Strange WWII Facts

[kaaskop49]

attn cmort

Great post! The Soviets were famous for reverse engineering items they needed. They did a complete reverse copy of our B-29 bomber, from one of our planes which landed on their territory. They even duplicated a patch on the original's outer skin which had been fitted to repair flak damage. Can't recall the Soviet designation.

The diesel engine on the T-34 tank, I understand, was a rip-off of an Italian design. And the engine of the Mig-15 fighter was purloined from the British Rolls-Royce design. Why pay royalties when you don't have to?

I can't believe I used 'rip-off' and 'purloined' in the same paragraph...

 

[zzzippper]

Great post! The Soviets were famous for reverse engineering items they needed. They did a complete reverse copy of our B-29 bomber, from one of our planes which landed on their territory. They even duplicated a patch on the original's outer skin which had been fitted to repair flak damage. Can't recall the Soviet designation.

The diesel engine on the T-34 tank, I understand, was a rip-off of an Italian design. And the engine of the Mig-15 fighter was purloined from the British Rolls-Royce design. Why pay royalties when you don't have to?

I can't believe I used 'rip-off' and 'purloined' in the same paragraph...

The B-29 clone was designated the T-4 and came as a very bad surprise when it appeared during a May Day flyover. The Tupelov company was under extreme duress to make it work, the kind of duress that only Stalin could apply. They even solved the engine problems that caused them to catch fire.

If the T-34 stole an Italian design they must have done extensive rework on it. The T-34 was unlike anything the Germans had ever seen. And the Italian armor corps riveled only their navy in...wow, words escape me!

 

[mjr]

The T-34 was unlike anything the Germans had ever seen.

IIRC, the T-34 suspension system was really designed by an American, John Walter Christie, who initially offered it to the U.S. Army--which wasn't interested. So he offered the design to several European powers and to the Soviets, who took it and ran with it.

 

[zzzippper]

IIRC, the T-34 suspension system was really designed by an American, John Walter Christie, who initially offered it to the U.S. Army--which wasn't interested. So he offered the design to several European powers and to the Soviets, who took it and ran with it.

The US tried it out at Aberdeen during the '30s but apparently they didn't like it.

WebCite query result

 

[cmort666]

The US tried it out at Aberdeen during the '30s but apparently they didn't like it.

The fundamental concept of Christie's suspension was good. HIS implementation of it was flawed.

The Soviets took the suspension system at it's core and developed it into a highly effective basis for tanks FAR better than what Christie probably would have come up with as production items... if he ever did.

 

[cmort666]

The B-29 clone was designated the T-4 and came as a very bad surprise when it appeared during a May Day flyover. The Tupelov company was under extreme duress to make it work, the kind of duress that only Stalin could apply. They even solved the engine problems that caused them to catch fire.

The Chinese were using the airborne early warning version at least as late as the '70s.

One was also the centerpiece of the Richard Widmark action film "Hell and High Water".