Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Inside the Soviet Army (1982)

militera.lib.ru

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 116 posts

Re: Inside the Soviet Army (1982)

#41

Post by spartango »

rangibaby wrote: post #37
spingsprong wrote: post #28

"It is, in fact, impossible to reach the speeds of which the MIG-25 is capable using titanium: yet the Soviet designers had managed to build this, the fastest combat aircraft in the world, from ordinary steel. " Right... MiG-25, Mach-2.8. All steel. SR-71, Mach-3.5. Uses titanium for 85% of its structure.

Combat aircraft. SR-71 is a spy plane.

While it is true that the SR-71 & A-12 were spy planes, and that the GP makes a slightly asinine statement, the pedant (and aviation geek) in me feels obliged to point to the YF-12[1].

The YF-12 was a twin-seater derivative of the A-12 that was developed as a fighter aircraft, complete with a look-down/shoot-down radar and missile bays.

The F-12 never made it to production, but a small number high-speed of weapons tests were conducted with the 3 YF-12 airframes that were built.

With that said, the MiG-25 should certainly not be belittled as a marvel of aviation. It was a blisteringly fast interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft, with an impressive radar system for its time. It filled a special role in the Russian Air Force until last year[2].

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_YF-12 [2] https://medium.com/war-is-boring/21d12739b5db

Re: Inside the Soviet Army (1982)

#42

Post by notastartup »

yankoff wrote: post #5

Yeah, Viktor Suvorov is pretty interesting writer. This guy was a KGB agent who escaped to the West and published a lot of books. Another his book worth checking out is "Aquarium" - about his path from a spetznaz operator to KGB and then to escape.

I found the tv production based on his book on youtube. Looks pretty interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akmZsPUudfI

Re: Inside the Soviet Army (1982)

#43

Post by spingsprong »

njr123 wrote: post #39
spingsprong wrote: post #28

"It is, in fact, impossible to reach the speeds of which the MIG-25 is capable using titanium: yet the Soviet designers had managed to build this, the fastest combat aircraft in the world, from ordinary steel. " Right... MiG-25, Mach-2.8. All steel. SR-71, Mach-3.5. Uses titanium for 85% of its structure.

Pretty sure the SR-71 is not a combat aircraft.

And that matters because?

Re: Inside the Soviet Army (1982)

#44

Post by ajuc »

Perdition wrote: post #24
notastartup wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

that is very good insight. Another point might be the idea of creating buffer zone (Ukraine) to counter the threat of NATO military assets being placed right at the border with Russia, access to Black Sea. I understand that if Putin does not take Ukraine, NATO will. This is like China not willing to give up North Korea, it has it's function as a buffer.

That is why it is happening. NATO was set-up to counter the Soviets (dominated by Russia) and it is a slap in the face for Russia to allow NATO right on their border when they are trying to become a real world power again. NATO might have gotten away with limited defence/economic pacts with former Soviet satellites, but full NATO and EU membership was bound to provoke a reaction from Russia. Apparently the US State D…

Why should people in states bordering Russia care what Russia thinks of their independence and alliances?

Re: Inside the Soviet Army (1982)

#47

Post by ckozlowski »

spingsprong wrote: post #28

"It is, in fact, impossible to reach the speeds of which the MIG-25 is capable using titanium: yet the Soviet designers had managed to build this, the fastest combat aircraft in the world, from ordinary steel. " Right... MiG-25, Mach-2.8. All steel. SR-71, Mach-3.5. Uses titanium for 85% of its structure.

I think this was an area for which the writer simply wasn't as well informed. Titanium and steel are both capable of fulfilling the requirements, but titanium is very difficult to work with. (Lockheed had particular trouble with it as well.) It's more ideal to use because its so much lighter, and increasing weight is the bane of any aircraft's existence. The Soviets would have preferred this, but they couldn't overcome the machining challenges, especially not in the scale required to build the numbers required. So they went with the safer, if less ideal alternative. And since the Soviet system did not exactly encourage discussion of shortcomings, and the "simple is better" tradition fits well, its not far to see how the "steel is better" explanation became the accepted one.

All that being said, I point out that the plane did what they set out to do, and regardless of whatever compromises had to be made, it was an aerospace achievement.

Re: Inside the Soviet Army (1982)

#48

Post by valtih1978 »

ceejayoz wrote: post #29
Perdition wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is why it is happening. NATO was set-up to counter the Soviets (dominated by Russia) and it is a slap in the face for Russia to allow NATO right on their border when they are trying to become a real world power again. NATO might have gotten away with limited defence/economic pacts with former Soviet satellites, but full NATO and EU membership was bound to provoke a reaction from Russia. Apparently the US State D…

> Apparently the US State Department didn't learn from its arrogance in Iraq, because such blatant provocation shouldn't have been allowed. Provocation: Letting Ukraine voluntarily choose closer ties with the West Not Provocation: Invading and annexing the Crimea Gotcha. Also, since when is the US State Department in charge of the EU?

> Provocation: Letting Ukraine voluntarily choose closer ties with the West

, Learn how the "voluntary" choice is imposed on the Ukranie. Member the Maidan, totally supported by west to capture power in Kiev. They did it violently, using neonazi squads on the streets. Now, the russian TV, history and language is banned in Ukraine, which means that everything is ready for the "voluntary" choice. Member Nuland in Youtube dictating who will be the next prime minister in Ukraine. This is how "voluntary choices" are made.

> Not Provocation: Invading and annexing the Crimea

you. Say that: "Russuans (the population of Crimea) are biogarbage and have no right to make their choice".

http://www.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF8&sl=auto&tl=en&...

Re: Inside the Soviet Army (1982)

#49

Post by brc »

alexeisadeski3 wrote: post #26

Quote From Part VIII: Soviet Communists are frequently reproached for having attempted to build a socialist society but having produced something which closely resembles a prison. Such a charge is entirely unjustified. In the Soviet Union some of the inmates have larger cells than others, some eat well, others badly. There is complete confusion-a lot remains to be done to tidy up the situation. True socialism, in whi…

I wish more people understood and accepted this. It seems like every other day I read something which is wistful for a bit more 'enforced equality'. Ther can be no such thing, nor is it desirable. People have different talents and different levels of motivation. As such they produce Inequal results - and that is just life. Trying to prevent inequal results can only be done through force in the end, so a prison is the result.

Re: Inside the Soviet Army (1982)

#50

Post by brc »

notastartup wrote: post #19

As someone very interested in Soviet Union, it's system, this is a great resource. I'd love it if this was available on kindle or a paperback. Even Russians will say Soviet Union is shit or people will react like, 'why are you learning russian and so obsessed with Soviet Union', I think it's because I think it could've been a great system, it's a noble ideology that men and women of all races are integrated and all r…

I hope your research leads to the correct conclusion that trying to force people into equality leads to the use of force to stop dissent, and leads people to flee or campaign against it.

Socialism ends in death and misery, every single time. At this point death and misery is a feature, not a bug that can be fixed.

Post reply on HN