In this article we'll focus on exotic Soviet military snow vehicles, and some civilian and scientific applications of these machines.
"Kharkovchanka" helped Soviet expeditions to reach the South Pole multiple times, and according to some sources, still remains in use at Russian polar stations. They praise the vehicle as the best ice/snow transportation ever made.
This page details Russian South Pole Traverse, using five tractors and ten towed sledges:
It's a Cold, Cold, Cold War
Any war on Russian territory always comes down to who has the best ability to cope with extreme winter conditions and the absence of any kind of roads. Add to it the huge distances to cover and no infrastructure to help you out if anything breaks down. Well, with these "aero-sled" prototypes (and a bottle of vodka) you can get anywhere, even in seemingly infinite Siberia.
The first aero-sled divisions were supplied to Russian Army in 1941 and battled against Nazis in the winter of 1942. The Germans were amazed to see such winter mobility, being hopelessly mired in snow & mud covered Russian countryside themselves. RF-8 model was especially successful, being the result of many 1932-1941 prototypes, designed by engineer M. Veselovski.
One nice feature of these models was the use of a normal automotive engine, not the custom airplane one. It was easy to repair and had a propeller, made from steel, not wood - increasing its ability to break through dense snow-covered forest.
This page details Russian South Pole Traverse, using five tractors and ten towed sledges:
Any war on Russian territory always comes down to who has the best ability to cope with extreme winter conditions and the absence of any kind of roads. Add to it the huge distances to cover and no infrastructure to help you out if anything breaks down. Well, with these "aero-sled" prototypes (and a bottle of vodka) you can get anywhere, even in seemingly infinite Siberia.
The first aero-sled divisions were supplied to Russian Army in 1941 and battled against Nazis in the winter of 1942. The Germans were amazed to see such winter mobility, being hopelessly mired in snow & mud covered Russian countryside themselves. RF-8 model was especially successful, being the result of many 1932-1941 prototypes, designed by engineer M. Veselovski.
One nice feature of these models was the use of a normal automotive engine, not the custom airplane one. It was easy to repair and had a propeller, made from steel, not wood - increasing its ability to break through dense snow-covered forest.
