Ask a Russian

[Zardnaar]

Reverse engineering was the only option to make long range bomber fast enough after WW2. Pre-war bombers were obsolete and a proper Soviet made jet bomber was only designed by 1950-s. I read Tu-4 had worse characteristics comparing to Superfortress because of differences between metric and imperial systems. Metal thickness didn't translate well to millimeters and Soviet plane was slightly heavier. It had different engines too.

There was a story that Soviet constructors copied even a can holder in cockpit, but that's probably an urban legend.

I read they copied a drill holes that was a mistake.

Apparently they reverse engineered some if the trucks as well early GAZ series had a few designs borrowed from the USA. Trucks that later got used on the HoChi Min trail

The English also over rated how good German jet technology was and sold a jet engine to the USSR assuming they already captured better engines from the Germans.
Apparently Stalin almost fell over in shock.

Germans built the world first Jet fighter but the British invented the Jet engine. British had the best plane engines in WW2. The Soviets cloned that 1944 engine and put it in the MiG 15.

The MiG 15 gave a decent account of itself in Korea. Oops.

Our country might be able to engineer a good cheese or wine on a good day, it's funny reading about designs from other nations.

 

[red_elk]

Good cheese and wine are important too
At least I used them much more than weapons in my life. Hope it will stay that way.

 

[Zardnaar]

Good cheese and wine are important too
At least I used them much more than weapons in my life. Hope it will stay that way.

May have overdone some Baltika 9 but managed to make some blini.

Didn't have any sour cream or condensed milk so used some jam and Greek sour yoghurt.

My theory with crepes/pancakes/pikelets etc is that it depends on what you put on it.

 

[red_elk]

Blini can be eaten with pretty much anything, from jam to cabbage or pickled fish. Just pick your favorite stuffing.

Saw a fox today. Never seen them in Moscow before, it's very rare.

 

[Ferocitus]

Blini can be eaten with pretty much anything, from jam to cabbage or pickled fish. Just pick your favorite stuffing.

Saw a fox today. Never seen them in Moscow before, it's very rare.

Maybe Muscovites stuff their blini with them?

 

[Zardnaar]

Found a can of Zatwcky Gus today and split it.

Everyone thought it was alright and it's cheap here. For cheap beer it's really good.

 

[red_elk]

If anyone wants to watch a good comedy.
"Kidnapping, Caucasian Style", 1967. Found it in good quality and with English subs.

 

[red_elk]

G. Zubkovsky "Bayun the Cat", 1951

Bayun the Cat is a Russian fables character. A huge human-eating cat with magic voice which can cure illnesses and also put people to sleep so that the cat can eat them.

From here:
https://zina-korzina.livejournal.com/1733479.html

 

[Zardnaar]

G. Zubkovsky "Bayun the Cat", 1951

Bayun the Cat is a Russian fables character. A huge human-eating cat with magic voice which can cure illnesses and also put people to sleep so that the cat can eat them.

From here:
https://zina-korzina.livejournal.com/1733479.html

Stalin?

 

[red_elk]

Don't think so. Like many other characters in Russian fables, it's both good and bad.
Dangerous in the wild, good when tamed.

 

[Zardnaar]

Can you still buy a T-34 tank in Russia?

 

[red_elk]

Didn't know you ever could...
But googling shows some of them are indeed being sold for 150,000-200,000 USD
There are also relatively modern decommissioned APCs, such as BTR-80. Which are probably a better deal, because they can be used on roads and also amphibious.

 

[Zardnaar]

Didn't know you ever could...
But googling shows some of them are indeed being sold for 150,000-200,000 USD
There are also relatively modern decommissioned APCs, such as BTR-80. Which are probably a better deal, because they can be used on roads and also amphibious.

Damn they used to be 20k, 50k for a T-55.

Friend's father wanted to buy one. Could afford the tank but shipping and paperwork made it to expensive.

 

[red_elk]

From what I read, 10-20k is just a hull suitable only for putting on pedestal or in museum. If you want functioning tank which you can drive (without weapons of course), it's much more expensive.
Don't know if it's true or not, just info from the internet.

 

[red_elk]

By the way, last year 30-something T-34s were decommissioned from Laos army and shipped back to Russia. Probably it's easier and cheaper to buy them in Asia, may be in Vietnam or China.

 

[Zardnaar]

By the way, last year 30-something T-34s were decommissioned from Laos army and shipped back to Russia. Probably it's easier and cheaper to buy them in Asia, may be in Vietnam or China.

Early 90s some of those tanks were $5000.

It's was cheaper to more or less give them away rather than decommission them. East German army ceased to exist and had alot of surplus equipment.

 

[Ferocitus]

Early 90s some of those tanks were $5000.

It's was cheaper to more or less give them away rather than decommission them. East German army ceased to exist and had alot of surplus equipment.

I saw a couple of them in the Tiergarten in Berlin a few weeks ago. With the help of a few mates you might be able to liberate them on a dead moon night.

 

[Ferocitus]

Are the pranksters Lexus and Vovan well-known and popular in Russia?
One of them doesn't seem to be able to fake a very good Turkish accent, but maybe Russianish was enough to get through the tight security in the White House.
They released the recorded conversation of their hoax call posing as the Turkish Defense Minister to Politico. It's in this article.
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/10/lindsey-graham-trump-hoax-call-043991

 

[red_elk]

I heard about them, they pranked Western and Ukrainian politicians and public persons, sometimes publishing sensitive information.
Can't say they are popular, but they appeared in the news a few times.

 

[red_elk]

There's discussion about lifting moratorium on death penalty in state Duma.

Murder of 9 year old girl has sparked mass protests in Saratov, a city in Southern Russia. Mob tried to lynch the suspect, police had to use tear gas to disperse the crowd.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019...arks-protests-in-southern-russian-city-a67687