Yak-42 and Mi-8

A couple of vehicles of a (slightly) different kind - a Yak-42 and a Mi-8 installations seen during one of my recent trips to VDNKh, I think, it was on August 1, 2015.

First the Yak-42 behind which is the Vostok spaceship.

The very same on which Yuri Gagarin went to space (except it's likely a mock-up).

Built during 1980-2003 the Yak-42 is a 100/120-seat three-engined mid-range passenger jet. It was designed as a mid-range passenger jet. It is powered by modern high-bypass turbofan engines

Bonus.

Someone wearing a Velociraptor suit.

The Mil Mi-8.

The Mil Mi-8 is a Soviet-designed medium twin-turbine transport helicopter. There are also armed gunship versions. The Mi-8 is among the world's most-produced helicopters, used by over 50 countries

Both of them together.

Su-27

A vehicle of a (slightly) different kind - a Sukhoi Su-27 installation seen during one of my recent trips to VDNKh, I think, it was on August 1, 2015.

Behind it is the Vostok spaceship.
The very same on which Yuri Gagarin went to space (except it's likely a mock-up).

As wikipedia has it, the Sukhoi Su-27 (NATO reporting name: Flanker) is a twin-enginesupermaneuverablefighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large United States fourth-generation fighters such as the F-14 Tomcat and F-15 Eagle, with 3,530-kilometre (1,910 nmi) range, heavy aircraft ordnance, sophisticated avionics and high manoeuvrability. The Su-27 most often flies air supremacy missions, but its most modern variants are able to perform almost all aerial warfare operations. Complementing the smaller MiG-29, the Su-27 has its closest US counterpart in the F-15 Eagle.

Su-27 hull number 27. 

So who wants this tasty cigar?

Description in Russian.

ZiL 41045, ZiL 41047 and ZiL 41041

This is from one of my other blogs, VreMax, where I reported on this car exhibition that I visited a year ago - in August of 2014. 

Here are a couple of ZiL cars I saw there.


ZiL 41045 Limousine.

Behind it is what seems like the ZiL-41047.

There was also the ZiL-41041 Saloon.

Here it is in pictures from the ZiL's still functioning website, even if the factory isn't.

Lancia Thesis

A Lancia Thesis today in cellphone pictures.

According to wikipedia:

The Lancia Thesis (Type 841) is an executive car produced by Italian automaker Lancia between 2001 and 2009. It was available with naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines ranging between 2.0 and 3.2 litres, in both straight-5 or V6 configurations. Its appearance was based on the 1998 Diàlogos concept car. The production car premiered at the Geneva Motorshow in March 2001 and its interior was displayed for first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Sales started in June 2002 in Italy, with export markets following shortly after.

And it was discontinued in 2009 with only 16,000 units made... but here it is - in the back yard of some cheap apartment houses in a not-too-fashionable district of Moscow. 

I am not going to pretend and say that I remembered (or even knew) right away that it was a Lancia Thesis but once I saw the Lancia badge, the rest was a matter of googling for a few seconds.

Street Scenes - Random Cars

Pictures from my recent trip to central Moscow showing random cars just to show the automotive landscape here in Moscow.

Some taxis. On the left in front is a Ford Galaxy taxi.

A Lada VAZ-21099 sedan flanked by two bummers bimmers.

Two VW Passats, a Ford Transit van, a 1st-Gen Ford Focus.

Lada 112 - 21120 1.5l 16valve GLI - Grand Luxe Injector

This is from my other blog, VreMax, being a car spotting post in both my Moscow Cars and Lada Love series of posts on that particular blog.

I saw this Lada 112 aka Lada VAZ-2112 hatchback in February 2015.

There's no grille, just a slot... which I like as I somehow decided that I like grille-less cars (typically of the 1990s) more than the gaping maws all cars seem to have now - which are fake too for the most part because no way the engine needs that big an opening in the front end.

Overall, its style is dated of course.

However some think that it is unique. 

And I certainly think so too but it does seem to be on the clumsy or even ugly side of things, especially at first, but then it sort of grows on you and you begin to appreciate and even like it. 

Presentation: 2015 Ford Fiesta Sedan and 2015 New Ford Focus

August 8, 2015 was the date of the All-Russia presentation of the 2015 Ford Fiesta Sedan and the new 2015 Ford Focus in the sedan and hatchback versions, and I went to the nearest Ford dealer to attend said presentation.

The Ford Fiesta Sedan, the Ford Focus sedan and hatchback (and the Mondeo sedan) are made locally in Russia at two venues, I think, and are very popular. 

For this presentation I went to a Ford dealer near me.

Photos turned out not too good this time especially, hey, but at least there are lots of them.

There weren't very many people (but there were some at least) at the presentation because it was August 8 and plus 30 Celsius so most were at their dachas or on vacations or otherwise out of town.

A test-drive unit Fiesta Sedan.

I think the sedan, or saloon, version is not sold in all the countries where the Fiesta is sold.

The Fiesta Sedan will be produced locally in Russia along with the Focus (minus the wagon version) and the Mondeo (only in the sedan version) which have been manufactured here for over 10 years already.

Ford Crown Victoria 1st Gen 1992-94 Utah Highway Patrol

This car spot comes from September 2014 (almost a year ago) and from my other blog, VreMax, where it was the subject of a post in Detroit Iron in Moscow (DIM)... which is described as "a series of posts where I do a bit of car spotting and photograph "Detroit iron" in Moscow -- i.e. full-size American automobiles that I see on Moscow streets, lanes and especially in back yards whilst not specifically looking for them". 

This specimen is a Utah Highway Patrol Crown Victoria 1st Gen 1992-94.

'Utah Highway Patrol"... "State Trooper"... You're a long way from home!

You are serving us now.... and we are servicing you... at a great expense no doubt. 

Maybe not - I've no idea what it currently costs to service a Crown Vic in Moscow and and how would you go about it.

However, it is far from the only Crown Vic I have seen (and will likely see) here in Moscow, so it can be done.

We got you... is that a box of donuts on back seat?

I didn't realize Utah Highway Patrol's remit extended as far as Moscow. 

Unfortunately, this time I wasn't able to take more (or better) pictures... for fear of being arrested by the owner of this car.

Exhibition Lada Cars

This is from one of my other blogs, VreMax, where I reported on this car exhibition that I visited a year ago - in August of 2014. 

This entry is about the Lada cars I saw there.

Lada VAZ 2101 Zhiguli (Lada) in a rally livery, not sure if original.

VAZ 2103 Zhiguli (Lada) - the deluxe version of the 2101.

2103 and 2106 behind it.

VAZ 2108 Lada Sputnik. Three-door front wheel drive, the first front wheel drive Lada.

There is an urban myth (or maybe not such a myth) that Porsche engineers helped with suspension tuning. 

There will be more Ladas (and all other cars) in my blog, both museum pieces and daily drivers, both in exhibition hall and on the roads of Moscow. Watch this space (i.e. my blog).

Volga GAZ-21 Parked

A nice catch, i.e. spot, today - a Volga GAZ-21 Third Series parked on a street... and drove off soon after I photographed it.

The GAZ deer emblem.

There it is... parked very expertly right in the shadow of a tree and pretty close to the curb too. 

Parking in the shadow is a must on a hot day like today was - something about + 30C - especially in the case of a classic car (no air conditioner).

And the yellow sticker in the window says the owner is selling it.

The Baleen grille of the Third Series Volga GAZ-21.

For once I got nice pictures through the front passenger window - a nice bench known as a "divan" in Russian which means of course that the shifter is on the steering wheel column.

It has the old original radio in the center of the dash but also a modern unit under it.

There's a clock to the right of the radio too.