape. We still have different rollers, leading asterisks, such as to transmit torque from the engine to the tracks. Or side gears. Tried to adjust the clutch from the engine of IZH — proved difficult and obviously unreliable. Decided to abandon the side gear and the differential use of the same sidecar. Reasoned that should the motion to slow down one track, the other due to the differential will move twice as fast, and the Rover will be able to maneuver. In addition, the differential С3А will allow the machine to move in reverse. And again work: it is necessary to sharpen the rollers. A lot of them, ten. Thanks chiefs — agreed to help but demanded the working drawings. Had to deal seriously with drawing.
And here resistant two-year labor was completed; the Rover acquired a finished shape. But the first tests showed an obvious error in the gear ratio from the engine on the tracks: the Rover jerked faster motorcycle and stalled. On the motion of the third and especially in fourth gear could not be and speeches — you need to redo everything.
Summer vacation started. And the beginning of the new academic year the guys came with a solution: it is necessary to put intermediate reduction gearing in the drivetrain and seriously jammed the tracks. Work on fine-tuning the car took another year.
And here is the Rover already demonstrates on a regional meeting-competition “Young technology — agriculture” and was awarded a diploma of the 1st degree. Senior researcher at agricultural Institute, speaking at the meeting, noted the great practical usefulness of such vehicles and expressed the hope that over time, the boys “bring” it to the batch.
Eugene was in high school, and we had to decide where to go to learn. Obviously no accident that he made that choice: the Moscow higher technical school named after N. E. Bauman, faculty of engineering, where there is a Department dealing with tracked propulsion.
And Andrew moved to the tenth grade. Now he brought his assistant, and again the work continued. By this time the project of the new tracks were ready: carefully considered the technology of its production, the chosen materials. Made entirely with his own hands, the caterpillars came, lightweight, noiseless, durable. Again testing, and long-awaited joy of creativity — all right!
Andrei finishes the tenth grade. The question of the future is not necessary — of course, in Bauman, Eugene!
What about the Rover? Show it at the next exhibitions? And maybe extend its capabilities: for example, to equip a dozer blade, hydraulics to control? But it is the task of the next generation of young designers.
Of course, from the point of view of engineering, the design of the Rover is far from perfect. But important is approach them to create machines: tremendous dedication, hard work and perseverance in achieving this goal. All of this ultimately helped them choose their future profession.
I’m sure after finishing high school, Eugene and Andrew will be a good engineers.
V. TAMBOVTSEV, head of laboratory
design of compact machines
CUT SB as USSR, Novosibirsk
