What's good (and bad ) about Russia?

[willedoo]

1 hour ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

Canadian Air Force was way ahead of anyone post WWII - 1989: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Foster_(pilot)

 

(Noting Russia had female jet pilots in WWII?? - Didn't know Russia even had jets at the end of WWII... Maybe I read that wrong?)

I think the Wiki author has mashed the wording up somewhat. He makes a bit of confusion between female pilots and female jet pilots.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Maybe, but I do recall CAF female jet fighter pilots in documentaries in the early 2000's from memory..

 

[willedoo]

1 minute ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

Maybe, but I do recall CAF female jet fighter pilots in documentaries in the early 2000's from memory..

 

What I meant by him stuffing the wording up is in regard to Soviet female pilots in WW2.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Uh! OK... It's still the morning, 'ere 😉

 

[willedoo]

In WW2, Anna Yegorova was one of the few women serving in all male regiments. She was a Il-2 Sturmovik pilot and the only female pilot in her regiment. She was shot down and became a POW of the Germans. When the war ended she copped a hard time like most freed POW's who were considered traitors by Stalin. She spent a long time detained and interrogated by the NKVD and was stripped of her party membership and Hero of the Soviet Union award. I think it wasn't until Krushev's days that people like her were 'rehabilitated' and their status restored.

[willedoo]

Russia has deployed two MiG-31K interceptors to their airbase in Syria for the first time. The two are there for joint Airforce/Navy exercises in the Mediterranean Sea. The MiG-31K variant was upgraded a couple of years ago to carry the Mach 10 hypersonic Kinzhal missile. The runway at Khmeimim was recently upgraded and lengthened to take larger aircraft and last month Tu-22M3 long-range bombers were deployed there.

 

In these publicity photos of the MiG's, the crew of Red 96 have a proper ladder but it looks like the crew of Red 90 had to go to Bunnings for their ladder.

 

 

[willedoo]

There's a bit of a blue over plonk going on in the RF at present. Last week Vladimir Vladimirovich signed into law a bill which brings in a rule change whereby only Russian sparkling wines can carry the name champagne. All foreign wines labelled champagne will have to change their labels. Understandably, the French are not impressed.

 

In response, Moët & Chandon have suspended supplies of their wine to Russia. At this stage, the Russian wine industry doesn't seem too concerned. Russia imports 50 million liters of sparkling wines annually; 13% of that coming from France. LVMH, the company that owns Moët & Chandon, supplies about 2%. Leonid Popovich, the head of the Russian Union of Grape-growers and Winemakers said in reference to  LVMH ,“If you don’t want to supply it, don’t.”, and that Russia has sparkling wines that are no worse in quality, taste and aroma, and consumers won’t be lacking.

Edited July 4, 2021 by willedoo

[Marty_d]

This whole restriction of a name to the point of origin always seemed a bit suss to me.  Once a word enters general use and is taken to mean something (eg we think of wine with bubbles in it, we call it "Champagne") then the genie is out of the bottle and shouldn't be forced back in. 

A rosé by any other name, etc...

[octave]

Moet Hennessy's Russia office warned local partners it was suspending supplies after Russian lawmakers adopted legislation stipulating that the word "champagne" can only be applied to wine produced in Russia, while the world-famous tipple from France's Champagne region should be called "sparkling wine".

 

I don't get it, sparkling wine made in the Champaign region can not be called Champaign in Russia and only sparkling wine made in Russia can be called Champaign?   It would lead me to assume that they are a little under confident about their product.  Seems a little dishonest.  Sure say that it is made by methode champaigne as long as the intent is not to trick people into believing it is from a particular region. This would be like labelling a French wine as a Hunter Valley Chardonnay.  The rest of the world has long ago moved to varietal names.  

 

I might have to fill my glass and think about it (not a bubbly fan though more of a shiraz man)

Edited July 4, 2021 by octave

[Old Koreelah]

13 hours ago, Marty_d said:

This whole restriction of a name to the point of origin always seemed a bit suss to me.  Once a word enters general use and is taken to mean something (eg we think of wine with bubbles in it, we call it "Champagne") then the genie is out of the bottle and shouldn't be forced back in. 

A rosé by any other name, etc...

It goes both ways. In Canada my friends have a large caravan with a pic of Sydney Opera House and the brand name “Outback Series” on the sides.

 

It’s made in Indiana.

[Marty_d]

5 hours ago, Old Koreelah said:

It goes both ways. In Canada my friends have a large caravan with a pic of Sydney Opera House and the brand name “Outback Series” on the sides.

 

It’s made in Indiana.

And I bet Sydneysiders couldn't give a hoot!

[willedoo]

20 hours ago, octave said:

Moet Hennessy's Russia office warned local partners it was suspending supplies after Russian lawmakers adopted legislation stipulating that the word "champagne" can only be applied to wine produced in Russia, while the world-famous tipple from France's Champagne region should be called "sparkling wine".

 

I don't get it, sparkling wine made in the Champaign region can not be called Champaign in Russia and only sparkling wine made in Russia can be called Champaign?   It would lead me to assume that they are a little under confident about their product.  Seems a little dishonest.  Sure say that it is made by methode champaigne as long as the intent is not to trick people into believing it is from a particular region. This would be like labelling a French wine as a Hunter Valley Chardonnay.  The rest of the world has long ago moved to varietal names.  

 

I might have to fill my glass and think about it (not a bubbly fan though more of a shiraz man)

My best guess is that it's a clumsy attempt at protectionism to support the local industry. Possibly the wine industry lobbying some MP's to put the bill to parliament. It's an odd one.

[willedoo]

Today's news is saying that Moët has backed down and agreed to re-label their champagne as sparkling wine and continue selling to Russia. Maybe we could lend them some old surplus Barossa Pearl labels.

 

 

[Marty_d]

One for you @willedoo...

 

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/mallacoota/collectables/soviet-russian-leather-pilots-helmet-dated-1981-/1276980431

[onetrack]

Prevoskhodnyy! 

[willedoo]

5 hours ago, Marty_d said:

One for you @willedoo...

 

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/mallacoota/collectables/soviet-russian-leather-pilots-helmet-dated-1981-/1276980431

Thanks Marty, you don't often see them on Gumtree, mainly eBay. It's an ShL-78 helmet and judging by the condition, is reasonably priced at 75AUD. They are a typical Russian bit of gear - designed for multi-purpose use. They're worn on their own in helos, transports, and still used in the older Tu-95 Bear bombers. Also used by ground crew and crew chiefs. Some airborne units cut the comm leads off and used them as jump helmets. They also still use them for pilot ejection and survival training in parachute jumps. I've even seen photos of the Buran era in Kazakhstan where control tower radio operators were using them.

 

In fast jets, they mate up with the ZSh-3 duralumin hard shell helmet to make up a two-piece, along the lines of the older British two-piece helmets (leather or cloth inner comm helmet and hard shell outer helmet). Attached is a photo of a couple of mine showing the stand-alone leather helmet compared with the two piece hard shell setup. The other photo shows the recess inside the hard shell which mates up with the top crown pad on the leather helmet. It helps secure the outer helmet.

 

They're a nice helmet. The reindeer leather is beautiful soft leather. They owe their ancestry to the German leather helmets and some features can still be seen. For example the 4 pin DIN plug for comms. That was a German invention during the war and the Soviets copied it exactly with corresponding fittings in their aircraft. That way captured German helmets could be plugged straight into Soviet planes and used.

 

Of the comm leads, the smaller two pin plug is to connect the laryngophone (throat mic), and the larger 4 pin DIN plug connects two speaker wires (+ & -) and the two mic wires (+ & -) to the aircraft system. The speakers are high impedance, 1600 ohm each giving a combined 3200 ohm impedance. I must admit to having a bit of a fetish for them and have lost count of how many post war variants of Russian leather flight helmets I have. It would be more than a hundred of them at least. Probably the nicest one I have is a 1947 model that was the personal helmet of an Air Force General and ex WW2 air regiment commander. I obtained that one directly from the family and treasure the history of it. With historical items like that, you never own them. You are just the caretaker until the next caretaker's turn.

 

 

[willedoo]

Just a side note to the above photo - for some unknown reason, I just can't resist having a go at the Yanks.

 

Regarding the oxygen mask pictured. It's a Soviet/Russian KM-32 pressure demand mask, designed for higher altitude flying where a positive pressure above ambient is required. This particular model of mask first appeared in 1960 and is still used today in L-39 trainers, Tu-95's etc..

 

Looking at the mask in the photo from the viewers left is the main O2 hose. Next to it in the centre, the round black disc is the expiry valve outer housing. In the centre of the expiry valve, the shiny metal elbow and the smaller black hose is the expiry valve pressure compensator. This supplies oxygen pressure at the same time as the main O2 feed. It inflates a small rubber balloon which blocks off the one-way expiry flap valve. Without this, every time you inhaled, O2 pressure would escape out the expiry valve.

 

To the right of the round expiry valve is a raised circular section that houses a mask mic if preferred. The Russians rarely used them, preferring the throat mic. To the right of that is a small hose exiting the mask face piece, bending downward and to the rear. You can see the bright blue bayonet fitting on it. This supplies oxygen pressure to the occipital bladder which is a removeable, inflatable air bag fitted in the rear occipital section of the leather helmet. It addresses the problem of mask pressure bleed by forcing a tight fit of mask to face.

 

It's good in a situation for example, when you pull a few G's, in which case the pilot naturally breathes deeper and in turn, forces the demand regulator to increase volume and pressure. Without the bladder, excess pressure is forced out the sides of the mask. Instead, excess pressure exits via that small hose inflating the air bag at the back of the head. This pulls rearward tension on the leather helmet and as the mask is attached to the helmet, it tightens the mask on the face and reduces O2 bleed, leaving more for the pilot to breathe.

 

To cut a long story short, the Soviets introduced this world first system in 1956. It took the Americans about another thirty years to copy it and use it as the major feature of their 'Combat Edge' system that they can't stop bragging about. Legends in their own mind. Photo is the occipital bladder.

 

 

[willedoo]

The new Sukhoi single engine stealth design was unveiled at MAKS airshow yesterday. It's been dubbed the Checkmate and first test flight is expected in 2023. Sukhoi's plan is to build a superior aircraft to the F-35 for between a third and half the price. There will be a big export market if they pull that one off. Time will tell.

 

 

Edited July 21, 2021 by willedoo

[willedoo]

Checkmate export promotional video:

 

 

[willedoo]

Have just been watching the MAKS live stream. It was getting a bit boring and then Svetlana Kapanina took off and put on an amazing show. At 52, she certainly hasn't lost any of her edge. It looked like an Extra 330 SC that she was flying; she must have retired the Sukhoi.

Edited July 23, 2021 by willedoo

[willedoo]

On 02/04/2021 at 2:52 PM, willedoo said:

Russia's new prospective military transport aircraft, the Ilyushin Il-112V has successfully completed its second flight. It first flew a year ago and has had weight reductions since the first test flight. A twin engine turboprop, it looks like it would replace the Antonov An-26 and An-32. Similar capability and role to a Caribou by the look of it. Has a very flat wing; no anhedral.

 

 

The Ilyushin Il-112V prototype crashed on a test flight on Tuesday, killing all three crew including Honored Test Pilot and Hero of Russia, Nikolay Kuimov. There was video footage of it's last moments taken by a bystander. The starboard engine was on fire and it was rolling inverted just before going in. Sources close to the project have told the press that development and work on completing the second prototype will continue.

[willedoo]

Former Monty Python member Terry Gilliam has stuck his foot right in it. He was a special guest at the 12th. Odessa International Film Festival at the Ukrainian Black Sea resort city this week. On stage making a speech he said "thank you Russia, thank you Odessa". It definitely went over worse than someone farting in church, especially given the close proximity of Odessa to Crimea.

 

The MC got up him and pointed out that he was in Ukraine not Russia. He tried to paper over it but got drowned out by the nationalist chanting from the Ukrainians. I don't think he'll be invited again.

[Jerry_Atrick]

In my first working visit to the Czech Republic, I showed off what very little Russian I knew.. The response was a stony expression with complete silence. Lesson learned!

[willedoo]

6 hours ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

In my first working visit to the Czech Republic, I showed off what very little Russian I knew.. The response was a stony expression with complete silence. Lesson learned!

Jerry, did you switch to Czech once you worked out where you were?

[Marty_d]

2 hours ago, willedoo said:

Jerry, did you switch to Czech once you worked out where you were?

He forgot to Czech where he was.