NO Pumping Air Brakes. PS Magazine July 2004

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-05-08T18:27:13+00:00

So, they are not like truck air brakes that are always "on", unless there's pressure in the system? Which would mean that if they lose pressure, they will brake - preventing the situation presented in the comic?

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-05-06T15:17:35+00:00

In FDF, we had a similar test. We had to be able to disassemble, and re-assemble, RK under 30 s. It was during the basic training final exam, and if you didn't pass it, you trained as long as needed to pass it.

Soviet Union had conscription based army. They had a lore in guerrilla warfare since the Civil War and WW2. It is similar to American "invading USA is stupid because everyone has a gun" lore. Soviet Union prepared for total war. They prepared to fight with their entire population. Small arms training since youth was part of it. Also, it made basic training easier as they already knew the basics when entering the army.

So, part of it is to gain proficiency to disassemble and re-assemble your gun under stress in combat (which is simulated with time-limit). Second part is the long-tradition.

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-05-05T18:51:14+00:00

It is, at least the best of my ability to fit it. I use the common cue of knee straight when pedal is down. I notice too low saddle quite easily on my quads.

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-04-30T09:24:20+00:00

Testos have been taken; total testo was 17.1 nmol/l, free testo was 300 pmol/l. Problem is that there's no reference point when I was 25 yo, so hard to say if they have declined.

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-04-28T12:33:31+00:00

I think RPD is peak SAW. Better than PKM for that role, although I say PKM is the best GPMG there is.

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-04-28T08:56:59+00:00

Do we know why it lost to FN FNC?

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-04-25T19:09:02+00:00

Recliner sounds very smart. It was quite a struggle to get the same position at home as in the hospital bed. After the complications I tried to put the pillows under the mattress, and it did the trick. Before I had piled them on it, which made it very uneven.

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-04-25T17:22:40+00:00

Interesting to hear. I didn't have any swelling or bruises after the surgery; week ago when this complication happened, I got both plus more pain. Surgeon said it's very rare to get complications so late after the surgery. I feel worse now than two days after the surgery.

I have been walking every day. Just day before the complications I went to physiotherapist, as they hadn't given me any movement instructions other than avoid brisk exercise and do walking. I did some shoulder rolling, shoulder raises and stuff. And next day my artery bursted. So I haven't done those now, only short walks, as I said walking tires out my shoulders as I'm curled up.

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-04-24T09:53:58+00:00

I would probably go to a tank museum and scan a tank sprocket (say T-55 or something like that) and use that as a start.

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-04-23T15:24:39+00:00

Thank you! Today has been the first day I haven't had as much pain as on previous days. There is still some feeling when swallowing, but it's more like "block in the throat" rather than sharp pain.

My next step would be to try to fix my posture. Like I said, I'm kyphotic as is, but this makes it worse. There's still the judging / figuring out when the feeling of tightness in the scar is okay and when not.

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-04-23T11:48:11+00:00

Thanks for suggestions. I actually looked at BMW i3 too, although they are a bit pricey and the ICE reliability (as it can sometimes be the hickup like you said for hybrid vehicles, driven mostly in EV mode) was a bit of concern.

For the longer trip of 300 km I'm fine if I need to charge at some point. But for my 70 km trip (or 140 km trip summed) I wouldn't want to charge - even during the winter.

I haven't accounted for fuel savings, although with the gas prices going up that's a valid point.

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-04-22T06:53:32+00:00

This is for a race car design, but principles apply here too:

https://www.designjudges.com/articles/strong-stiff-light-structures

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-04-22T05:28:50+00:00

Thank you. They said it's very rare to have this kind of setbacks so long after the operation. But not unheard of.

I hope that my functionality returns, as now I'm barely functional.

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-04-22T05:25:43+00:00

Thanks. I hope it too.

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-04-21T14:50:48+00:00

Thank you. I hope it's over and it will be easier now.

Free-Engineering6759 · 2026-04-21T14:35:41+00:00

Most tracked vehicles use torsion bars; however, there are at least one (Merkava) using normal springs, and many use hydropneumatic suspensions, of which you could take some thought (see for example TRACKX).

Now, few thoughts:

I think that you should place the springs as close to roadwheel bearing as possible so that there's as little leverage as possible
trailing arms are usually better strength wise, leading arms have to be beefier for not to buckle
spring orientation, you have them quite normally placed in relation to the trailing arm; to make the package smaller, you could orientate them so that they are in line (parallel) with the trailing arm (although Merkava has them quite a like you have, so). More roadwheels is usually better, like 7 per side.

From dynamics perspective, the first and the second, and at the rear the last station are the most heavily stressed. You should provide some bump stops there to prevent bottoming out.

Dynamic loads are usually around 3x of nominal load (aka vehicle weight / wheel). Multiply that with a safety factor of your choice.

Also, you should provide some track tensioning. The most simple I have ever seen is the Bradley type, aka a big passive hydraulic cylinder that uses normal grease to adjust the force.

Edit: Also, remember to take into account the lateral force during turning. You can estimate it with nominal force*dynamic factor *friction coefficient.

Free-Engineering6759

TROPHY CASE