Many motorists, especially owners of domestic cars, have experienced all the “joys” of winter operation of their beloved “steeds” firsthand. A particular “pleasure” is bringing the heart—the “fiery engine”—back to life after a frosty night. I own a giant of Russian automaking—the Oka—so all my thoughts and efforts went into developing a system that would Read more…
Last spring I built myself water skis. But I rarely got to ski on them, since the tow was provided by… a motorcycle with a sidecar. Building a dedicated boat would have meant considerable expense, powerful engines, and above all—time. So I thought: why not design one large ski, fit it with an engine and Read more…
With the help of articles in the magazine «Modelist-Konstruktor», I built myself a universal power tiller based on a Minsk motorcycle. It turned out to be a good, hard-working mechanical helper. Its basis, of course, is the standard motorcycle frame, shortened (as recommended by the magazine) and fitted with the power unit and a two-stage Read more…
In our middle latitudes, there are years when fruit trees stand as if in construction scaffolding: they are not visible due to a palisade of supports saving branches overloaded with fruit. Gardeners know how difficult it is to grow a good harvest, but no less a problem is to preserve it, to make maximum use Read more…
Is such a thing possible? It would seem hard to imagine this elegant, fast motorcycle in the role of a truck. Nevertheless, it handles the role of a heavy hauler admirably, thanks to a reliable and durable engine with good finning and sufficient torque across the entire crankshaft speed range. It should be said that Read more…
The grass collector is designed to gather mowed stems; it has a cage welded from metal rods onto which the cut plants fall. There is also a control mechanism for the collector: a chain drive, a gear reducer, and a pair of rods bent at a right angle that act like a crank. Deflecting the Read more…
Perhaps this mechanism is the lightest in its family of counterparts: even a schoolchild can lift and carry it if need be. Low weight and utmost simplicity of construction—these are the qualities of the bicycle plow that drew the attention of visitors to the exhibition of young technicians’ work, participants in the All-Union rally of Read more…
Among the large family of “Lebed” (Swan) designs by Vitaly Konstantinovich Savitsky, the “Lebed-7” stands out for its bold layout of components and assemblies, successful centering, good streamlining, and smooth ride. The sled (see figure) is a four-ski design with steerable front skis. The steering is automotive-type, with a worm gear and steering linkage. The Read more…
Cultivating land, planting (or sowing) crops, and caring for them is not only labor-intensive but also physically demanding. Even those who have acquired a dacha or garden plot to have a place to “stretch” at leisure or work the land for pleasure try to somehow lighten and mechanize these tasks. For this purpose, a multifunctional Read more…
«After the publication in issue 12 of 1971 of the magazine «Modelist-Konstruktor» of the article «Meet the Tulpar» we received many letters from readers asking to send drawings and descriptions of various components of the Tulpar electromotor scooter. Since we cannot send drawings to each reader individually, we ask you to print them in the Read more…
