Post #134,378
1/8/04 7:00:05 PM
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"Stealing the Superfortress"
Tonight on History Channel - the amazing story of how the Russians, under the gun from Stalin, reverse-engineered the entire B-29 rivet by rivet, making an exact duplicate that had identical performance to the original. Unfortunately, the plane was already obsolete, but this did give the Russians a medium-range bomber capable of carrying a nuke to London or Paris and jump-started their bomber program.
The B-29 was the most intricate, advanced machine of its day. The engineering skill required to duplicate it from scratch boggles the mind.
[link|http://aeroweb.lucia.it/~agretch/RAFAQ/Tu-4.html|http://aeroweb.lucia...h/RAFAQ/Tu-4.html]
-drl
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Post #134,379
1/8/04 7:02:55 PM
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I have seen it earlier.
What was funny is that the Russians also duplicated some flaws.
Alex
There is nothing that can be said by mathematical symbols and relations which cannot also be said by words. The converse, however, is false. Much that can be and is said by words cannot successfully be put into equations, because it is nonsense. -- Clifford Ambrose Truesdell (1919-2000)
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Post #134,448
1/9/04 2:53:35 AM
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Right down to the patches
One of the bits I found funny was that they not only copied the design flaws of the original, but also the armor patches that had been applied to cover bullet holes in the original plane.
Jay
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Post #135,080
1/12/04 3:43:19 PM
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Yup, complete with flammable engines
Early Superforts's engines had some magnesium parts, which were prone to causing fires. The magnesium was replaced in later versions. The Russkis faithfully copied this poor design.
Brian Bronson
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Post #134,386
1/8/04 8:23:35 PM
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Interesting.. the "great copiers" epithet. Again.
- applied universally to the Japanese, in the days when a small town called Usa permitted "Made in USA" fabrications. Applied (by some, still - it seems) re Russkies of all stripes.
A perfect complement to our ingrained xenophobia, of course. Goes with the other One God - Ours.
Alas, there are just enough samples to keep these myths alive.. A Russian synchrotron was patterned after the 3 GeV BNL "Cosmotron": predecessor of the *cough* LBL 6.2 Gev Bevatron (initially proton-only synchrotron accelerator). Seems they had beaucoup vacuum leaks. (I didn't follow the history later).
I never saw any engineering drawings of the Russ machine, but know how intricate were the double gaskets, with individual "pump-outs" for all of the flat or curved SS panels which comprised the vac. tank. Even the surface treatment of that rubber proved to (have been) critical: a special silver coating. Had they omitted even that detail . . .
It's all in the Details. Imagine the heat-treating tricks for just certain parts of the Wright engines. Amazing feat ~ as complex as an accelerator, and as varied disciplines / lore to be grokked.
A.
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Post #134,389
1/8/04 8:43:10 PM
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In this case, it's no epithet
It's literally true. Stalin was extremely paranoid that an exact duplicate be reproduced. So even when the Russian engineers had better solutions, they were not allowed to implement them. A kommisar would routinely drop by and measure the exactness of reproduction.
As Alex mentioned, even errors were religiously replicated.
-drl
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Post #134,465
1/9/04 7:16:16 AM
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I got that: was referring to the general characterization -
in the link. Yes of course - at Stalin's end: much sillines. Absolute power will do that.
(Like sing-alongs of the AG's Eagle songs ?)
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Post #135,652
1/14/04 9:53:05 AM
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Same happened in Computers
Rusian hardware was somewhat thriving in 60s, non-existing in 70s. Instead, we had System 360/370, PDP-11 / VAX and Barrows. All under nice Russain abbreviations. All barely functioning, as Russian production technology could not reach the Western quality.
Eventually, IBM XTs and ATs were copied. The process stopped there due to opening of the iron curtain.
--
"It\ufffds possible to build a reasonably prosperous society that invests in its people, doesn\ufffdt invade its neighbors, opposes Israel and stands up to America. (Just look at France.)"
-- James Lileks
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Post #135,816
1/14/04 10:01:12 PM
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Ah, the RIAD/RYADs, IBM 360/370 like series!
Alex
The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled. -- Plutarch
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Post #135,869
1/15/04 10:37:01 AM
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ESnnnn
Edinaya Sistema - Unified System
"Unified" means "for the entire COMECON". It was pushed in all Soviet satellite countries. Some units were made in East Germany, or Chechoslovakia. Some in USSR.
--
"It\ufffds possible to build a reasonably prosperous society that invests in its people, doesn\ufffdt invade its neighbors, opposes Israel and stands up to America. (Just look at France.)"
-- James Lileks
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