Military designers who glorified Russia (14 photos). Made in Russia: What construction sets for STEM education are offered by Russian manufacturers Domestic construction set
Weapons and military equipment have been known since ancient times. During the existence of mankind, hundreds of thousands of samples have been developed - from a stone ax to an intercontinental missile. A huge role in the creation of weapons belongs to domestic designers.
At first in Rus' firearms(both manual and artillery) were called the same - pishchal. A significant difference in the design of hand and artillery arquebuses arose with the advent of matchlocks at the end of the 15th century. Since the 16th century, hand-held arquebuses with a wheel-flint fuse have been known, which were in service with Russian troops until the 18th century.
In 1856, rifled weapons in Russia received the official name - rifle. In the same year, the first Russian six-line (15.24 mm) rifle was adopted. But practice has shown the advantages of small-caliber rifles. Therefore, in 1868, a small-caliber rifle was adopted by the Russian army. It was developed by Russian military engineers A.P. Gorlov and K.I. Ginius with the assistance of the American Colonel X. Berdan. In America, the Berdanka was rightly called the “Russian rifle.”
The patriarchs of the domestic shooting business were S.I. Mosin, N.M. Filatov, V.G. Fedorov. It was they who trained such famous gunsmith designers as P.M. Goryunov, V.A. Degtyarev, M.T. Kalashnikov, Ya.U. Roshchepey, S.G. Simonov, F.V. Tokarev, G.S. Shpagin et al.
Sergei Ivanovich Mosin
The author of the famous three-line rifle of the 1891 model was Sergei Ivanovich Mosin. For the creation of a rifle, distinguished by excellent tactical and technical characteristics, Mosin was awarded the Great Mikhailovsky Prize - the most prestigious award for inventions in the field of artillery and weapons. For Russian inventors, the Mosin three-line rifle became the foundation for research in the field of automatic small arms.
One of the talented creators of domestic weapons, Ya.U. Roshchepey made the first sample of a rifle “from which you can shoot automatically.”
The modernized Mosin rifle was put into service in 1930. On its basis, the designers developed a sniper version and a carbine, which had the same design principles as the 1891/1930 model rifle. It was only in 1944 that production of the Mosin rifle was discontinued. Thus, more than 50 years passed from the first sample manufactured at the Tula Arms Factory on April 16, 1891 to the last. No small arms system in the world has known such longevity.
But the life of the three-ruler did not end there either. After the Great Patriotic War, designers of sporting weapons, using the excellent tactical and technical capabilities of the three-line rifle, created the MTs-12 small-caliber rifle and the MTs-13 arbitrary 7.62 mm rifle. These models have become one of the world's best models and allowed our athletes to win the highest awards at the Olympic Games, World Championships and other major competitions.
Vladimir Grigorievich Fedorov
An outstanding developer of domestic automatic weapons was V.G. Fedorov. In the spring of 1911, Fedorov's automatic rifle passed the first test, and in the summer of 1912 it passed field tests. At the same time, the F.V. rifle, which showed itself well, was tested. Tokarev. Along with domestic systems, eight foreign samples were also tested, but none of them were assessed positively. This was a great victory for the Russian school of machine gunsmiths. But with the outbreak of the First World War, by government decision, work on improving automatic rifles was stopped. Only in 1916 was it possible to equip a special unit with machine guns and send it to the front. This was the first submachine gunner unit in the wars. At that time, no army in the world had them. At the end of the war, aviation began to be armed with Fedorov’s automatic systems.
One of Fedorov’s students and associates was V.A. Degtyarev. In 1927, a machine gun was adopted by the Red Army, which bore the DP mark - “Degtyarev, infantry”. After this, Degtyarev began working on the creation of a domestic machine gun for aviation. In March 1928, the Degtyarev aircraft machine gun was accepted for mass production and replaced the English Lewis machine guns in Soviet aviation.
Degtyarev worked closely with other talented designers - G.S. Shpagin and P.M. Goryunov. The result of their cooperation was a whole series of machine guns. In 1939, a 12.7-mm heavy machine gun of the 1938 model DShK (Degtyarev - Shpagin, large-caliber) entered service. At first it was intended for infantry, but then found application in other branches of the military. Penetrating armor up to 15 mm, the DShK was an effective weapon in the fight against enemy aircraft.
Vasily Alekseevich Degtyarev
When the Great Patriotic War began, Degtyarev was in his seventies. But the designer sought to help front-line soldiers by creating new types of weapons. Since the enemy was strong in tanks, effective means of combating them were urgently needed.
In a very short time, two prototypes of anti-tank rifles were prepared - Degtyarev and Simonov. The Simonov gun had an advantage in rate of fire, while the Degtyarev gun had an advantage in weight and ease of action. Both guns had good fighting qualities and were put into service.
The cooperation between V.A. developed in a special way. Degtyareva with P.M. Goryunov. The young designer created a machine gun that was superior to the machine gun of the Degtyarev system and was recommended by a special commission for adoption. For Vasily Alekseevich this was a surprise and a serious moral test, but when asked which machine gun to adopt, Degtyarev did not hesitate to answer that the heavy machine gun of the Goryunov system should be adopted. The eminent designer in this case showed true nobility and a truly state-like approach.
In May 1943, a new heavy machine gun was put into service under the name "7.62-mm heavy machine gun of the Goryunov system, model 1943 (SG-43)." Front-line soldiers immediately appreciated the high maneuverability of the weapon, simplicity of design, reliability and reliability, relatively light weight, and simplified preparation for firing compared to the Maxim.
The experience of combat use of the Goryunov heavy machine gun and its remarkable combat qualities attracted the attention of tank weapon designers. Soon the decision was made to use the machine gun on medium tanks and armored personnel carriers.
Premature death did not allow the talented designer to realize many of his plans. State Prize P.M. Goryunov was awarded posthumously.
Fedor Vasilievich Tokarev
F.V. was also a talented and original designer. Tokarev. The “Patriarch of Russian Weapons” successfully competed with foreign designers - Browning, Mauser, Colt, Nagant and others. Tokarev created about 150 different types of weapons. He is one of those who stood at the origins of domestic automatic weapons. Tokarev first became acquainted with automatic weapons in 1907. A year later he was firing automatically from a rifle of his own design. In 1913, the Tokarev rifle passed regular tests, ahead of the best foreign models of Browning and Sjögren.
In Soviet times, Tokarev improved the Maxim 1910 model and designed several types of aircraft machine guns. The designer’s great merit is the creation of the TT pistol in the pre-war years.
But the main achievement in Tokarev’s creative life was an automatic rifle. In May 1938, Tokarev presented what he considered to be the best of the 17 rifle models he created. As a result of tests, his rifle showed high quality and was adopted for service under the name “7.62-mm self-loading rifle of the Tokarev system, model 1938 (SVT-38).” The designer worked on its creation for 30 years. On the basis of this rifle, in the same year Tokarev developed a sniper rifle with an optical sight.
Creation of G.S. Shpagin's famous submachine gun (PPSh-41) was preceded by long work on many automatic weapon systems together with V.G. Fedorov and V.A. Degtyarev. This was an important stage in the development of the future designer. The PPSh had undeniable advantages over existing models. The first batch of machine guns was tested at the front, directly in battle. The results exceeded all expectations. The commanders asked to quickly establish mass production of Shpagin assault rifles.
The simplicity of the design and manufacturing technology of machine guns made it possible already in 1941, when some military factories were dismantled and transferred to the east, to launch their production in small enterprises and even in workshops. The PPSh deprived the enemy of the advantage over our army in automatic small arms.
A.I. made a significant contribution to the improvement of domestic small arms. Sudaev. World famous M.T. Kalashnikov considers the Sudaev submachine gun (PPS) “the best submachine gun of the Second World War.” Not a single sample could compare with it in terms of simplicity of design, reliability, trouble-free operation, and ease of use. Sudaev's weapons were very loved by paratroopers, tank crews, scouts, and skiers. To manufacture PPS, it required half the metal and three times less time than for PPS.
In the forefront of gunsmith designers A.I. Sudaev appeared unexpectedly and quickly. Already at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he developed a project for a simplified anti-aircraft gun, and then began working on the creation of a submachine gun. The officer ensured that he was sent to besieged Leningrad and took part directly there in organizing the production of weapons.
The machine gun of Doctor of Technical Sciences, Lieutenant General Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov (1919) is known throughout the world. It is lightweight, compact, reliable, and elegant.
Senior Sergeant M.T. made his first sample. Kalashnikov was made in the locomotive depot where he worked before the war, and at that time was on leave after being seriously wounded and shell-shocked. At the beginning of the war, Mikhail Timofeevich was a tank driver and saw that the tank driver, having jumped out of the damaged vehicle, no longer participated in the battle. The need to arm tank crews with compact, convenient automatic weapons was obvious.
In the spring of 1942, the prototype was ready. However, the homemade machine gun was rejected “for lack of advantages over existing models.” But the commission noted the extraordinary abilities of the senior sergeant, who set a goal for himself: the machine gun must certainly be much better than all existing models.
Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov
The next tests of the new machines took place in traditionally harsh conditions. The competitors, one after another, “left the race”, unable to withstand the most difficult tests. The Kalashnikov assault rifle withstood everything, was recognized as the best and was put into service under the name “7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifle, model 1947.” Kalashnikov is also responsible for the design of a 7.62 mm single machine gun chambered for a rifle cartridge (1961). Subsequently, a team of designers under the leadership of Kalashnikov created a number of modifications of automatic small arms. The 7.62 mm modernized assault rifle (AKM), 7.62 mm light machine gun (RPK) and their varieties were adopted for service. In 1974, AK-74 and AKS-74 assault rifles, RPK-74 and RPKS-74 light machine guns chambered for a 5.45 mm cartridge were created. For the first time in world practice, a series of unified models of small arms appeared, identical in principle of operation and a unified automation scheme. The weapon created by Kalashnikov is distinguished by its simplicity of design, high reliability and efficiency; it is used in the armies of more than 50 countries.
Russian artillery also has a remarkable history., the appearance of which is associated with the name of Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy (1350-1389). It was under him that the cannon foundry business was born.
Russian artillery developed quickly and independently. This is confirmed by its numbers. By the end of the 14th century, there were up to 4 thousand artillery pieces in Rus'.
In the middle of the 15th century, under Ivan III, “cannon huts” appeared, and in 1488 - 1489 the Cannon Yard was built in Moscow. In the workshops of the Cannon Yard, Andrei Chokhov in 1586 cast the largest caliber cannon in the world, its weight is 40 tons, caliber is 890 mm. Currently it is located on the territory of the Moscow Kremlin. The cannon yard was rich in the talents of other foundry masters. Entire “cannon” dynasties and schools appeared. On the squeak of 1491 it was cast that it was made by “Yakovlev’s disciples Vanya and Vasyuk.” The gunners Ignatius, Stepan Petrov, Bogdan Pyatoy and others are known for their successes.
At the beginning of the 17th century, Russian craftsmen made a three-inch bronze arquebus with rifling in the bore. It was the world's first rifled weapon, more than 200 years ahead of the development of artillery technology in other countries. Other evidence has reached our time that advanced technical ideas existed in Russian artillery of that period. Foreigners knew about this and sought to obtain samples of Russian weapons.
After the Northern War, the chief of Russian artillery, Y.V. Bruce wrote to Peter I: “The British fell in love with Siberian cannons... and are asking for one cannon as a sample.”
Andrey Konstantinovich Nartov
The developed industrial base and the talent of domestic designers allowed Peter I to create artillery, which throughout the 18th century remained the most numerous and technically advanced artillery in the world. The famous Russian mechanic A.K. made a great contribution to the development of domestic artillery. Nartov, who in the second quarter of the 18th century created special machines and tools for the production of artillery pieces, was the first in the world to propose an optical sight. However, the most famous invention of A.K. Nartov had a 44-barreled circular rapid-fire battery. 44 bronze mortars were placed on a wheel-shaped machine, divided into 8 sectors of 5-6 barrels each. The design made it possible to fire from all mortars in the sector simultaneously. Then the machine was turned, fired from another sector, and at this time reloading could be done from the opposite side.
A major contribution to the development of Russian artillery was made by Pyotr Ivanovich Shuvalov (1710-1762). Under his leadership, Russian artillery officers M. Danilov, M. Zhukov, M. Martynov, I. Meller, M. Rozhnov in 1757-1759. developed several samples of smooth-bore howitzers for firing with flat and mounted fire. These weapons, depicting a mythical beast with a horn in its forehead, were called “unicorns”. Light and maneuverable guns fired buckshot, cannonballs, explosive grenades, and incendiary shells at a range of up to 4 km. After Russia, unicorns were adopted first by France, then by other European countries and remained in service for over 100 years. Even in those days, Russian artillery accompanied infantry in battle and fired over its own battle formations.
Mikhail Vasilyevich Danilov (1722 - 1790) made a great contribution to the improvement of artillery and pyrotechnics. He invented a 3-pound gun with two barrels, called “twins.” He prepared and published the first Russian artillery course, as well as a manual for the preparation of fireworks and illuminations, in which he gave brief information on the history of pyrotechnics in Russia.
Vladimir Stepanovich Baranovsky
In 1872-1877 artillery engineer V.S. Baranovsky created the first rapid-fire artillery gun and used cartridge loading on it. Unfortunately, the talented designer died tragically during artillery tests. None of the foreign guns could surpass the domestic three-inch gun of the 1902 model, created according to Baranovsky’s ideas by professor of the Mikhailovsky Artillery Academy N.A. Zabudsky.
Russian engineers showed great skill in creating powerful projectiles. Thus, the high-explosive grenade V.I. Rdultovsky appeared in artillery in 1908 and, under the name of the “old high-explosive grenade,” survived until the Great Patriotic War.
Artillery was called the “God of War” during the Great Patriotic War. Before the war, Soviet designers of artillery systems created quite powerful and sophisticated guns and mortars. 76-mm cannon designed by V.G. Hitler's artillery consultant, Professor Wolf, considered Grabin "the best 76-mm gun of the Second World War" and one of "the most ingenious designs in the history of cannon artillery." Under the leadership of Grabin, a 57-mm anti-tank gun, which knew no equal, was created before the war, as well as a powerful 100-mm anti-tank gun. The 152-mm howitzer designed by F.F. was very effective during the war. Petrova.
Vasily Gavrilovich Grabin
In 1943, about half of all artillery weapons of the Red Army were mortars. Many of them were developed under the leadership of B.I. Shavyrina. These are 50-mm company, 82-mm battalion, 120-mm regimental mortars. In October 1944, a 240 mm mortar appeared. In the creation of such powerful mortars, Germany lagged behind the USSR. Only in 1942, using drawings captured from one of the factories in Ukraine, German engineers began production of 122-mm mortars, which were an exact copy of the Soviet ones.
From the second half of the 17th century, rockets began to be used in Rus'. At the end of the 17th century, the young Tsar Peter was also involved in the production of rockets. He founded a special “rocket establishment”, where Peter himself manufactured and launched rockets, and came up with compositions of “fire projectiles”. Peter’s signal flare existed in the army for almost a century and a half. In subsequent years, missile technology in Russia is constantly being improved: new missile shells and launchers are being created, and the basics of missile firing are being developed. The initiator of these cases was Alexander Dmitrievich Zasyadko. Zasyadko’s work was successfully continued by Konstantin Ivanovich Konstantinov. Rockets of his design were used in the Crimean (Eastern) War of 1853-1856.
Subsequently, domestic rocket systems were continued in the famous Katyushas and other multiple launch rocket systems. The developers of new design ideas were domestic scientists N.I. Tikhomirov and V.A. Artemyev. Back in 1912 N.I. Tikhomirov proposed using a missile for military ships. On the basis of the Tikhomirov-Artemyev group and the Moscow group for the study of jet propulsion (GIRD), a jet research institute was formed in 1933. Already in 1939, rocket weapons were first used in the form of aircraft missiles. In 1938, the institute began to develop a installation designed for 24 projectiles of 132 mm caliber.
On June 21, 1941, literally a day before the start of the Great Patriotic War, ground-based rocket launchers were demonstrated to the Government Commission. After the demonstration, a decision was made on the immediate serial production of installations and missiles. Less than a month later, on July 14, 1941, the baptism of fire of a new weapon - the famous Katyusha - took place near Orsha. The formidable weapon was used by the battery of captain I.A. Flerov.
After the war, our scientists I.V. Kurchatov, M.B. Keldysh, A.D. Sakharov, Yu.B. Khariton and others created atomic weapons, and long-range bomber divisions were formed to deliver them. Thus ended the US monopoly on this type of weapon.
Born in 1959 Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN). The creators of intercontinental ballistic missiles, liquid jet engines, control devices and complex ground equipment for them were academicians S.P. Korolev, V.P. Glushko, V.N. Chelomey, N.A. Pilyugin, V.P. Makeev, M.F. Reshetnev, V.P. Barmin, A.M. Isaev, M.K. Yangel and others.
Mikhail Kuzmich Yangel
Thanks to their talent and dedication to their work, launch complexes for medium and short-range ballistic missiles, the Proton rocket and the universal space system Energia - Buran were created, intercontinental missiles (R-16, R-7 and R-9) and medium-range missiles (R-12, R-14).
A new stage in the technical equipment of the Strategic Missile Forces is associated with the creation and placing on combat duty of the RS-16, RS-18, RS-20 missile systems. In these missile systems, our designers used fundamentally new technical solutions that made it possible to increase the effectiveness of the combat use of missiles and enhance their protection from enemy strikes.
The situation and level of development of military affairs also determined the creation of military space forces. Our scientists and designers have developed a unique military space system that has made it possible to significantly increase the effectiveness of various types of troops and types of weapons. Our military satellites are constantly in space, with the help of which reconnaissance, communications and command and control of troops are carried out, the location of ships, aircraft, mobile missile launchers is determined, weapons are aimed at targets, and other tasks are solved.
The history of creation and improvement is very interesting and dynamic. tanks, which began in our country. In May 1915, a tracked vehicle of the Russian designer A. Porokhovshchikov, armed with two machine guns placed in a rotating turret, was tested at the training ground. This is how a fundamentally new type of weapon appeared - the tank. Since then, intense competition in the world has not stopped for the creation of the best armored combat vehicle, increasing its combat properties - firepower, mobility, security.
Mikhail Ilyich Koshkin
Soviet designers M.I. Koshkin, N.A. Kucherenko and A.A. Morozov created the T-34 medium tank, which became the most popular armored vehicle in the world - more than 52 thousand were produced. This is the only machine that went through the entire Second World War without significant design changes - it was so brilliantly conceived and executed.
American military historian M. Caidin wrote: “The T-34 tank was created by people who were able to see the battlefield of the mid-20th century better than anyone else in the West could.” Since December 1943, an 85-mm cannon was installed on the T-34, and its armor-piercing projectile penetrated 100 mm thick armor from a distance of 1000 meters, and a sub-caliber projectile, from a distance of 500 meters, penetrated 138 mm armor, which made it possible to successfully fight the German "tigers" " and "panthers".
Together with the T-34, our heavy KV and IS tanks, created under the leadership of Zh.Ya., successfully operated against the enemy. Kotin and N.L. Dukhova.
Currently, measures are being taken to replace the currently operating T-72 and T-80 tanks with a unified and more advanced T-90 model. The new vehicle has an optical-electronic suppression system, a complex that allows firing a guided missile on the move at a range of 5 kilometers, and a backup fire control system for the crew commander.
The achievements of domestic scientists and designers in the field of shipbuilding. In the middle of the 19th century, the transition from the construction of wooden sailing ships to steam ships began all over the world, and ships made of metal appeared. The Russian Navy is becoming armored.
History has left us with the names of the most famous shipbuilders who were ahead of their time. Particularly interesting is the fate of Pyotr Akindinovich Titov, who became the chief engineer of the largest shipbuilding company and did not even have a certificate of completion of a rural school. The famous Soviet shipbuilder Academician A.N. Krylov considered himself a student of Titov.
In 1834, when the fleet did not have a single metal ship, a submarine made of metal was built at the Alexander Foundry. Its armament consisted of a pole with a harpoon, a powder mine and four launchers for launching missiles.
In 1904, according to the project of I.G. Bubnov, the famous builder of battleships, began the construction of submarines. The Akula and Bars boats created by our craftsmen turned out to be more advanced than the submarines of all the countries that fought in the First World War.
Sergey Nikitich Kovalev
An important role in improving the domestic submarine fleet was played by the Soviet ship designer and inventor, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences Sergei Nikitich Kovalev (1919). Since 1955, he worked as the chief designer of the Leningrad Central Design Bureau "Rubin". Kovalev is the author of over 100 scientific papers and many inventions. Under his leadership, nuclear missile-carrying submarines were created, known abroad under the codes "Yankee", "Delta" and "Typhoon".
The Russian fleet was far ahead of foreign fleets in the development of mine weapons. Effective mines were developed by our compatriots I.I. Fitztum, P.L. Schilling, B.S. Yakobson, N.N. Azarov. The anti-submarine depth charge was created by our scientist B.Yu. Averkiev.
In 1913, Russian designer D.P. Grigorovich built the world's first seaplane. Since then, work has been carried out in the Russian Navy to equip ships as carriers of naval aviation. Air transports created on the Black Sea, which could accommodate up to seven seaplanes, took part in combat operations during the First World War.
A prominent representative of domestic ship designers is Boris Izrailevich Kupensky (1916-1982). He was the chief designer of the Ermine-class patrol ships (1954-1958), the first anti-submarine ships in the Soviet Navy with anti-aircraft missile systems and a gas turbine all-mode power plant (1962-1967), the first nuclear-powered surface combat ship in the USSR Navy power plant and the lead in the series of nuclear-powered missile cruisers "Kirov" (1968-1982) with powerful strike and anti-aircraft weapons and an almost unlimited cruising range.
In no other area of Russian design thought are there so many famous minds as in aircraft industry. OK. Antonov, A.A. Arkhangelsky, R.L. Bartini, R.A. Belyakov, V.F. Bolkhovitinov, D.P. Grigorovich, M.I. Gurevich, S.V. Ilyushin, N.I. Kamov, S.A Lavochkin, A.I. Mikoyan, M.L. Mil, V.M. Myasishchev, V.M. Petlyakov, I.I. Sikorsky, P.S. Sukhoi, A.A. Tupolev, A.S. Yakovlev and others created models of airplanes and helicopters that were in mass production for many years, and many of the technical solutions they found are still used in the design of modern aircraft.
Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky
The designer A.F. became a true innovator. Mozhaisky, 10-15 years ahead of foreign competitors. Mozhaisky created a working model of the aircraft, which in 1877 was presented to the aeronautics commission. The Russian inventor not only showed in detail the design of the future device, but also demonstrated all the elements of flight: takeoff run, takeoff, flight and landing. Subsequently, Captain Mozhaisky created a life-size aircraft, but the commission gave a negative opinion on Mozhaisky’s airplane and recommended that he abandon the creation of an aircraft with a fixed wing and build it “on the model of birds with flapping wings,” with which the designer did not agree. The first unsuccessful flight tests did not stop the officer, and he persistently improved the airplane until his death (spring 1890).
One of the first Russian aviation designers who glorified domestic science and technology was Ya.M. Gakkel (1874-1945). Between 1908 and 1912, he designed 15 aircraft of various types and purposes. At the same time, he continuously improved the quality of the machines and their flight performance.
A landmark event in the history of aviation took place on May 13, 1913 near St. Petersburg. Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky (1880-1992) took into the air an unprecedented aircraft of his own design. Its weight was four times that of the largest airplane at that time. In terms of carrying capacity, the new machine could only be compared with the largest airships of that time. This truly revolutionary aircraft was the Russian Knight.
For a long time, people abroad could not believe that the Russian aircraft designer had succeeded in what was considered impossible in the West. In 1912-1914, under the leadership of Sikorsky, the Grand and Ilya Muromets aircraft were also created, which were distinguished by their long flight range and laid the foundation for multi-engine aviation.
Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev
Of great importance in the history of aviation was the creation under the leadership of Andrei Nikolaevich Tupolev (1888-1972) of the world's largest passenger aircraft ANT-20 "Maxim Gorky" (1934), as well as medium and heavy bombers, torpedo bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Together with N.E. Zhukovsky, he took an active part in the organization of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI). Under his leadership, more than 100 different types of aircraft were designed and built, 70 of which were put into mass production. Aircraft TB-1, TB-3, SB, TB-7, MTB-2, Tu-2 and torpedo boats G-4, G-5 were used during the Great Patriotic War. In the post-war years, under the leadership of Tupolev, a number of aircraft were created for the Soviet Army and Navy, civil aviation, including the first Soviet jet bombers Tu-12 (1947), Tu-16; the first jet passenger aircraft Tu-104 (1954); the first turboprop intercontinental passenger airliner Tu-114 (1957) and the subsequent Tu-124, Tu-134, Tu-154, as well as a number of supersonic aircraft, including the passenger Tu-144.
Tupolev trained many aircraft designers, around whom independent design bureaus subsequently formed: V.M. Petlyakova, P.O. Sukhoi, V.M. Myasishcheva, A.A. Arkhangelsky and others.
An outstanding contribution to the development of domestic aviation was made by designers A.S. Yakovlev, S.A. Lavochkin, A.I. Mikoyan, S.V. Ilyushin and G.M. Beriev. In the design bureaus they led, new fighters, bombers, attack aircraft were designed, tested and put into mass production in a very short time, flying boats and ship-borne aircraft were created.
Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi
A talented aircraft designer was Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi (1895-1975). Under his leadership, more than 50 aircraft designs were created, many of which were distinguished by high flight performance and combat characteristics. A multi-purpose aircraft of his design (Su-2) was successfully used during the Great Patriotic War. In 1942-1943, he created the Su-6 armored attack aircraft. Sukhoi is also one of the founders of Soviet jet and supersonic aviation. In the post-war years, the design bureau, under his leadership, developed jet aircraft Su-9, Su-10, Su-15, etc., and in 1955-1956 - supersonic jet aircraft with swept and delta wings (Su-7b, etc.). Aircraft designed by Sukhoi set 2 world altitude records (1959 and 1962) and 2 world speed records on a closed route (1960 and 1962).
In the coming years, the Su-24M front-line bomber will be replaced by the Su-34 multifunctional bomber, which has no analogues in the world. Its main purpose is to hit highly protected point targets at any time of the day and in any weather conditions.
The talent and dedication of our scientists and designers make it possible to have such types of weapons that no other army in the world has. So, only Russia has ekranoplanes. The general designer of the first ekranoplanes is R.E. Alekseev. At the end of the 40s, he created a hydrofoil torpedo boat with a speed unprecedented at that time - 140 km/h and high seaworthiness. The subsequent “Rockets” and “Meteors” were the brainchild of a military scientist.
In the West, ekranoplanes were also designed, but after a number of failures they stopped working. In our country, ekranoplanes were created in various versions: attack, anti-submarine, rescue. The ekranoplan with a displacement of more than 500 tons and a speed of 400-500 km/h was tested by the general designer himself. The unique equipment is capable of not only landing for military purposes, but also carrying out peaceful passenger and cargo transportation, and conducting rescue and research work.
The Ka-50 anti-tank helicopter, called the “Black Shark,” also has no analogues. Since 1982, this combat vehicle has won various competitions more than once and amazed specialists at various exhibitions.
The helicopter has powerful weapons. It is equipped with NURS units, Vikhr ATGM launchers with laser beam guidance, and a 30 mm cannon with 500 rounds of ammunition. Missiles are launched from 8-10 kilometers, that is, outside the range of enemy air defense. The pilot's ejection seat and preliminary shooting of the helicopter blades ensure the pilot's rescue over the entire range of speeds and altitudes, including zero.
The Russian land has always been rich in talents; we showed the world Mendeleev and Korolev, Popov and Kalashnikov. The list of outstanding domestic military designers can be continued for a very long time. The sword of the Russian army was forged by the labor and intellect of many hundreds and thousands of our compatriots.
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The world's first modular construction set, Fanclastic, is a unique educational game for children, developed in Russia and has no analogues in the world. Unlike classic children's construction sets LEGO, Brick, Bela, LOZ and others, which use a flat connection of parts, the Fanclastic construction set uses an original three-dimensional method of connecting elements, limitlessly expanding the assembly possibilities and the range of assembled models. The strongest connection of parts of the Fanclastic construction set among all plastic construction sets makes it possible to create three-dimensional models up to 3 meters high. In this way, you will even be able to assemble a model of the Ostankino TV tower, the height of which will be limited only by the height of the ceilings of your room. Models assembled from parts of the Fanclastic construction set are distinguished not only by high strength, but also by mobility - you can take them with you and play with them without fear for the integrity of both the individual parts of the construction set and the assembled structure. The main advantage of the Fanclastic children's construction set is the ability to assemble not just an unlimited type of models, but truly very large models - tall skyscrapers up to 3 meters high or huge spaceships up to 1.4 meters long.
From any Fanclastic construction set you can assemble not only the models presented as an example, but also anything you want. The types of models are limited only by the child’s imagination and the number of Fanclastic construction set elements in one set. Children will never get tired of the Fanclastic construction set - models can be remade, completed, combined, each time getting something new and unusual. To expand the possibilities for assembling various models, each Fanclastic construction set includes an adapter for connecting Fanclastic parts with parts of the popular LEGO constructor!
For the first acquaintance with the Fanclastic construction set, various starter sets have been created, the main difference of which is the number and color of the parts included in the set, as well as ideas for approximate designs, the assembly of which is discussed step by step in the booklet included in each construction set. Let us briefly describe the main starting sets of the Fanclastic constructor.
The “Architecture” set allows you to collect three-dimensional architectural objects of almost any shape or shape: towers and skyscrapers, spaceports and airports, bridges, lighthouses and even entire cities.
The “Cosmoclastics” set includes parts in three colors: red, blue and white and is intended for assembling three models of spaceships. These are the combat starship Delta, the intergalactic ship Infinity and the landing spaceship Omega.
The Zoosaurus set allows you to assemble models of ancient and modern animals for your home zoo collection. Animal models are assembled from parts in yellow, green and brown colors.
The Robotics set allows you to assemble various models of robots, each of which has its own unique capabilities.
The Militeric set will allow you to assemble models of military equipment - the Armata M tank, a helicopter, an attack aircraft and even a submarine. You can become the master of the three elements of the planet FANCLASTIC, gaining dominance on earth, in the air and under water.
The “Monsterology” set allows you to collect figurines of funny monsters. These cute creatures are a good addition to the series “Robotics”, “Cosmoclastics” or “Architecture”.
The Blasterology set includes the best blasters in the world, such as the Hyper Blaster, a modern heavy weapon that uses pulse cartridges, and the Mega Blaster and Mini Blaster, which fire plasma beams.
The “Geometrics” set is intended for creating three-dimensional geometric shapes and objects - pyramids, Planetoid ball, Fractal and Phantasius models, which are regular spatial lattices.
The Fanclastic construction set has no upper age category restrictions - thanks to its unique capabilities, Fanclastic is equally interesting for both children and adults. The Fanclastic construction set for children can be used for playing at home, for school activities, and for holding creative competitions. Some models are educational puzzles, since the child is asked to assemble them without the help of diagrams and video instructions.
During the academic year 2016-2017, the first smart construction set “Fanclastic” became a worthy participant in the educational process in Russia. Educational projects created on its basis clearly demonstrate how design and modeling contribute to the ability to analyze and form creative thinking. Representatives of education and business from all over the country are showing interest in the designer - from Yalta and Gatchina to Murmansk and Vladivostok.
Since its appearance on the market, the Fanclastic construction set has been participating in educational exhibitions, forums, and master classes, where it presents its educational methods. The geography of our presence is constantly expanding, school institutions are actively ordering construction sets for teaching children, and regions are showing more and more interest.
Tournaments and Olympiads
On August 29, 2016, the Fanclastic team, represented by commercial director Nina Myshanskaya and technical director Alexey Skvortsov, participated in an educational and business program organized by the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution All-Russian Children's Center Orlyonok, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, as well as the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.
From October 12 to 14, 2016, representatives of the designer discussed the prospects for organizing children's recreation at the All-Russian Forum “Children's Camp - a New Educational Space,” held at the Artek International Children's Center.
In May 2017, Fanclastic again became a guest of Artek, already in the person of a partner from Rostov-on-Don, this time in the finals of the Second Open All-Russian Olympiad in 3D Technologies. By this time - in less than a year - the designer had established himself as a regular participant in Olympiads and tournaments.
On February 19, the design team participated in the XXVIII Mathematical Festival, which attracted Moscow State University. Lomonosov more than 9 thousand sixth- and seventh-graders from different cities of Russia. Thanks to “Fanclastic”, children at the “Forest Fairy Tale” health camp were introduced to the basics of 3D modeling, where, according to tradition, a change of the intellectual camp of the “Success” center was organized for gifted children from Gatchina and Gatchina district with the support of the information and methodological center of the village.
New World (IMC). In the Murmansk region, the designer conducted master classes as part of the all-Russian event “Library Night-2017”, and also collaborated with the Murmansk Regional Puppet Theater.
Also, the designer "Fanclastic" became a partner of the large festival "Jumble in Orlyonok 2017" and presented gifts to the winners of the Rostov "Jumble".
Educational forums and international exhibitions
From November 12 to 14, 2016, at the second International Scientific and Practical Conference "Wind of Change - 2016", held at the All-Russian Children's Center "Ocean" in Vladivostok, the educational community was shown the capabilities of the special educational project "Fanclastic Designer's Workshop".
From February 1 to 6, the Fanclastic team visited the largest international exhibition of toys and games Spielwarenmesse, which is held annually in Nuremberg. Over the course of a week, the event, which hosted 2,871 companies from 63 countries, was attended by about 73 thousand people from all over the world. Russia was represented at the exhibition by 24 manufacturers, many of them - including Fanclastic - for the first time.
On February 7, the “Pedagogical STEM Park” opened on the territory of the Moscow City Pedagogical University - a project aimed at training teachers of preschool, general and vocational education. “Fanclastic” with its program “Fanclastic Design Workshop” became one of its first participants.
From March 27 to March 29, 2017, the designer participated in the VII Interregional Interdepartmental Educational Forum and advanced training courses for specialists in additional education, extracurricular and cultural and leisure activities.
From April 12 to 15, “Fanclastic” showed its capabilities within the framework of the Moscow International Education Fair, held at VDNKh. This year's theme was “A New Ecosystem for Education.” At the event, representatives of companies and computer program developers announced projects aimed at creating more visual methods for presenting educational material and developing creative and research abilities among schoolchildren. As part of the MIEF 2017, representatives of the designer “Fanclastic” also spoke at the forum of contract and resource managers of educational organizations and suppliers of goods and services for the education sector “COMPETENT PURCHASING. PROFITABLE SUPPLIER." During the discussion, participants discussed the need of educational organizations and the willingness of manufacturers to supply and combine technologically and functionally interrelated goods and services into one lot when purchasing.
The project was also presented within the framework of the pedagogical forum “Teachers of Russia” in Yalta and became a participant in the forum “Teachers of Russia: “INNOVATIONS IN EDUCATION” in Rostov-on-Don.
Charity events On December 4, 2016, at the Moscow cultural center "ZIL", the designer "Fanclastic" held master classes at a charity pre-New Year event for children with hearing impairments, organized by the MEGOGO online cinema with the assistance of the National Social Fund.
In mid-December, Fanclastic became a partner of the first bocce tournament, organized by the regional public organization of disabled people “Perspective”. "Perspective" is one of the leading Russian organizations defending the rights of people with disabilities, a member of Inclusion Europe and a participant in the international initiative "Born to Move", aimed at increasing the physical activity of the population.
Unique educational programs
The breakthrough into the educational sphere for the Russian designer was, first of all, provided by the “Fanclastic Construction Workshop” program for students aged 7-12, which was first presented in November 2016 and since then has managed to participate in several educational exhibitions. During the course, children learn not so much how to assemble models, but rather the universal skill of finding the right solutions and turning them into constructs, modeling objects in the surrounding world, coming up with design, structure, composition, game rules, scenarios and plots.
In addition, the program became the absolute winner of the “Teachers’ Choice” competition and won in the category “Equipment and teaching aids for a technical focus, including preschool robotics” and was recommended by the pedagogical community for elementary schools. The competition was held as part of the VII Interregional Interdepartmental Educational Forum from March 27 to 29 in Moscow.
For the same purpose, the computer modeling program Fanclastic 3D Designer was created. With its help, any user can not only create unique models from construction kit parts, but also animate them, and then take part in virtual competitions.
Another program, “Project activities in elementary schools based on Fanсlastiс construction sets,” successfully passed the examination of the Moscow Institute of Open Education and is recommended for advanced training of teachers of primary general and additional education. The course acts as a starting module that introduces students to the Terra Fanklastic design and modeling laboratory in the Pedagogical STEM Park, created as part of a public-private partnership between the Association of Art Industry Market Participants and the Moscow City Pedagogical University.
At the moment, the Moscow City Pedagogical University is recruiting teachers to study under a special program. Teachers from MPGU pedagogical colleges involved in training teaching staff for primary classes have already completed the training program in the Fanclastic design and modeling laboratory. In the near future, teachers from Moscow schools 2030 and 657 will undergo advanced training in the use of the Fanclastic constructor.
All educational projects are created with the intention of promoting the development of cognitive activity in children aimed at exploring, creating and using new technologies. In order not to lose children's innate creativity and imagination, it is necessary to create situations for the development of children's creative abilities throughout all years of schooling. And this can be done within the framework of additional education - in clubs and sections, with programs offered by the developers of the Russian designer.
Dmitry Sokolov invented and patented a three-dimensional constructor that develops spatial thinking. In 2016, toy sales brought him 18 million rubles. revenue
(Photo: Oleg Yakovlev / RBC)
Chairs, vases, shelving, paper folders - in the office of the inventor of the Fanclastic construction set, everything is assembled from toy parts. This is not a museum or a playroom, but a workspace: you can actually sit on the chairs, and the shelves can support the weight of heavy books. Strength is ensured by a special connection that imitates the principle of a crystal lattice, assures Dmitry Sokolov.
He became obsessed with construction kits as a child, and the idea for a Lego analogue came to him more than 20 years ago. “A standard part in a construction set can usually only be attached from the bottom or top, and you can only assemble what is drawn on the box. This always irritated me very much,” says Sokolov. He decided to create a construction set with a new type of three-dimensional fastenings - any part can be attached to another in different ways.
Toy market
Every year, Russian children are less and less interested in traditional toys like dolls and cars, according to a report by the research company NPD Group. They are being replaced by construction sets, puzzles and board games. In the first half of 2016, traditional toys occupied 37% of the Russian market, while a year earlier their share was 40%. The fastest growing category is construction kits. In the first half of 2016, sales of construction toys in large retail chains increased by 33% compared to the same period in 2015. Despite the fact that the average bill for construction sets is 20% higher than for other toys . The trend is global - according to NPD, in the USA sales of construction toys in 2015 grew by 9% in monetary terms, and in Europe - by 13%. Sets released under licenses from film and cartoon producers are in great demand.
Factory standard
Dmitry Sokolov studied at the 57th mathematical school in Moscow, then at MSTU. Bauman. In the 1990s, Sokolov got a job at the Moscow Borets compressor plant, where he was involved in production automation, and in 2000 he moved to a similar position at the Khrapunov Tool Plant (KHIZ) in the Moscow region.
“I had the idea of a designer for many years, but there were neither production conditions nor finances,” says Dmitry. “Once I showed sketches and drawings to the now deceased director of Khiz Sergei Khalturin. He appreciated and agreed to support.” In 2013, Sokolov entered into an agreement with KhIZ, according to which the rights to the product remain with the inventor, and all commercial activities are conducted on behalf of KhIZ JSC; the company does not disclose the proportion in which profits will be divided. Now Dmitry holds the position of director of TD KHIZ LLC, a subsidiary of the plant. In total, about 35 million rubles were invested in the production of designers, some of which were investments from the plant, and some were Sokolov’s savings.
The company had everything necessary for the production of the designer set. In Soviet times, KhIZ produced cutters for the defense industry; now, in addition to cutting tools, they produce packaging for Rollton, Doshirak, Ot Martin crackers and seeds, and other food products.
Dmitry needed to write a program to automate production and order molds. The inventor himself created 3D drawings of the molds and ordered a prototype version in China. The samples took a long time, and each of the five molds cost the creators $14 thousand. At the same time, the quality of the designer’s trial batches was lame - during the tests it turned out that some parts did not fit together completely, which is why the structure could fall apart. The Chinese partners were replaced by a Russian company, which produced 11 molds of the required quality. In total, producers spent about 20 million rubles at this stage. The raw materials—ABS plastic granules—were purchased in Germany.
Sokolov installed scales on the production line that measured the exact number of parts in each package. “This is a struggle with the human factor - the packer may have overlooked and instead of 54 pieces of plastic, put 53. And if the cub does not have enough of the last detail, there will be a tragedy,” explains Dmitry.
There is a patent, no sales
The inventor immediately set his sights on global expansion and, first of all, decided to patent his design. He hired a patent attorney to help with the paperwork. Obtaining a Russian patent took about a year and a half and 20 thousand rubles. With international law it turned out to be more complicated: first, the invention must be recognized as an innovation by an international commission, and then a patent must be obtained in each country where the designer will be sold. The procedure is long and expensive - to begin filing patents in 11 countries, Sokolov’s team spent about €100 thousand; the patenting period abroad ranges from two to five years. To date, patents have been obtained in China, the USA and Japan.
Sokolov decided to test trial batches of designers. Dmitry contacted several Moscow schools with an offer to take “Fanclastic” for free. The children immediately found shortcomings in the new construction set. For example, they didn't like dark parts and wanted to build bright models. The connection was also too hard for children's fingers.
Over two years of testing in schools, “Fanclastic” was brought to fruition - the parts became more flexible and brighter, the connection became stronger. The plant cast the first industrial batch of construction sets—1,000 sets for each of eight articles—in the summer of 2015. The inventor did not know how to approach sales, and decided to find a commercial director. This is how he met Nina Myshanskaya, who had been promoting children's products for more than 20 years. “Dmitry is a mathematician and programmer, a man of science, he is infinitely far from the world of commerce. But for me, sales are life, and I was just waiting for such an interesting project,” says Myshanskaya.
Nina is a philosopher by training; she began her career as a manager at the Mart company (Russian distributor of Zapf Creation), which brought to the Russian market such giants of the toy industry as Lego, “living” Baby Born dolls and Zuru robotic fish. During her 13 years of work at Marta, she rose to the rank of sales director and left, deciding to start her own business. “Fanclastic is one of the most ambitious projects I have ever come across,” she assures. Until 2015, Myshanskaya advised Sokolov as an outsourcing expert, and then took the post of commercial director of Khiz.
Creator of the Fanclastic construction set Dmitry Sokolov and commercial director of Khiz Nina Myshanskaya (Photo: Oleg Yakovlev / RBC)
"Fanclastic" in numbers
22% children's construction sets occupy the Russian toy market
500-5000 rub.— retail price of the designer in stores
40% from the retail price is the cost
On 20-30% "Fanclastic" is cheaper than similar Lego sets
2.5 kg weighs the largest set of "Fanclastics"
4 m- the height of the largest tower built from Fanclastic
Source: RBC calculations, company data
“People didn’t figure it out”
In October 2015, the designer first appeared on store shelves. “I knew most of the key wholesalers and retail managers and, using my own authority, tried to convince them that the product, although new, was worthwhile,” recalls Nina.
Sales didn't get off to a particularly good start. According to RBC's source at Detsky Mir, Fanclastic was quickly taken off the shelves due to weak demand. “We have been selling Fanclastic for a year now, but they are taking it sluggishly. People haven’t figured it out yet,” said Daria Gavrina, manager of the League Toys online store. “Although, compared to Western analogues, the price of the designer is good, and the idea itself is interesting.”
Entrepreneurs needed to increase brand awareness so that people would go to the store specifically for Fanclastic, and not for the nameless Lego analogue. “Classic advertising and master classes, which give effect in the case of simple and understandable toys, did not work for us,” says Nina. — In the five minutes that parents devote to the product at the time of purchase, it is impossible to figure out “Fanclastic.” You need to think here."
The bet was made on the Internet. Sokolov developed video tutorials on assembling the most popular models, created and posted an encyclopedia of construction kits on the website. Kits began to be sent to bloggers specializing in design. Cooperation with schools also helped: children talked about how they built from “Fanclastic” in class and asked their parents to buy the same one. Over the entire period of work, about 10 million rubles were spent on promotion.
The market for children's construction sets is quite saturated - in addition to the undisputed leader Lego and hundreds of its analogues, there are metal, magnetic, wooden, ceramic construction sets made in Europe, the USA and Asia. Designers are also produced in Russia: these are wooden “Umnichka Basya”, “Pelsi”, “Shusha”, metal “Samodelkin”, “Tenth Kingdom”, electronic “Connoisseur”, etc.
According to Nina Myshanskaya, “Fanclastic” has trump cards that make the designer stand out among this variety. First of all, this is the ability to fasten any parts in three planes. “This gives scope for imagination: a child can build whatever comes into his head, endlessly add to and rebuild ready-made models,” explains Nina. “You can quickly assemble a large-sized model from Fanclastic.” At the same time, the models turn out to be quite durable - for example, you can play with swords and blasters from the designer.
“When a child sees Fanclastic, he often asks: what is this, is this your new Lego? - says Dmitry. “But we don’t want to compete with Lego, we want to carve out our own niche.” He developed an “adapter” for Lego so that Fanclastic models could be connected to the most popular construction set. The tactic paid off: now Fanclastic is often bought by Lego fans who want to build something new.
Dreams of import
During the 2015/16 New Year season, we managed to sell about 3 thousand sets of “Fanclastic”; during the 2016/17 season, which has not yet ended, we sold already 10 thousand sets. The revenue of KhIZ JSC from the sale of the designer for 2016 amounted to about 18 million rubles, according to RBC calculations. The project has not yet been able to turn a profit, the producers admit: they plan to break even in 2017, and in another four to five years they hope to return the invested funds.
Now the construction set is sold in ten children's retail chains in 40 cities of Russia - IQ Toy, "Seven spans", "Happy Childhood", "Daughters-Sons", etc. The company cooperates with 16 online stores - WildBerries, eBay, Alibaba.com, Ulmart, etc. Six distributors supply Fanclastic to several thousand regional outlets. Book chains (“Respublika”, “Bukvoed”) and large hypermarkets (“Auchan”) buy designer sets, and purchase municipal and private schools and kindergartens. Abroad, “Fanclastic” is presented in Germany and the Czech Republic, but sales there have only just started - in three months, manufacturers earned only a few thousand euros in foreign markets.
Nina Myshanskaya is convinced that low sales at the start are a normal situation for a new product in a competitive toy market: “I remember how stores returned me unfortunate Baby Born dolls in batches - they say, we have our own beautiful dolls from the Kirov factory, and then Baby Born became hit."
As soon as the company’s range reaches several dozen items, manufacturers plan to open retail stores under their own brand. “I dream of selling parts by weight there, so that a child can design his own models and assemble them according to individual drawings,” says Dmitry. Today, three series of “Fanclastics” are popular: “Architecture” (you can build buildings), “Blasterology” (toy weapons) and “Minicraft” (a universal set from which you can assemble animals, plants, robots, etc.). In the coming month, new types of “Fanclastic” with moving parts will appear on sale.
View from the outside
“We need to focus on national color”
Vitaly Polekhin, President of the National Association of Business Angels
“Fanclastic” is another analogue of Lego, which in its current form will not be able to conquer the international market and compete with major international players. The emphasis should be on national flavor: on the Russian market, Lego has the same models as everywhere else, without taking into account our specifics. The Danish designer's commercial success came from partnerships with the creators of cartoons, on the basis of which entire worlds were created. The production of Fanclastics lines based on the plots of everyone’s favorite Russian and Soviet cartoons could be a good chance for the company to take a significant share in the domestic market.”
“The project is attractive to investors only from a patriotic point of view”
Andrey Chirikov, founder of the Sattva Foundation
“I have seen similar construction kits in Europe and Asia. They're popular, but no one has the marketing power of Lego. Nowadays, all the power lies in marketing and a powerful budget, and the company has neither of these at the global level. In Russia, Fanclastic can find its consumer if external conditions help. The project is attractive to investors only from a patriotic point of view.”
"We play on the same field"
Yulia Porfireva, development director of the Russian importer of designer toys Engino
“The market for children's construction sets in Russia is not so large, and of course we know about Fanclastic. We also sell a 3D construction set, but it differs from Fanclastic in a number of ways. Our main product line is educational - it includes key topics in mechanics and robotics. We have solar-powered kits and motorized kits to bring your design to life. We give children the opportunity to build in both 2D and 3D, transforming a 2D model into a 3D model and vice versa without any additional parts. We play on the same field, but we perceive Fanclastic not as a competitor, but as a like-minded person in the field of gaming development for children.”
“Constructors appear frequently, but not all are accepted by the market”
Maxim Detinov, director of the New Toys company, distributor of the CLICS construction set in Russia
“New designers appear quite often, but not all are accepted by the market. Healthy ambition is wonderful. But, it seems to me, “Fanclastic” will be collected by children no younger than eight years old, and manufacturers must take into account that they will have to compete with such serious competitors as tablets and electronic gadgets.”
“Both hemispheres of the brain work”
Tatyana Markova, head of the robotics studio at school No. 2086
“Fanclastic” simultaneously trains spatial and mathematical thinking and engages imagination - both hemispheres of the brain work. A child can build robots, animals, architectural structures, relying only on his imagination. At the same time, you need to have an understanding of the laws of physics, mechanics and geometry: children love to build monumental things, and without correct calculations the structure will simply fall apart. It’s fun - for example, we built bridges from construction sets, which at the end of the lesson we tested for strength under our own weight.”
Children's construction sets are intended for children from 6 months, and some models will attract the interest of even an adult.
What are there
- Magnetic ones are suitable for children from 6 months. They are convenient because the assembled model does not fall apart when touched.
- Luminous - made of plastic and intended for children over 6 years old.
- Plastic– the most diverse of all types: hundreds of colors, dozens of shapes and sizes, making them suitable for children of all ages.
- Electronic models are recommended for children aged 5 years and older, mainly boys. They help you master basic knowledge of physics and electronics.
Amount of elements.
- Age– toys with a small number of simple large parts (10-30 pieces) will be interesting and safe for children, and games with large quantities of small elements (from 30-40 pieces) will appeal to children over 3-4 years old.
- Parts size. Children under 3 years of age are not recommended to assemble sets from small parts (less than 5 cm), because they can be swallowed by him. The younger the child, the larger the toy elements he needs.
- Material. Wooden models are environmentally friendly, but modern plastic ones are not inferior to them in this regard. “Soft” types of construction toys for children will appeal to and will be safe for children aged 6 months – 1.5 years (they cannot injure themselves or others).
- Prices. From 6 rub. up to 16,000 rub. The most popular ones are in the price category of 1,500 – 3,000 rubles.