Elektronika B3-18M

This one has been fun, and shows what digital archaeology is all about! The picture you see was the only known image of a b3-18M. This picture appears on the front cover of a book owned by Sergei Frolov. Obviously this machine is closely related to the MK-18M. In fact, I have recently found a hybrid machine - labeled B3-18M on the front, and MK-18M on the rear.

Below the front cover picture, you can see my efforts to manipulate the image to give a front-on view of the calculator. Can you do better?

Recently, Sergei found one of these - and you can see this machine at the bottom of the page in a side-by-side comparison with the processed one from the cover image.

The writing above the display says "Age 60 of Great October" - making this a commemorative edition of the calculator - probably issued in 1977. In fact, if you look carefully at the number in the display (19171977) it is obviously refering to the years 1917-1977... 60 years :) Commemorative issues are not uncommon - there are several variants of the MK-51 in my collection with commemorative labeling.

© Sergei Svishchev It is quite common for machines to show variations in the logo and decals; this is indicitave of a long production period and multiple factories manufacturing this particular model.

Notes:

1. Late 199? date from my machine which has a B3-18M top section and MK-18M lower section. The lower section has the 199 part of the date molded into the base, and the area for the year last digit is blank.