Soviet Soviet & Eastern Block Quiz - 2008

[Christophe]

Tsar Bomba

[Christophe]

Site of the drop.

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Christophe,

very, very fast answer ... and it seems to be the correct one - congratulations .

Best regards

Christian

Hi Marc,

Here are my proposals :

1. What type of plane was it?

A specially modified Tu-95N "Bear A" strategic bomber.

The Tu-95 was accompanied by a Tu-16 "Badger" airborne laboratory to observe and record the test.

2. What was the purpose for the daily maintenance?

The Tu-95 was painted with a special white reflective paint to protect it from the thermal radiation of the fireball on the occasion of the explosion.

3. On what date did its specific flight took place?

30 October 1961

4. What was its itinerary?

The drop area was over land at the Mityushikha Bay test site, on the west coast of Novaya Zemlya Island, above test field D-2, near Cape Sukhoy Nos. The test location was about 55 km north of the Severny settlement and 250 km north of the headquarters at Belushya.

Mityushikha Bay test range, test field D-2, Novaya Zemlya Island (located above the arctic circle in the Arctic Sea). Approximate coordinates were 73.85N, 54.50E

5. Who was its commander?

Mission commander was Major Andrei E. Durnovtsev

6. What was the nickname of its main "passenger"?

The device offically designated RDS-220, known to its designers as Big Ivan, and nicknamed in the west Tsar Bomba (or referred to as the Big Bomb by Sakharov in his Memoirs) was the largest nuclear weapon ever constructed or detonated.

More to read there :

http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Russia/TsarBomba.html

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christophe]

Thanks Christian.

But, let's wait for Marc's verdict before it is congratulations time...

if I win, I will have the immense priviledge to ask the 200th question of the Quiz !!!!!

Cheers.

Ch.

[Lapa]

Hi Marc,

Here are my proposals :

1. What type of plane was it?

A specially modified Tu-95N "Bear A" strategic bomber.

The Tu-95 was accompanied by a Tu-16 "Badger" airborne laboratory to observe and record the test.

2. What was the purpose for the daily maintenance?

The Tu-95 was painted with a special white reflective paint to protect it from the thermal radiation of the fireball on the occasion of the explosion.

3. On what date did its specific flight took place?

30 October 1961

4. What was its itinerary?

The drop area was over land at the Mityushikha Bay test site, on the west coast of Novaya Zemlya Island, above test field D-2, near Cape Sukhoy Nos. The test location was about 55 km north of the Severny settlement and 250 km north of the headquarters at Belushya.

Mityushikha Bay test range, test field D-2, Novaya Zemlya Island (located above the arctic circle in the Arctic Sea). Approximate coordinates were 73.85N, 54.50E

5. Who was its commander?

Mission commander was Major Andrei E. Durnovtsev

6. What was the nickname of its main "passenger"?

The device offically designated RDS-220, known to its designers as Big Ivan, and nicknamed in the west Tsar Bomba (or referred to as the Big Bomb by Sakharov in his Memoirs) was the largest nuclear weapon ever constructed or detonated.

More to read there :

http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Russia/TsarBomba.html

Cheers.

Ch.

Christophe,

Congratulations, you are going to ask question #200

You have basically answered all that was needed. The plane took off from the Murmansk area, and was carrying "Item 202", also known as "Kuzkina Mat".

Marc

[Christophe]

Thanks Marc, for your congratulations !!!

I will come back to you soon, with the 200th challenge!!!!

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christophe]

Back for Question #200 !!!

This is a question about Soviet lunar exploration.

While a manned landing was never accomplished by the Soviets, they succeeded in a huge number of lunar missions, and from 1959 to 1976, accomplished a number of world firsts or records in terms of lunar exploration.

What are these world "firsts" or "records" ?

For each of them, you need to provide 4 elements :

* the date (day, month, year),

* the name of the "ship",

* the nature of the accomplishment.

* a photographic evidence of the accomplishment.

To help you, a few hints with dates; these events took place in:

* 1959 (1st event) (no photographic evidence required for this one)

* 1959 (2nd event)

* 1966

* 1968

* 1976 (not exactly a "first", but a "record")

The winner is the first one providing ALL these elements !!!

Good hunt and good luck...

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christophe]

Still, no one inspired ? Or too complex ?

Ch.

[Christophe]

Toc, toc... Is there someone ?

Ch.

[JimZ]

Way too long winded

[Knarf]

Hello,

I cannot give you the pictures because iam not allowed to misuse our electric computer

My try:

1959 first man made object to leave Earth orboit

first data communication from and to outer space

first man made object to pass near and from outer space

(Luna1)

first probe to impact the moon Luna 2

First images from the far side of moon Luna 3

1966 First probe of soft landing and transmit from moon surface Luna 9

first probe in luna orbit

1968 Zond 5 is first spacecraft to orbit the moon and return

1976 SSojuz 19 and Apollo had test docking

I hope answers will help even if some might not be correct. Pictures are not possible

Regards from hard working Frank

[JimZ]

Hey Christphe.... if he's right I propose you give it to him. This question had waaaay too many parts to it!

Interesting how posting the pics could be construed as anything else. Can the round spherical shapes of the earlier Luna 1 and 2 be misconstrued as something else by german computers?

Jim

[Christophe]

Hi to all,

I'm back after a long absence abroad. Sorry for the delay in replying...

Frank (Knarf) is certainly the winner !!!! Well done, even if all questions have not exactly been answered...

Here are the answers :

* 1959 (1st event)

Sept. 12: Luna-2, the first man-made object to reach the Moon is launched. Sept. 14: Luna-2 successfully impacts the lunar surface.

* 1959 (2nd event)

Oct. 4: Luna-3, the first man-made object to photograph far side of the Moon is launched. Oct. 7: The USSR obtains first photos of the Moon's far side.

* 1966

Feb. 3: Luna-9 completed soft landing on the lunar surface. A first.

* 1968

Sept. 15-21: Zond-5, a prototype of the spacecraft for manned circumlunar flight flew around the Moon (a first) and splashed down in the Indian Ocean.

* 1976

Aug. 18: Luna-24 lands on the surface of the Moon to collect soil samples, which then returned to Earth. It is the last vessel having ever landed on the moon.

I have to say that except for 1976, Frank has globally got all right answers. Congratulations!!!!

Ch.

Edited June 4, 2008 by Christophe

[Christophe]

Photographic evidence :

* 1959 (2nd event)

Oct. 4: Luna-3, the first man-made object to photograph far side of the Moon is launched. Oct. 7: The USSR obtains first photos of the Moon's far side.

[Christophe]

* 1966

Feb. 3: Luna-9 completed soft landing on the lunar surface. A first.

It transmitted 3 cycloramic panoramas.

[Christophe]

* 1968

Sept. 15-21: Zond-5, a prototype of the spacecraft for manned circumlunar flight flew around the Moon (a first) and splashed down in the Indian Ocean.

[Christophe]

* 1976

Aug. 18: Luna-24 lands on the surface of the Moon to collect soil samples, which then returned to Earth. It is the last vessel having ever landed on the moon.

[Christophe]

Congrats Frank, .

Your turn, now for Question #201 !!!!

Cheers.

Ch.

[Knarf]

Hallo christophe,

could you please ask another Question because I have no time during the next days. I have just got the information that my GDR exhibition will be opened earlier. Catalogue is not ready and some showcases have to be completed and I have to work on the speech for the opening. So please take over.

Regards

Hard working Frank

[Christophe]

And again time for a few stats...

Quiz 2008 :

* 29 questions asked,

* with 418 answers,

* and viewed more than 3,240 times.

Nb of good answers for the Quiz 2008 :

* 8 : Marc (Lapa)

* 5 : Christian (Zulus), Christophe & Frank (Knarf)

* 2 : Auke (Ferdinand)

* 1 : Alex (RedMaestro), Jim (JimZ) & Wild Card

Complete statistics give since this Quiz has been launched (on 1 Nov. 2005) :

* 200 questions asked,

* with 2,563 answers,

* This quiz has been viewed more than 26,300 times.

* 39 Members of the Forum played, and 29 correctly answered at least 1 question :

Nb of good answers :

* 40 : Christian (Zulus)

* 37 : Christophe

* 17 : Frank (Knarf)

* 13 : Jim (JimZ)

* 11 : Bryan (Soviet)

* 8 : Auke (Ferdinand), Marc (Lapa) & Simon (Red Threat)

* 6 : Belaruski, Carol I & Ed (Haynes)

* 5 : Dan (Hauptman) & Wild Card.

* 3 : Andreas (Alfred), Ivan (Piramida) & Kim (Kimj).

* 2 : Chuck (in Oregon), Gerd (Becker), Jan (vatjan) & Order of Victory.

* 1 : Alex (RedMaestro), Charles (Hunyadi), Darrell, Daredevil, Dave (Navy FCO), Dudeman, Filip (Drugo), Rick (Stogieman) & Steen (Ammentorp).

This is a great achievement. Thanks to all for your participation in this Quiz.

Now, let's play for the 201st question !!!!

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christophe]

Hallo christophe,

could you please ask another Question because I have no time during the next days. I have just got the information that my GDR exhibition will be opened earlier. Catalogue is not ready and some showcases have to be completed and I have to work on the speech for the opening. So please take over.

Regards

Hard working Frank

Thanks Frank, and congratulations again. No pb with someone else asking for the question.

May I suggest, to alternate a little bit, that someone else than me asks the next one ?

Any Member here can ask it; please, don't be too shy!!!!

Any volunteer for the next one ?

Cheers.

Ch.

Edited June 7, 2008 by Christophe

[Snoopy]

Hello

My question is probably to easy, but I would like to have a go.

In which city can you find this victory monument? A clue is that, after Malta it was the most frequently bombed city in Europe, during WWII.

The photo is borrowed from the tourist information page, of that city.

[Christophe]

Hi Snoopy,

Excellent!! Welcome to the Quiz!!!!

Let's see who will be the winner...

Cheers.

Ch.

Edited June 7, 2008 by Christophe

[Hauptmann]

Hello

My question is probably to easy, but I would like to have a go.

In which city can you find this victory monument? A clue is that, after Malta it was the most frequently bombed city in Europe, during WWII.

The photo is borrowed from the tourist information page, of that city.

The name of the city is Kirkenes in Norway.

Dan

Edited June 8, 2008 by Hauptman

[Christophe]

Hi Dan,

Seems like you are right... Well done, but let's wait for Snoopy's confirmation.

Interesting combats seem to have taken place there in 1944...

Cheers.

Ch.