Advance Work
This is not the first time I’ve been at the circuit of the Federal Security Service in Kupavna near Moscow. Three years have passed since the opening, the last time I plowed the platform cleared of snow on the cars of the Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy - and even won the final competition on the 525-strong rear-wheel drive monster E63 AMG.
Driving in the style of the FSO: if you let the forecast down
Each training car has a crew number of 2 people. The instructor maintains communication with him on the walkie-talkie, on it he also makes comments and approval. If necessary, explains and shows the exercise in person. Each training car has a crew number of 2 people. The instructor maintains communication with him on the walkie-talkie, on it he also makes comments and approval. If necessary, explains and shows the exercise in person.
The unique complex, “sharpened” for comprehensive driver training, is actively used all year round, and therefore it was especially interesting to pass through obstacles from water and cones on your own. Instructors emphasize that the main objective of the Safe Driving Learning Center courses is to teach not extreme, but safe driving.
Driving in the style of the FSO: if you let the forecast down
Most of the exercises from the "summer" training complex takes place on wet asphalt - the car breaks into slipping earlier, the lower the error price and less load on tires and the car Most of the exercises from the "summer" training complex takes place on wet asphalt - the car is slipping happens earlier, the lower the price of an error and less load on tires and a car
For practical exercises, retired traveling cars of the Federal Security Service are used - Mercedes S- and E-classes, Ford Focuses and even Volga GAZ-3102 models. If you have not pre-booked a car, then, as in our case, a specific car will go according to the results of the draw.
My hand pulled out a piece of paper on which the representative S-class was listed. Despite the mileage under a hundred and a half thousand, nothing creaks and does not strum in the cabin, and control buttons of a signal-loud-speaking device stick out on the center console. Probably, FSO employees really learn to use it during a controlled drift, but we have no one to “crack”, and even once: all attention is given to the instructor's advice.
Driving in the style of the FSO: if you let the forecast down
The Mercedes-Benz W220 departing in motorcades was perfectly preserved, despite its solid mileage. The Mercedes-Benz W220 departing in motorcades was perfectly preserved, despite its solid mileage.
Even experienced journalists were reminded of the correct fit: the back should fit snugly to the seat, the left leg should rest against the platform with a bend of 120 degrees, and the arms should freely grasp the steering wheel rim. Those who tried to make a fool of themselves, sitting down “as usual”, were forced to change their position on the first exercise.
For the automotive press, exercises from the advanced were introduced into the two-day basic course, but the warm-up is still general - snakes with a constant and “knocked down” step. It is important not to rush into battle headlong, but to gradually increase the pace, accustoming your hands to fast but smooth movements. Left-right, clockwise and counterclockwise … The main thing is not to stall in one position, not to hold the steering wheel at the extreme point, and for this you should always look not at the cones, but in the gap between them. Like on the road: you stare at an obstacle in a difficult situation, and there you stop. Eyes should always look for a detour.
Driving in the style of the FSO: if you let the forecast down
The FSO circuit in Kupavna near Moscow allows you to simulate any traffic situation. It is here that departmental instructors from the Safe Driving Learning Center conduct courses on cars of different classes. The FSO circuit in Kupavna near Moscow allows you to simulate any traffic situation. It is here that departmental instructors from the Safe Driving Learning Center conduct courses on cars of different classes.
And so that arms and legs helped to maneuver in any conditions, after warming up we were sent to exercise more seriously. First, a rearrangement with a trip to the next row, then the "moose test", after which you need to return to your lane. The direction of the detour is changing: how in the real situation will there be only one chance? It would be nice to use it: when you see a "hole", by dumping gas, make the car sit on the front wheels and give the wheel an impulse in the right direction.
Damn, it doesn’t work! It’s too sharp and the front slips, it’s too smooth and the trajectory leads right into the corner of an imaginary truck, straight up on the course. “You start to steer late,” the instructor explains. - Therefore, you pull the steering wheel too sharply and at a large angle. Try to start the maneuver in advance!”It’s easy to say that entry is also limited by a corridor of cones … It’s better to slow down and not chase the speed numbers on the electronic scoreboard, but steer more calmly, but more precisely. Happened!
Driving in the style of the FSO: if you let the forecast down
The non-deactivable, fully integrated exchange rate stability system on Mercedes was a good help not only for girls. The main thing is not to oppose her intervention, but to use it properly. The non-deactivable, fully integrated exchange rate stability system on Mercedes was a good help not only for girls. The main thing is not to oppose her intervention, but to use it properly.
And if the "truck" can be circled only on the right, and there is a roadside slippery from dirt or snow? We also modeled such a situation: the entrance corridor is marked on tenacious asphalt, and the detour strip is laid along the water-flooded tar. Ah, the wheels loaded in the bend will just hit it … At a slow speed everything is fine: I’ve traveled around the obstacle, I’ve caught the rear axle that has swum. Glory to the non-deactivating stabilization system on Mercedes! Most self-taught riders recommend trying their hand at such a mix. Questions about the need for electronics will disappear at once. And still, with an increase in speed, even ESP cannot independently absorb the second oscillation that occurs, it is worth slightly tightening the skid correction.
Remember the morning snake? The steering wheel must not lock in one position! Worked in the direction of skidding, immediately return it back. And be ready to play further, it is worth appearing only a hint of a “whip”.
Front-wheel drive
The second day was at the wheel of the Ford Focus. As promised by the center’s employees, before going to bed the night before, scenes of exercises were spinning in my head: it had to be done differently, here I wouldn’t allow this to continue … This is good - for assimilation of the material it must be carefully digested. But what to do now, when you just got used to driving a heavy rear-wheel drive sedan, and they put you on front-wheel drive?
Driving in the style of the FSO: if you let the forecast down
Many of us know that on slippery surfaces, front-wheel drive can be pulled by traction. But without constant practice, this is fraught with a fatal mistake, therefore, even at Focus, the instructor concentrated all his attention on taxiing. Many of us know that on slippery surfaces, front-wheel drive can be pulled by traction. But without constant practice, this is fraught with a fatal mistake, therefore, even at Focus, the instructor concentrated all his attention on taxiing.
“But what do you think, does he have his own specifics?” - an employee of the race track smiles slyly. What a question! Of course, there is: the traction on the drive wheels, if you can handle it, will allow you to pull the car out of the slip. “Everything is correct, namely, “if you can,”the instructor becomes serious. - And even if you have the skill … Imagine that you had to maneuver sharply at the entrance to the red traffic light. The car falls into a skid, you cleverly caught it with gas - and in good speed you fly out to a forbidden signal. And if you work only with the steering wheel, then pay off the drift, and you will have time to stop.”
Driving in the style of the FSO: if you let the forecast down
Water barriers are a great alternative to cones: if the obstacle could not be circled, the car will only become cleaner. But it’s better to pre-populate the windows! Water barriers are a great alternative to cones: if the obstacle could not be circled, the car will only become cleaner. But it’s better to pre-populate the windows!
And in the next exercise, I just did what worked as a steering wheel. As a plate of dynamic skid disrupts the rear axle of the car, I have seen so far only from the side. It does not even simulate skidding, but a side blow to the rear wing - the situation is rare, but therefore no less dangerous. Right here, as never before, a proper fit came in handy: close contact with the back of the seat gives excellent communication with the car! At the entrance to the stove you are trying to guess where it will now shoot - to the right, to the left …
A second before the event, the last thoughts disappear from the head - and only the fifth point do you feel how it rushed towards the feed. In which? Personally, I could not answer: the body reacted so quickly to danger, the hands instantly parried the skid and returned the steering wheel to a straight line position. There is something to put a plus for yourself.
“Now, let's do the same thing, but with one hand. Admit it, you love to relax on the road - and if you have to steer quickly?”I rarely allow myself to take my second hand off the steering wheel, but honestly tried it. It turned out without hesitation! Speed up? Sure, not a problem!
Driving in the style of the FSO: if you let the forecast down
What, forgot what it feels like to ride without ABS and ESP? It is not easy to force the GAZ-3102 to maneuver with its “long” steering wheel and roll suspension - and just recently, almost every driver knew what “intermittent braking” was and deftly twisted the steering wheel in the direction of skidding. What, forgot what it feels like to ride without ABS and ESP? It is not easy to force the GAZ-3102 to maneuver with its “long” steering wheel and roll suspension - and just recently, almost every driver knew what “intermittent braking” was and deftly twisted the steering wheel in the direction of skidding.
"Try it on the Volga, since it's so quick." The instructor clearly decided to bring me to the limit. I give the Focus to my colleague, board the barge … No electronics, a hard axle in the rear suspension, a huge gear ratio in the steering gear - a hefty steering wheel with a thin rim makes almost five turns from lock to lock. Well, startled? The first attempt at 50 km / h - a jerk, a skid, a flicker of needles before the eyes … I caught it! “Faster!” The voice from the walkie-talkie spurs. Take a chance at sixty? And it stabilized again - albeit not as quickly and beautifully as the Focus, but it managed without a “whip” and without a U-turn. Hands remember!
The basic course, “packed” in two days, will cost the client with his own car 13, 000 rubles, on the state-owned Focus, 17, 000 rubles. They approach the rear-wheel drive more thoroughly and do four days: learn to drive safely in their car will cost 25, 000 rubles, on the training Volga - 32, 000, on Mercedes - 35, 000 rubles. This, attention, is “winter” prices, when complex and expensive equipment of the race track does not work.
Driving in the style of the FSO: if you let the forecast down
Classes can be held in private cars. The pluses are the lower cost of the courses and a meticulous understanding of the machine that you use every day. Classes can be held in private cars. The pluses are the lower cost of the courses and a meticulous understanding of the machine that you use every day.
