On 2008-06-11, Ed Huntress wrote:

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
...
On Jun 11, 7:55 am, Spehro Pefhany
wrote:

Remember the laughter when vacuum tubes were discovered in analyzing a
stolen Soviet fighter jet-- then they figured out why (survival of
communications electronics from the EMP of nuclear explosion). As
we've found out from using their ICBMs to launch satellites (pinpoint
accuracy), their aerospace technology was very, very good for the
time, but their commercial stuff was generally lousy-- degrading
perfectly good raw materials into garbage that nobody who had a choice
wanted.

Spehro Pefhany

I remember the laughter coming from the press, not the aerospace
community. Those vacuum tubes were in a chassis that raised up
hydraulically for easier, faster servicing. The plane had rust on it
because it went so fast that aluminum would have weakened from the
heat.

The plane had rust on it because the Soviets hadn't figured out how to do
automated vacuum electron-beam welding of titanium. So they made it out of
steel. I wrote an article about it for _American Machinist_ at the time.

Aluminum is good for around Mach 2. US warplanes used titanium for higher
speeds. They were lighter and more maneuverable as a result.

Soviet gear was relatively simple and effective. The American
military was substantially a high-tech trade school that gave us the
skills to compete globally, so complexity was an advantage.

I think the best illustration of the Soviet approach was the T-34 tank. It
was a very good tank with excellent armor -- in the front. From the rear,
you could take it out with a WWI, 75 mm howitzer.

I think that this applies to most tanks -- they would weigh too much
and reguire a much bigger engine and suspension of they had equal
protection from all sides.

The idea was that tank commanders weren't supposed to retreat. g


The big disadvantage of T-34s, as used in practice, is that regular
tanks (without commanders) lacked radios. Kind of stupid if you ask
me.

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