Cars 2023, March

Today, crossovers are very popular among motorists. At the same time, there are many people who do not see any difference between SUVs, crossovers and full-fledged SUVs. Moreover, most of these types of cars have access to all-wheel drive. Many people have a question: what is the difference, and why are SUVs needed in our time?

A considerable part of imported cars, which end up on the secondary market of the countries of the former USSR, end up there directly from the secondary market of the countries of the European Union and America. It is easy to guess that such machines often have a "rich past" and not at all in the sense in which the future owner might want. Often used cars brought to the country have already been involved in an accident. What does the statistics say on this score, which brands and models are better to avoid, and which ones you can safely

A car, like any other complex mechanism, has many criteria by which it could be characterized. Some appreciate the design, others value the functionality and interior decoration, the third category of drivers give dynamics and controllability. However, all of the above (and much more) has almost no meaning if the car cannot boast of the main thing - reliability. And just as there are speed record holders on the market, there are also speed record holders here

An important place in the system of strategic deterrence of the most probable enemy is occupied by nuclear submarines carrying ballistic missiles on board, each of which, individually, is capable of wiping out an entire densely populated city from the face of the earth. Today Russia is among the countries with the largest and most modern fleet of nuclear submarines. The submarine of Project 941 "Akula" has been and remains the absolute record holder among them for a number of parameters

Much of today's Russian armored vehicles still use an engine that was created almost 90 years ago. For most people, this state of affairs may seem frankly strange, because it is quite obvious that a thing created almost a century ago cannot meet all modern requirements and challenges. Or can it still be?

Between the two world wars, in some places very bizarre combat vehicles were created in Europe. These include the so-called "machine gun". It may seem strange today, but in the 1920s and 1930s, such vehicles were really in demand as part of the armed forces of the armies of different countries. Let's take a closer look at these cars and get to know a few outstanding representatives?

Every motorist wants his car to serve faithfully for many years. However, any car is too complex a mechanism. Therefore, it contains a huge number of nodes and parts in a predictable way. Not all of them are made of the same quality and well, and therefore periodic breakdowns and malfunctions appear even in the most reliable vehicles. One of the common "pain points" is the timing belt

Many Soviet cars have one feature: the driver “feels” his vehicle. Moreover, in the most direct sense of this expression. Take, for example, the legendary Soviet SUV GAZ-69. Anyone who has driven it on something other than asphalt is well aware that the car shakes mercilessly while driving over difficult terrain. What is the reason for this phenomenon?

The T-34 medium tank has become one of the hallmarks of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War and a prominent representative of the "weapon of Victory" family. It will be said without exaggeration that the T-34 became one of the best combat vehicles of the Second World War. What is the secret of the thirty-four's success, if the tanks were much cooler in their characteristics?

If you look at the models of modern icebreakers, you will notice one interesting feature. Quite a few of them have propellers installed not only at the stern, but also in the bow. A completely natural question arises: why are such people needed at all, and how do sailors manage not to break the propellers while breaking the ice?

The car aftermarket is an extremely lively place. Many car models change their owners several times over a relatively short (by automotive standards) period of 5 years. Domestic experts have chosen the most popular models on the Russian market and found out how long they stay with the owners. It turned out that some cars literally jump from hand to hand

Buying a car is an important and responsible step. The operation of the machine is associated with a large number of all kinds of financial costs. Especially a lot of them in the first year, right after the "happy acquisition". Sometimes you get the impression that it would be really more profitable to take a taxi. But who knows, maybe this is really so? You can only answer this question by estimating the figures of expenses

Nothing prolongs the life of a car like timely and proper maintenance. It would also be completely superfluous to use a car with up to the letter observance of all the operating rules prescribed in the manual. However, even with perfect observance of all the rules and timely replacement of consumables, breakdowns sooner or later occur in any car. Moreover, some "sores" appear even in the cars of the most careful and caring owners

Coolant is not used in a car for beauty or for fun. It is the most important consumable. As you might guess, any consumable composition must be changed from time to time. However, how often should such an operation be performed for antifreeze? Indeed, in the vastness of the network there are many stories that some never change it at all and supposedly drive perfectly

In the twentieth century, mankind went through two world wars, began to actively create the most effective weapons. And sometimes it turned out to be too powerful to continue to produce and use. A striking example of such weapons was the technology of flamethrower tanks, the destructive power of which made them permanently withdrawn from the armament of all armies on the planet

If you look at the German and then the Soviet tanks during the Second World War, you will notice one important difference. Many, though not all, Wehrmacht tanks have a muzzle brake. In Soviet tanks, it is most often absent and is found only on self-propelled guns with a large caliber, as well as in some late heavy tanks like the IS-2. At the same time, not everyone knows that Soviet tankers literally opposed the installation of a muzzle brake. Why?

If you look at the tanks of the Second World War, you will notice one very interesting detail that lies literally on the surface, but for some reason does not strike the eye too much. It lies in the fact that many Soviet tanks, unlike German ones, do not have a muzzle brake on the barrel. What is the reason for this design feature of domestic vehicles and does this mean that our tanks were still worse than the German ones?

In fact, the T-34 was far from the best tank of the Second World War, if you start to understand this issue. In this case, the question naturally arises, whose engineering thought still belongs to the best combat vehicle of this class of that period of history: German, Soviet, British, or maybe American? Let's try to figure it out

Attempts to improve modern technology do not stop. And aviation is no exception in this respect. One of the technologies that are planned to be applied in new aircraft is hydrogen fuel cells. A striking example of such a concept is the development of Singaporean specialists who create an aircraft that can fully refuel in just ten minutes

To date, a large share of domestic aviation is still Soviet-made aircraft. However, this does not mean at all that the Russian aircraft industry has stopped and is not engaged in the modernization of its potential, but on the contrary - there are constantly reports of the beginning of the development or testing of new machines that keep pace with the times. A striking example of such a project is the A-100 "Premier", which has already been dubbed the "flying radar" by the masses. And although information about him is available

The road to serial production of the domestic MiG-35 was literally hard-won through many obstacles and troubles. The project survived both bureaucratic red tape, and non-recognition by the commission of designers, and several modernizations in the face of a shortage of project funding. Despite all of the above, the most promising Russian fighter still turned from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan and today it spreads its wings to enter the international market

The Soviet aircraft industry never knew rest, so the aircraft, which yesterday was considered the newest and most reliable, was tried tomorrow to be replaced with an even more perfect modification. It was this fate that almost overtook the legendary An-2 - the head of the design bureau personally took on the design of its "descendant" An-14. But this time the attempt failed: "Annushka", as the people affectionately called the An-2, can be seen in the sky today, but about the failed substitute with no less

Aviation, like other technological industries, does not stop improving. And among the various projects for more than one decade, the minds of aircraft designers have been tormented by the idea of creating an invisible plane. However, all of a sudden, China entered this race for stealth technology, and very rapidly - they created the Xian H-20 bomber, which they called rather ambitiously - "God of War in the Sky." But not everyone believes that this plane exists at all

There are giants in the clouds. And now we are not talking about one of the characters in the fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk". These are huge, fast and powerful helicopters. Many of them are very representative in size by the standards of their class of technology. More importantly, heavenly men are capable of transporting a huge number of people and lifting loads that are significantly superior to themselves in a number of parameters

Aircraft designers continue to strive to create technologies to make flying safer and more efficient. This is how the experimental NASA AD-1 appeared, which was and remains the only jet aircraft on the planet with an asymmetric rotary wing, made using the technology of "scissor wings". And, despite the fact that such a concept contradicts one of the main features of the liners - the symmetry of their design, the engineers of the famous American department nevertheless decided to try

Aviation is a relatively young form of transportation, however, throughout its history, they try to make it as safe and comfortable as possible. It's just impossible to foresee everything, and emergencies continue to happen. Moreover, it is far from always, even after the occurrence of many years, that it is possible to establish the exact cause of what happened. To your attention 8 controversial aviation accidents, the explanation for which has not been found

The helicopter, which at that time was unique for domestic military equipment, began to be designed back in the Soviet Union. However, until 1991, they did not have time to build it, and this turned out to be disastrous for the Ka-60. After all, its history clearly demonstrates that if the aircraft, regardless of the circumstances, "overexpose on the ground", then as a result, it will no longer be needed by anyone

Modern tires are manufactured commercially and in a myriad of variations. Therefore, when colored stripes are applied to parts of them in different quantities and combinations, this inevitably generates a number of opinions about their purpose. True, most of them do not correspond to reality, and their real meaning, as it turns out, has nothing to do with direct sale at all. However, this does not prevent buyers from using them for their own purposes

The need for cars from the moment of their appearance was quite acute, and in fact in all areas where they can be used at all. True, sometimes in order to meet certain needs, it is necessary to develop special machines with unique design solutions or functionality. One of these was the NAMI-012 model - a Soviet ferry that was supposed to work … in the GULAG. That's just to its direct customer, with all its merits, this car simply did not have time to get there

The domestic automotive industry does not stand still, trying not to retreat from foreign companies in terms of the quantity and quality of new developments. And the KAMAZ concern is no exception in this respect. And not so long ago, the famous Russian company that produces trucks, presented a prototype of a new dump truck of truly gigantic dimensions, which is already considered a worthy competitor to Caterpillar, BelAZ and Volvo

During its half-century history, the Volzhsky Automobile Plant has produced a huge number of various cars. And each of them has its own unique destiny. Moreover, if some models have become truly popular, then few people know about the existence of others. To your attention "ten" little-known concept cars of AvtoVAZ, to see which on the road is a great success

Today, electric vehicles are gaining more and more popularity among motorists, because they fully meet modern trends. These cars are as high-tech as those that run on gasoline or gas, but they are more environmentally friendly and safer. However, not everyone knows that in fact, electric cars have existed on the market for more than a decade, and they were produced, including in the Soviet Union

To revive the "aircraft-carrying" power of Russia is a long-standing desire of both the military command and the inhabitants. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that for two decades there have been attempts to develop appropriate projects. One of the latter is the "Manatee" - the concept of a modern domestic aircraft carrier, which will have to provide the Russian Navy with a flagship made according to the latest technology. And if the plans of the developers come true, then in a few years the Russian fleet will receive ne

Perhaps no one will be able to object to the statement that the Zaporozhets managed to become a truly legendary car in the history of the automotive industry of the Soviet Union. However, not everyone realizes that it is also a unique machine in many ways. The peculiarities of the location of the engine, the sturdy body and even the "gadget" in the design, which was to the liking … of the fishermen - all this makes the brainchild of the concern "ZAZ" not like everyone else. To your attention "seven" facts about "Zaporozhets" that make it

The concept of air taxis has long fascinated the minds of both development engineers and potential customers. True, the authors of such ideas draw too ambitious plans for their creation and implementation, because sometimes you can hear that cars will rise into the sky in a couple of years. However, in reality, before their promising projects can really be implemented, engineers need to solve a number of problems in order to clearly define and develop both the necessary technologies and control systems

Motorcycles in the Soviet Union were produced almost as actively as cars. And if some models are known to almost every man in the street, then you can learn about others, perhaps if you deliberately seek information about them. It is to the latter that the PMZ-A-750 motorcycle belongs, which has a much more memorable nickname - "Soviet Harley"

Reconnaissance promises heavy rainfall in the form of rocket and cannon fire. Today the helicopter is one of the most versatile and important combat vehicles capable of performing a wide range of tactical missions. A rare ground operation does without a well-organized air cover, which is also provided by attack helicopters. Several dozen models exist and are used today. However, we will only talk about the best and most massive

The Simpsons is a cult animated series that has been broadcast for decades. And sometimes it is called prophetic, because indeed its writers managed to predict events in our world in advance. However, they depict reality in the present tense very reliably, using, in particular, real cars as prototypes. And in the entire long history of the creation of "The Simpsons" there have appeared at least a hundred of them, and these are not only cars, but also the police

Looking at old war photographs, especially those that have already been taken in Germany, you can stumble upon images of Soviet tanks, on which some mysterious white stripes are drawn. They were applied to the hull of the tank or its turret. Why were they done, after all, it is quite obvious that the white stripe over the green paint violates the camouflage of the combat vehicle and makes it more noticeable?

The T-34 tank is undoubtedly a legendary armored vehicle in the history of the Great Patriotic War. However, like any transport or military equipment, it also has disadvantages. One of them is associated with the lack of heating inside the tank, therefore, in order not to freeze in the winter season, the Red Army soldiers even had to turn to … logs