Motorized Freak of the Week: Russian ZiL Screw-Propelled Truck Thing

[Gary 351C]

Re: Motorized Freak of the Week: Russian ZiL Screw-Propelled Truck Thing

That's actually brilliant, I wonder why that technology never took off.

[oldsman496]

Re: Motorized Freak of the Week: Russian ZiL Screw-Propelled Truck Thing

wellllll - that thing was a product of the 'soviet union'... I'm sure it broke down - allot.

[tiresmoke!]

Re: Motorized Freak of the Week: Russian ZiL Screw-Propelled Truck Thing

Yeah..quality control never seemed to be the former USSR's strong suit.

Soviet mechanized products always had a weird vibe about them.......they might be able to go through anything, but the outward appearance was just...."off".

Hard to quantify, but there are those who likely now what I mean.....don't suppose Virgil Exener moonlighted for the "Reds" doing design work do ya?

;D

[CTX-SLPR]

Re: Motorized Freak of the Week: Russian ZiL Screw-Propelled Truck Thing

Russians make good brute force things. I'd take an AK-47 over an M-16 if I to pick anyday. The T-34 was the best tank of WWII (The Great Patriotic War from their perspective). Having played in the "toy yard" at the USAF weapons school I have to say there are a lot of good things about their armoured vehicles. However they don't tend to do well when it comes to precision things and other tight tolerance requiring items.

I think it never took off because the applications for it would be relatively limited since if you were on hard ground it'd chew the screws up and if it got too heavy it wouldn't float anymore. Polar exploration, swamps, mud, and other mixed condition or low ground pressure environments would be great, otherwise it'd not be any better or even as good as most alternatives.