Yakolev Yak-40.

 The Russian jet that just keeps going?

One reason for the longevity of the Yak-40 is that there is no alternative to it in Russia, compared to western types in business jets has big profits financially behind them and a demand for comfort and entertainment, if not rest and relaxation?

But the Yak-40 has held its ground as a small airline, a business jet and in the field of being an air ambulance, which is handy when dealing with long distances to be covered across Siberia, but it also has many other functions with the military and with combined-cargo operations moving smaller things to remote places!

The Yak-40 may be coming to the end of its working career, but until a new replacement is found it will soldier on in the role of being an essential air ambulance for remote places and moving essential staff to where they are needed!

Antonov Family An-24-32. Part-One.

Western equivalents of the De Haviland DHC-5-8 and Fokker F25/50.

In fact there are many western equivalents of this most successful Soviet to present Russian federation series of medium transport aircraft. Both the military and civil airlines always have a demand for a capable 30-60 seat aircraft and Antonov made its tremendous hit from 1960 with the introduction of the first An-24 N.A.T.O. code named Coke transport to meet this role.

All four types are basically improvements of the previous and over 1000 have been built, with licence to China as the Y7-100. Over the years with the diamonds of the war in Afghanistan newer versions, such as the An-30/32 could now cope with landing and take off at higher levels. 

The expansion into Siberia to search for more fossil fuels demanded shot take-off and landing (STOL) and the An-32 was well able to meet that requirement with a 2,200 to 4000 km range, while also comping with the colder conditions.

Road Trains. Part-Four.

Siberia.

The roads of the Siberian wilderness and great forests go in a straight line it would seem for ever and ever? What cannot be moved by trains or flown in by aircraft or even shipping has to be taken by road. Canada may have its Ice road truckers, but here we have some of the most bravest drivers in the world.

The Russian Federation has been involved in the oil, gas and mineral expansion for well over 50 years now in greater-Siberia. Pipe-lines get out most of the gas and fuels, but the moving of heavy machinery and people, food supplies and those odd bits road is still a vital link.

Russia has always had one of the worlds largest automotive industries and has built quite a variety of trucks over the years. The Ural, Maz, Baz and Gaz have also produced many versions both for civil construction and the military. Older vehicles have a long life in Russia, more on simplicity to repair and reliability they just keep going.