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by jalayir 3311 days ago
> Almost everything the Soviets built

The T-34. The epitome of sound, sensible, pragmatic engineering.

2 comments

In the early part of the war the T-34 outclassed everything the Germans had. More were lost to mechanical failure than enemy action. As the war went on, the Soviets continued to simplify it until it became classic example of Soviet design we know about today (like the AK-47).

The extreme weather conditions and lack of availability of spare parts in the USSR lead to some awesome engineering:

Soviet aircraft can operate from the world's shittiest airfields: https://youtu.be/uWUG1FuALaw

MiG-29 has extra intakes on top so it doesn't suck in junk from said airfields: https://youtu.be/MpPSPQq7oas

Russian trucks: https://youtu.be/5BRu-XGKdgU

Yes if only we had built a version under licence better bigger turret with the 17 Pounder and a bustle to fit the extra radio gear - poor radio coms and training was the soviet tankers weekness