Jim Gambony wrote:
> I suspect the external skin is primarily aluminum based. I also wonder if
> the USSR had used steel parts (rivets, hardpoints etc) on aluminum panels
> that might have contributed the "good russian rust". The Soviets didn't
> tend to skimp on their military hardware, hence the titanium submarines..
> And some titanium tools being offered to Triumph owners in Illinois! ;)
The Russians skimped everywhere they could (ask about the breech block on some
of their tanks). The Badgers were carbon
steel, through and through, according to him. This particular engineer said
that the crews maintaining the aircraft were
mostly kids, right out of trade school, and the hangars (in Siberia) weren't
heated. Said every time he walked out to
the aircraft in winter, he could hear kids yelling because they'd accidentally
put a bare hand on the plane or a tool
and left some skin on it.
His descriptions of the system and the equipment were pretty horrifying, by our
standards. They simply didn't have the
money to keep up.
As for the titanium-hulled subs, there were only three, AFAIK, two of the
Sierra class, and only one of the Mike class,
and the latter sank after only six years of service (1983-1989).
The only class of weapons which compared to ours when they left the factory
(according to our own SALT weapons
inspectors) were the ballistic missiles. Even then, 60% of the houses around
their biggest medium-range ICBM plant did
not have running water....
Neither here nor there, I guess. The only MiG-15 I've seen in person was
definitely aluminum-skinned, 17s probably were,
as well. But, after that, I'm not sure.
Cheers.
--
Michael D. Porter
Roswell, NM
[mailto:mporter@zianet.com]
Never let anyone drive you crazy when you know it's within walking distance.
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