I think that the desire to embody the fabulous "our sledges go by themselves" appeared exactly at the moment when he screwed the internal combustion engine to his "rail car". However, if everything was clear with the engine - it was invented, then things were much more complicated with the mover. The snow wheel is not very suitable. It still rides on a dense and rolled (and who rolls it), but not on a "plump" one. An excellent way out is skids or skis, but they cannot be a propeller, and the obvious track-drive technology at the beginning, and by the middle of the last century, did not develop further than tarpaulin rags with transverse hooks. The version of metal tracks for small equipment, of course, did not fit.

Snowmobile

A way out was found: on the wave of aviation, striding by leaps and bounds, an aircraft engine was attached to the "cart" standing on three or four skis and equipped with an aircraft propeller. I didn't even have to redo anything - they just turned the propeller backwards so that it went from pulling to pushing - and let's go.

Snowmobile KA-30

Snowmobiles were quite popular in Siberia and the Far North, plying along frozen river beds, serving remote settlements, drills and geologists, as well as reindeer breeders living in the tundra. Snowmobiles were widely used during the Great Patriotic War, both by our troops and by the Germans.

One of the most popular and mass-produced models in the USSR was the Sever-2 snowmobile, developed at the Kamov Design Bureau in 1959. The body of the GAZ-20 Pobeda car was taken as a basis, to which skis and an AI-14 aircraft engine were attached - a radial nine-cylinder unit with a volume of 10.4 liters and a capacity of 260 hp. The speed of the car was low, the fuel consumption was noticeable, and such a car could carry a little cargo or passengers.

However, much closer to our snowmobile theme are the numerous self-made vehicles that small-town "kulibins" built in huge quantities in workshops and garages, since the design did not have any particularly complex elements. The body was often absent altogether: a seat on the frame, skis, a motor, a propeller - and forward.

The obvious disadvantages of any snowmobile are high fuel consumption at not the highest speeds, mediocre handling, almost complete absence of brakes, difficulty in overcoming deep sections of powder and not the best acoustic comfort for riders. Apparently for the combination of these reasons, the topic of a hybrid of an airplane and a sled did not find development.

Puker-karakat

Machines on low-pressure wheels - pneumatics - turned out to be much more efficient and versatile. In different parts of the country they are called differently: caracats, pneumatics and even pukers, but the meaning does not change from this. Snowmobiles in the strict sense of the word caracats are partly related, since they are able to move on any surfaces from swampy swamps to hard grounds and snow, and even know how to swim. However, it is in winter that these devices can be found most often.

Karakat on the units and frame of the Izh Planeta-5 motorcycle - a classic of the genre

The design of such machines is most often based on a motorcycle engine from Izh, Minsk or Voskhod, and now the craftsmen are also installing Chinese units. The layout can be three- or four-wheeled. If the three-wheeled version is most often a modified motorcycle, then four wheels already required the manufacture of an independent frame.

The main advantages are simplicity and low cost of manufacturing in a garage. This is the reason for the popularity of pukers to this day. However, this type of snow machines has quite a few drawbacks: the inability to drive in deep snow, low speed, poor handling, the invincible "tenderness" of wheels made from cameras of trucks and tractors. Naturally, there can be no question of any entertaining use of such machines: the maximum they can do is move a body or two in space. Slow and boring.

Moto dog is a friend of man

Once a motorcycle in the USSR was a very common transport, which, in the first place, led to the appearance of a large number of caracats. However, now to find an old, but serviceable motorcycle in the garage is still a task, and not everyone has time for "self-fingering", and the need for a cheap and compact snow vehicle has not gone anywhere. The same fishermen are not at all sweet to stomp on the ice 5-10 kilometers to a cool place, but buying a snowmobile for this is also not an option. Therefore, at the moment, the most compact, simple and cheap way to move yourself and a small load on shallow snow is a motorized towing vehicle or a motorized dog.

The simplest frame, caterpillar (most often from Buran) on rollers without any suspension and a motor for power equipment - the same as those used in gas generators and motor pumps. The picture is complemented by a plastic sleigh on a rigid hitch - that's the whole recipe.

Motorized dogs can vary in size and power, have a variator or (much more often) not have one, as well as headlights and seats are all options. But the average design fits into the trunk of a station wagon, which, no doubt, raises its functionality to heaven.

Naturally, it is also impossible to talk about the recreational use of such sledges. Comfort is zero, speed is a little faster than a pedestrian, maneuverability is at the level of a railway car. The slogan “but not on foot” is the best for this transport. Considering that “on foot” is often over ice and many kilometers, it sounds especially important.

Micro snowmobiles

For those who do not want to ride a "trough with a motor", modern industry, both ours and China, offers a higher level of technology - micro-snowmobiles. In terms of layout, these are almost real snowmobiles, perhaps very small. Often, devices have a collapsible design and are also able to fit into the trunk of a large station wagon or minivan.

Microsnowmobile Rybinka produced by Russian Mechanics. Our answer to the Chinese

Such a technique can already be called "real" and is suitable not only for moving yourself and your fishing box from the road to the hole, but can also take part in pokatushki around the dacha.

Of course, there is no need to talk about comfort, dynamics or cross-country ability here, but on the other hand, this is a completely full-fledged snowmobile.

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The Chinese answer to Russian snow: Irbis Dingo

Children's snowmobiles

Someone will say: “Ha, this is a technique for children,” and they will be right only partly. Of course, 125-150 cc micro-snowmobiles are similar to children's ones, but still primarily designed for adult riders. But those who want to introduce the child to the world of snowmobiles should pay attention to special children's models. There are not so many of them: only a few companies produce children's "snowballs" in the world. Among them are Yamaha, Arctic Cat and Russian Mechanics, and all three models are almost identical in performance characteristics.

Domestic RM "Taiga Lynx" - 196 "cubes", 6.5 hp, 75 kg

Children's cars are full-fledged devices, with ergonomics and kinematics of "adult" cars, but on a children's scale. Some young snowmobilers get behind the wheel of such cars when they are five or six years old and, along with adult riders, cut snow on the "wrong foot" and drive through the powder, even if not quickly. For safety reasons, the speed of these vehicles is limited.

Yamaha SRX 120 - Japanese version of the "first snowmobile"

Fat men

At the opposite pole of personal snowmobiling are the "mastodons" - large snowmobiles. There are very few of them in the world - the limited scope of their use affects. Nevertheless, there is a demand for such machines - there is also a supply. BRP recently attempted to market the "luxury" snowmobile, the Ski-Doo Elite, twice. The first attempt took place in the early 80s of the last century.

First generation Ski-Doo Elite

The second incarnation is in 2004. The car was distinguished by a non-standard layout: two tracks and two skis, seating of the driver and passenger side-by-side, and "automobile" controls. Now the "experiment" is closed. With external advantages such as comfort in the "cabin" and softness of the ride, the car turned out to be rather poorly adapted to life outside the prepared tracks. To bury a heavy and clumsy car in the snow is easier than an easy one, but to free it from the snow captivity - seven sweats will do. And in terms of the level of fun and drive, such a "wagon" is noticeably inferior to the usual "snowball".

The second generation of the car was released in 2004, but almost immediately became history.

There are, however, "promising developments" of domestic manufacturers of all-terrain vehicles - NPO Transport. Among the usual tracked transporters there is a machine called TTM-Berkut, built on the units of the Oka car, and its second iteration with a more presentable design, which was presented in 2013. However, the "Russian way", as you know, differs from the paths of the rest of the world, and they will have to understand that such machines are not very viable and practical.

TTM-Berkut - a domestic attempt to make a snowmobile out of a snowmobile

Alpina Sherpa remains the only serial device of such a "square" layout with two tracks and two skis. The snowmobile also has two tracks and two steerable skis, is equipped with a 1.6-liter Peugeot 206 engine with 115 hp. The Sherpa is capable of carrying up to five people on its own, and besides, it has a trailer that can accommodate six more. By the way, a snowmobile can pull more than one sled.

One step forward, two steps back.

If you have read our previous educational program and have not yet changed your mind to deal with the elements, then perhaps you can hit the road. The main thing to remember is that when driving on a snow mass, it is not recommended to allow a strong wheel slip. Firstly, we have just partially flattened the tires and aggressive driving can lead to their disassembly. Secondly, with an unceremonious handling of the accelerator pedal, the risk of burrowing quickly and efficiently is extremely high. We do not need to dig snow, but to roll it - therefore it is better to adhere to the principle of "one step forward, two steps back", especially if the car is moving with tangible resistance. We drove a little and, as soon as we felt that the wheels began to slip more than usual, and the car was moving not forward, but down, we immediately stop moving. We turn on the reverse gear and again "trample" the track, but already back. Then again forward - and so on, until we overcome a noticeable section.

The classic automatic transmission in these cases is more convenient than the manual gearbox - it is easier to provide the moment of starting without slipping with it. On the "mechanics" in this case it is a little harder, but it is easier to use the swinging method and it is more convenient to coast: after a slight acceleration in front of a snowdrift, we squeeze the clutch pedal, and the car makes its way due to its inertia (this is less likely to burrow). It happens that on the virgin soil the car can move comfortably at a constant low speed and without the need to back up every time, but even here you need to be on the lookout all the time in order to stop in time. Still, it is better to drive slowly than to dig for a long time.

Sometimes the virgin land can be overcome at a very high speed - that is, on the move. This is relevant in several cases: for example, you need to "fly" a short and deep snow-covered area; when the snow is soft enough and the soil is hard; there is considerable confidence in their abilities, and a suitable tugboat has been prepared nearby, just in case. However, there may be underwater, or rather snow-covered, stones: at high speed there is a risk of flying into something really heavy and bending the suspension and steering elements at the same time, or even worse - breaking through the engine sump or gearbox. Also, do not forget about the type of car drive: it is clear that all-wheel drive is preferable in this case. But if you manage to find yourself in the field in a rear-wheel drive car, you need to load the rear axle whenever possible (with things or people - it doesn't matter). So a little weight distribution of the car will become more correct (remember what a rogue the legendary Zaporozhets was!). If the car is front-wheel or all-wheel drive, then at the moment when it is moving with difficulty, you need to turn the steering wheel at small angles more often - this way the tire gets additional grip.

Scarb to help

To overcome off-road conditions, you can find many useful things even in the standard equipment of your car. So, for example, instead of snow chains, which seriously improve the vehicle's permeability on almost any off-road, you can use an automobile cable (if the cable is of the tape type, then it must be twisted so that it becomes rounder and thicker) or ordinary ropes. To do this, you can use both a solid cable, and short pieces with which you need to wrap the tire, passing through the holes in the disk. The main thing is that you need to tie it very tightly and make sure that the matter does not cling to the suspension and brake elements. With such home-made devices, the car, even on summer tires, can make its way even in very deep snow. But with slipping here you need to be even more delicate: you can bury yourself, oh, how deep.

Have arrived

But even if you did manage to put your favorite car on the bottom, do not despair - there are no hopeless situations! If you have obeyed the previous advice and removed your foot from the accelerator in time, preventing the car from approaching the center of the earth, then the situation is most likely harmless. Therefore, we take a shovel or any other suitable object (for example, a book, tablet or laptop) in our hands and start digging out the car. If the car is a pavement, then the matter is simpler - most likely you will only have to dig out the space under the bridges. If the car is with independent suspension, then most likely it will be necessary to free all the space in contact with the snow under the bottom and near the wheels. Then we try carefully, without slipping, to get out in reverse.

Does not exceed? Digging even deeper? Then we take out the jack from the trunk (it certainly must be with you!) And raise the deepest part of the car. If the platform is flat, then sometimes such a trick can work: we make sure that the car stands on a jack without a "handbrake" and does not fall, after which we push it, for example, back. The main thing is to make sure that the jack does not harm the integrity of the car, and the car does not roll back into the hole. But usually this method is difficult to implement, so you need to put something under the suspended wheel. Anything will do: boards, branches, unnecessary things ...

And the professionals of this business, that is, the jeepers, even invented special devices - sand trucks of various designs. But even if there are no solid objects at hand, you can try to tamp the snow under the suspended wheel and put a rubber mat or a thick blanket on it to prevent the wheel from falling.

From time immemorial, as soon as the snow cover is established, the peasant drove the cart into the garage and harnessed his horse to the sleigh. It is unlikely that he thought about the physics of rolling and sliding, but he knew for sure - on the snow on a sled is more convenient. And the Chukchi - they scurry about the tundra on sledges all year round and are sure: it is better on reindeer! But the roads have been cleaned at the very least since then, there is no special need to maintain winter and summer trips, and the asphalt is not reindeer moss - you can grind off the runners in a moment.

Only they do not always clean it and not everywhere, even a truck cannot break into another village in winter for weeks - it waits for the bulldozer to push the snow drifts. And there is no need to talk about dachas - to others the road is impassable until spring.

And it would be okay, if you don't get there, you can wait at home when they clear it. But what if the falling snow blocked you at the dacha or cut your way home after a ski trip?

We will discard the option "called, arrived, got out", we will get out on our own. But first, let's scratch the bottom of the barrel, see what can come in handy from the materials at hand.

A pair of steel discs make excellent self-recovery winch drums. You just need to figure out how to fix them on the driving wheels. It turned out to be easy: cut out the middle with holes from the disk, turn it over and weld it with the back side. It turns out a wheel with a huge offset, but this is what we need. In order not to unscrew all the bolts when installing the drums on the wheels, we increase the two diametrically opposite holes. We unscrew two wheel bolts, put on the drum on the other two and pull it to the wheel. The working length of such a winch depends on the diameter of the cable. Kapronovy, as thick as a finger, fits on a drum about 30 m. Kevlarovy, equal in strength, with a diameter of a pencil, will fit all a hundred. Only Kevlar is an expensive pleasure. For reference: such a rope with a diameter of 6 mm can withstand 3.5 tons, but costs under 200 rubles per meter. Ten-ton (!) 11 mm in diameter - more than 300 r / m. And these are the lowest prices!

Anchors for the winch cable are steel corners 60–70 cm long, securely driven into the ground. And so that later they can be pulled out of the frozen ground, crossbars are welded on top.

SHORT RUNNING

Before us is a snowy field. Even with the chains on the front wheels, the "ten" will firmly bog down in the snow after 5 m. We put the drums, drive in anchors and again storm the virgin snow. Quite another matter! And let the bumper rake in the snow - the car goes smoothly and confidently, you can't just turn the steering wheel - the cables come off. The throw distance is determined by the length of the ropes. We have about 30 m - not much, but even taking into account the permutations of the anchors, it turns out faster than cleaning the road with a shovel.

Another observation is that when attacking with winches, snow chains only interfere: catching on the ground under the snow, the car rushes forward, the cables get some slack and can get under the wheels.

So, if you have wheeled winches, no snowdrift is terrible. Traction on them is one and a half times more than in first gear on asphalt. The main thing is not to rip off the bumpers with snow.

PEASANT CELEBRATING ...

Or maybe, following the experience of the peasant, turn the car into something like a sleigh - put the rear wheels of the "dozen" on the skis? Two snowboards easily support its weight and even on loose snow the tail remains “afloat”. There is only one condition - chains for driving wheels are required. But there is no need to constantly drag anchors and there is freedom of maneuver - on such skis our "ten" easily cut several circles on the virgin soil, until one snowboard jumped out from under the wheel in a sharp turn. But if you do not lay the steering wheel too much and moderate the sports passion, you can go. Of course, there is no need to talk about perfected handling, it is better to forget about rearrangements for a while, but it is still better to drive badly than go well. And even more so to sit in a snowdrift. And even if we can't make a full-fledged sled out of snowboards, we consider this experiment a success.

Didn't you have two sports equipment at hand?

It doesn't matter - they can also be made of plywood, preferably bakelite - it is smoother and is not afraid of water. Glides, of course, worse than a snowboard, but skis from it are quite efficient. At least, the Volga overcame the test circle in the snow field on such ones. The only drawback is that skis tend to jump off on steerable wheels in turns, so small radii and vigorous maneuvers on them are contraindicated. Chains to the rear wheels are of course a must, and the gliding on the bonnet will not go unnoticed. But in a critical situation, choose the lesser of two evils. The main thing is that our theory has been tested in practice.

Hood planing will not pass without leaving a trace for him. But in a critical situation, choose the lesser of two evils. The main thing is that our theory has been tested in practice.

FROM WHAT WAS

The owners of the "Volga" are skillful and thrifty people, but they also have a hole. Well, there are no snowboards or plywood in stock - to freeze or something? Not at all - that's why she and the Volga, which was originally adapted for winter. Isn't it a huge ski hood of its own? He unscrewed four nuts - and use it. Tested: excellent glide, natural fit under the wheels, load bearing capacity - enough for the eyes! What else do you need to safely ride in the snow? Of course, there is also a drawback - the car pulls towards the slope of the field, so it will be hard without an assistant correcting the course by pushing into the wing. And the hood itself after such trips will be cheaper to replace than to straighten. We, of course, used the old one, already dented, which had opened in its time when moving (see ZR, 2007, No. 7), but the reliability of the experiment did not suffer from this. And they also say: the end justifies the means. It's all about how much you need to go. To take a woman in labor, you can donate a "removable body part".

Skibob

Basically, it's a bike with skis instead of wheels. Now it is so popular that there is even a World Skibob Championship. The concept of this vehicle was developed back in 1949, but the skibob hit the world market about 10 years ago. For turns, the rider uses two short skis attached to the boots.

Ripsaw EV2

Initially, this colossus was designed for the military as a fast tank with high maneuverability. Later, Ripsaw EV2 became available to everyone who is ready to part with a large amount of money. The nearly four-ton car is powered by a 6.6-liter diesel engine. The Ripsaw EV2 is capable of climbing inclines of 75 ° and has a maximum speed of 104 km / h regardless of the surface.

TH! NK Frost

TH! NK Frost was designed by a student for one of the Norwegian EV companies. Its body resembles a glacier covered with cracks, triangular tracks replace wheels. The torque from the electric motor is transmitted to all four axles. Getting stuck in the snow on such a car is unrealistic, unless the battery runs out.

Mountain horse

This kit (ski in front, track drive in the rear) turns a regular motorcycle into a snow bike, allowing riders to race down slopes at speeds up to 100 km / h. This bike is much easier to maneuver than a snowmobile. In five years of sales, Timbersled has found thousands of fans and even created a new sport.

Snowbird 6

Propeller driven machines were first developed in the 1960s by the Russian Space Agency to deliver astronauts to civilization should they land in the snows of Siberia. Specifically, Snowbird 6 was created to cross the Bering Sea. During this trip, which took place in 2002, he was to swim in water, climb icebergs and ride in the snow. And all this at an average temperature of -40 ºC.

Snow crawler

Snow Crawler is the evolution of snowmobiles. It has a cockpit, an electric motor, and the device itself looks like James Bond is supposed to move on it. While this is just a concept, but it simply must appear in mass production.

Snow glider

The car was designed by father and son Zahradka. Despite its uncomplicated appearance, the Snow Glider can reach speeds of up to 120 km / h. Developers are trying to integrate their snowmobiles into skijoring - a winter sport in which a skier follows a pulling dog, horse, or something motorized like a snowmobile.

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Winter ... The driver, triumphantly, renews the path on the car ... Indeed, thanks to the bad weather and the sluggishness of road services, motorists even in large cities have to make their way through the snow with difficulty. But such a ride, as we remember from the course driving training , is fraught with some troubles. What is the threat of driving in deep snow, and how to properly drive in winter if the snow has just fallen?

Danger at every turn

Anything can hide under the snow: potholes, large pits, curbs, all kinds of stones.

In deep snow, you can easily get stuck so that you cannot do without the help of towing. Car instructors in their classes, they warn their students that there are three states of "dangerous" snow:

"Pukhlyak"

This is freshly fallen snow, very loose and not dense. If there is a lot of it, then it is better to overcome such an obstacle at speed, while maintaining inertia. Snow easily flies to the sides, and it is easy to pass the obstacle.

Heavy and wet snow

Here the salvation will be a decrease in tire pressure. 0.7-1 atmospheres is enough (we look at the situation) for the car to easily ride on such snow.

While driving on such a surface, considerable rolling resistance of the wheels is created, so the car quickly loses its acceleration. Therefore, you should choose the optimal operating mode of the engine and such a gear so as to at least slightly compensate for the resistance and prevent wheel slip. It is better to move, so to speak, in tightness, "trampling" the rut. Thus, you will feel how the car behaves, its engine, wheels and other structural elements directly involved in such a complex task.

Do you feel that the car is going somehow hard, starts to stall? Be sure to stop, but do not use the brakes.

On an automatic transmission, it is enough to take your foot off the gas, and on the mechanics, squeeze the clutch. Back it up, if necessary, get out of the car and see what exactly is stopping you. Then the second attempt, the third and so on. Movements back and forth form a track, along which it will be easier to drive.

It is especially important to prevent wheel slip, otherwise the car will start to get stuck, and the already rolled layer will break off. It is recommended to start driving with the front wheels straight. Try to keep the rear ones on a track trampled by the front ones. This will reduce rolling resistance. But turns should be calculated so that they have the largest possible radius. So, the rear wheels will follow the front track.

Crust and groats

This is the most dangerous snow condition. You need to move on it with extreme caution, with flat tires, up to 0.3 atm. Better to move back and forth, clearing your way. The crust creates more resistance and the wheel grip is minimal.

The best option for driving is in a pair, when the first car serves as a kind of ram, and the second - as insurance, that is, pulls the first back.

Driving rules

Alternately engage reverse and forward gears, gradually clearing your way with the wheels. If you need to turn, then follow these rules:

• You are approaching the bend in a straight line.
• The steering wheel needs to be slightly turned in the direction opposite to the turn, and then drive back. At this stage, half of each wheel of the car must pass the already rolled track, while the other half expands this track.
• Next, turn the steering wheel slightly towards the turn and go forward. The rolled track is widened.
• We repeat the previous two steps until we pass the turn.

Video on how to ride in deep snow:

Easy and calm road for you!

Image taken from club-picanto.ru