In “Modelist-Konstruktor” magazine No. 11’1991 I came across a description of motonarty — a tracked snowmobile built by the Matveychuk brothers from Zavodoukovsk, Tyumen Oblast, and named by them “Mysl-2” (“Thought-2”). I liked the machine. For me, a rural resident, it looked like an indispensable means of transport in winter, and as a home builder Read more…
This mini tractor was built by Y.V. Polyabin, a self-taught designer, from whatever he could find in his own garage, from acquaintances, and at a scrap yard. Nevertheless, “Krokha” (as he named his mini tractor) holds a privileged place in the craftsman’s spacious garage. Even though a “Kuzya” jeep and a “Kolibri” mini-car stand next Read more…
A garage for a car enthusiast is not only a roof over the car but also a place where you spend quite a lot of time yourself: you need to touch up the body, change the oil, or even tackle serious repairs. That is why rational planning of the space and sensible organization of the Read more…
Enthusiasts build sidecars for all kinds of motorcycles and motor scooters! For Izh and Voskhod, for old Zündapps and brand-new Vyatka-Elektron. Owners of Tula-200 motor scooters are also happy to add a third wheel to their machine — especially since the engine power of the modern Tula-Tourist makes it quite feasible. Unlike many such trailers, Read more…
The two-seat car “Alezonnik-2” was built specifically for driving in urban conditions. Therefore, even before design work began, I formulated the main requirements the future vehicle had to meet: compact size, minimum curb weight, and high maneuverability combined with good road stability. Drawing on experience gained while building an off-roader (“Modelist-Konstruktor” No. 10, 1996) to Read more…
More and more often, the editorial mail receives bulky packages with drawings and descriptions of homemade micromotorcycles. Their principal difference from designs of earlier years is a successful combination of standard and homemade units in the construction. A second important detail is a sharply improved appearance and bold design solutions. On these pages we present Read more…
The proverb usually mentions a fifth wheel. However, some car designers use a formula reflected in the title of our article. They really do consider the fourth wheel on a car redundant. Judge for yourself: unlike a four-legged stool, a three-legged one does not rock even on uneven ground (remember from school: through three points Read more…
Building and tuning an airboat hydroglider is much easier (and cheaper) than building a racing boat model with a propeller, gearbox, and liquid-cooled engine. At the same time, if properly designed, it is practically not inferior to the “classic” setup in either speed or maneuverability. The proposed radio-controlled model with an air propulsor is based Read more…
When I bought a used passenger car and started repairing it, my first helper in the garage became… a hoist I built under the ceiling. Without it I would hardly have managed, for example, such a difficult operation to do alone as replacing the engine. Figure 1 shows the hoist placement in the garage — Read more…
The mast is the foundation of the rig of any sailing tourist or sports craft, its most important unit. Its design and position determine sail area, configuration and aerodynamics, the ability to adjust sail thrust, and the design of the centerboard and the “ship” as a whole. When building a small sailboat, you have to Read more…
