Wingspan tu 160. Airplane "White Swan": technical characteristics and photos

"...Continuation of merits"

No matter how good the plane turned out to be, trial operation initially yielded a generous harvest of shortcomings. Almost every flight of the Tu-160 brought failures of a variety of systems and, first of all, complex and capricious electronics (the fact that the Americans’ mastery of the B-1B was accompanied by the same difficulties was of little comfort). The multiple degree of redundancy and redundancy helped out (for example, the fly-by-wire control system of a bomber has four channels and emergency mechanical wiring).

The “raw” BKO caused especially a lot of trouble, because of its extremely low reliability it earned the reputation of “ballast”, two tons of which were wasted. After numerous modifications, in April 1990 the BKO was able to be made to work (on the occasion of which A.A. Tupolev came to the regiment), although failures haunted him in the future.

The NK-32 engines had problems with starting - the most unstable mode of operation, which the automation could not cope with; there were also in-flight failures (mainly due to the fault of a capricious electronic control system, which once turned off two engines in the air on Major Vasin’s plane). Nevertheless, the thrust reserve allowed the aircraft to continue flying and even take off with one engine inoperative, which had to be taken advantage of when the Tu-160 was shown to the US Secretary of Defense F. Carlucci - both aircraft took off and performed passage on three engines (naturally, the minister was not informed about this ). The service life of the NK-32 was gradually tripled and increased to 750 hours. The air intakes turned out to be the weak points of the airframe; their imperfect gas dynamics caused itching and vibrations, which caused cracks to form and rivets to fly out. This defect was eliminated by replacing the first sections of the air ducts (they had to be taken out from the front “through the throat”) and by strengthening the edging of the front edges of the air intake. The kinematics of the main landing gear were too complex - when retracting, the struts were shortened to fit into small niches, and when released, they moved apart, shifting to the outer sides and increasing the track by 1200 mm. The low reliability of the landing gear retraction and extension mechanism forced it to fly for several months in 1988 without retracting it, but from the next series the kinematics were changed, removing the “extra” strut, and all previous aircraft were modified. The aircraft's hydraulic system has also been improved.

At high flight speeds, the honeycomb glued panels of the stabilizer delaminated and “slammed” (on one of the aircraft at LII, a solid piece of the tail even came off in the air, the same incident happened in the regiment with A. Medvedev). The plumage had to be strengthened, while at the same time being “cut” by half a meter to reduce the load. Modified stabilizers, an “oversized cargo” with a span of 13.25 m, were delivered from the factory to a unit on the fuselage by a special variant of the Il-76 - a “triplane”. During a demonstration in Ryazan, the Tu-160 lost one of the plastic tail fairings in the air (the plane definitely did not like displays).

These defects, as a rule, did not lead to serious consequences (the trial operation of the new aircraft was precisely aimed at “catching” them), and the most unpleasant thing was the unexpected blocking of the brakes on takeoff, which once completely “taken off” the plane. There were also several cases when, during landings, pilots underestimated the inertia of a multi-ton machine, and it, having flown over the runway, rolled out onto the ground (no arresting device could have stopped the Tu-160, and releasing a braking parachute on time was considered “low class”).

Identified failures and defects related to design and production deficiencies (according to the column “CPN”, the responsibility lies with the developer - OKB and the manufacturer) were taken into account in the design of aircraft of new series. The number of engine feed flaps on the side walls of the air intakes was increased to six to increase the compressor stability margin, their control was simplified, some honeycomb panels with metal filler in the airframe were replaced with composite ones (this gave a gain in weight and service life), the tail fairing of the BKO antennas was shortened by half, the derailment flow from which at high speeds caused dangerous vibrations that disable the equipment. On the latest series of aircraft, the top hatches of the navigator and operator were equipped with periscopes for inspecting the tail hemisphere (in addition to the rear-view radar). In the same way, previously produced Tu-160s were modified by factory specialists directly into the regiment.

Multi-position ejection unit MKU-6-5U in the cargo compartment of the Tu-160

The aircraft's equipment has also undergone modernization. We have improved the RSDN, which is guided by ground radio beacons. The navigation complex was equipped with an autonomous astrocorrector, which determines with high accuracy the coordinates of the vehicle according to the Sun and stars, which is especially useful in flights over the ocean and at high latitudes. The navigators' approval was received by the PA-3 course plotter with a moving map indicating the current position of the aircraft. An on-board satellite navigation system with an accuracy of determining coordinates of 10-20 m was also prepared for the Tu-160. Its operation was ensured by several orbital vehicles specially launched into space as part of a state program for the needs of the Air Force, Navy and ground forces. It was also possible to solve the problems associated with the software and systems engineering of the PRNA (previously, all its four channels “speaked” different languages).

In several stages, a set of measures was carried out to reduce the radar signature of the Tu-160: they applied black radio-absorbing graphite coating to the air intakes and channels to the engines, covered the nose of the aircraft with a special organic-based paint, shielded the engine guide vanes (and the secret of this development is still strictly hiding).

Mesh filters were introduced into the cockpit glazing, “locking” the electromagnetic background of the equipment inside, which could unmask the aircraft. The filters should also weaken the light flux in the event of a nearby nuclear explosion (for the same purpose, the glass is equipped with curtains and blinds), and the light filter of the ZSh-7AS helmet can protect the pilots’ eyes from a blinding flash.

Nose landing gear

Presentations

On August 2, 1988, US Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci was the first foreigner to see the Tu-160. At the Kubinka airbase near Moscow, he was shown the aircraft of the 184th regiment with the number 12, and the other two were shown in flight. At the same time, some tactics were publicly announced for the first time. technical specifications aircraft, including a flight range without refueling of 14,000 km. On June 13, 1989, again in Kubinka, the Chairman of the US Committee of Chiefs of Staff, Admiral W. Crowe, was shown the Priluki Tu-160 with number 21.

The first meeting in the air of a Tu-160 with Western aircraft took place in May 1991. over the Norwegian Sea. F-16A fighters of the 331st squadron of the Norwegian Air Force at the latitude of the city of Tromsø met and for some time accompanied a pair of Tupolev bombers.

The first public display of the aircraft took place on August 20, 1989 during the celebration of Aviation Day, when the Tu-160 passed at low altitude over the Tushinsky airfield. In September 1994, journalists and aviation professionals had the opportunity to get a detailed look at the bomber in Poltava during events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the shuttle raids on Germany, and in Priluki in February 1995.

Main landing gear

Airplane for pilots

The Tu-160 was perhaps the first Soviet combat aircraft, during the creation of which due attention was paid to ergonomics. Finally, the demands of pilots who had previously put up with limited visibility from the cockpit of the Tu-22 (deservedly nicknamed “Blind Jack”) and spent long hours in the “tight packing” of the Tu-22M were heard. On long flights, the Tu-160 crew, having left their workplaces, can stretch and relax, even on a foam mattress spread in the aisle between the navigators’ seats. Amenities include a cupboard for heating food and a toilet, which replaced the “filthy bucket” that was content with the Tu-95. A real battle broke out around the toilet: the Air Force refused to accept the aircraft for service for several months due to the inconsistency of its design with the specifications (the toilet used polyethylene bags that were melted after use: the complaints were about an insidious device that produced a leaky seam). The customer, feeling his rights, began to show unprecedented adherence to principles, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force even threatened to appeal to the military prosecutor's office if these shortcomings were not eliminated.

On the first production Tu-160s, complaints were made about the working conditions of the crew. Thus, the main and backup devices were of various types; the cabin was maintained at a pressure corresponding to atmospheric pressure at an altitude of 5000 m (the crew had to wear oxygen masks at all times). Now almost all machines have eliminated these shortcomings.

The pilots quickly became accustomed to such an unusual element for a heavy aircraft as a control stick rather than a steering wheel. At first, this innovation did not cause much delight among the military. But it soon became clear that the new handle made it easy, without much physical effort, to control the plane. The designers have also created a version of the pilot’s cabin with new equipment, but the transition to it requires modernization of the vehicle fleet, time, and most importantly, funds. Therefore, Tu-160 continues to fly with the old cabin.

Complaints were caused by the rapid failure of the pilot seat adjustment mechanisms, which forced their electric drive to be modified. In the first months of operation, the K-36DM ejection seats themselves had restrictions on their use (speed of at least 75 km/h). Then their developer, the Zvezda plant (general designer G.I. Severin), expanded the range, and ejection became possible even while parked. The seats are equipped with a belt tightening system that is triggered when overloaded. During the development work, the aircraft was tested in a situation simulating a flight with the crew partially abandoning it: pilot N.Sh. Sattarov went to supersonic speed in an aircraft with the upper cockpit hatches dismantled.

The crews are complaining about overalls, helmets, and oxygen masks designed for fighter aircraft and not suitable for long flights. At the base of the regiment, several conferences were held on the “human factor”, at which samples of new equipment were presented: light and comfortable helmets, headphones, “Cormorant” rescue overalls, even massagers and expanders that help relieve stress during a long flight. Alas, they all remained in prototypes. Only on the latest series of aircraft did a built-in stairway appear, without which the crew at a foreign airfield could well find themselves literally in a hopeless situation.

The operational suitability of the Tu-160 also did not go unnoticed by the designers. To facilitate access, the units and hydraulic system piping were placed on the walls of the cargo compartment, and the electrical panels were placed in the chassis niches. Good access to the engines was ensured by their almost complete “unearthing”. The shelves with equipment in the cockpit and technical compartment were conveniently arranged. And yet, the aircraft turned out to be quite labor-intensive to maintain, becoming a record holder by this criterion - for every hour of Tu-160 flight, 64 man-hours of work on the ground were required. Preparing it for departure requires 15-20 special vehicles with working systems, including: installations for fuel nitriding; KAMAZ air conditioners that cool equipment; various tankers, including three huge Hurricane TZ-60 (Tu-160 tanks hold 171,000 kg of fuel); a minibus for the crew, equipped with a ventilation system for high-altitude suits. At the same time, the noise in the aircraft service area many times exceeds all permissible standards, reaching 130 dB (when the APU is started, it exceeds the pain threshold by 45 dB). The situation is aggravated by a shortage of headphones, safety shoes and anti-vibration belts for technicians. The use of caustic working fluid 7-50C-3 in the hydraulic system adds to the problems.

To reduce noise on the ground, the Design Bureau proposed the same measures that the Americans had taken for the B-1B - the construction of special sites with service complexes, power supply and refueling sources built into concrete. However, the Air Force rejected this option as it did not meet the conditions of mobility during relocation and accepted it only partially: in the caponiers surrounding the parking areas, they equipped shelters where the ground crew, weapons, tools and equipment for servicing the aircraft are located.

Continuous work on fine-tuning the Tu-160 has yielded good results. In terms of reliability, the aircraft even surpassed the Tu-16 and was significantly ahead of the Tu-22M2/M3.

The cockpit of the Tu-160 "Valery Chkalov" at Engels airbase, early November 2012 (photo - RostovSpotter, http://erikrostovspott.livejournal.com)

Ahead of the pilots were flights at extremely low altitudes, refueling in the air, which were supposed to provide the bomber with an intercontinental range (Kozlov, by that time a lieutenant general, was going to fly around the globe on this machine). It was necessary to modernize the PrNK, master the X-15 missile system and bomber weapons. However, political upheavals made their own adjustments to the fate of the aircraft.

Tu-160 and V-1: similarities and differences

It has already become a tradition, when talking about the Tu-160, to compare it with the American “opponent” - the B-1 strategic bomber. Indeed, the similarity of these machines of the same purpose and class, noticeable even to a layman, at one time led to the fact that the Tu-160 (without knowing its true name) was called the “Soviet B-1”. The fact that the creators of both aircraft agreed on the “aviation fashion” for aircraft of this class, which included elements of an integral layout and a variable-sweep wing, is not surprising. After all, “similar thoughts come to good heads,” and the similarity of requirements technical assignments on new bombers at a similar scientific and industrial level should inevitably lead to similar design solutions.

But the implementation of the plan, accompanied by an innumerable number of evaluated options, leaves only the proximity of the external contours from the former similarity. The creators of the aircraft no longer have to rely only on the laws of aerodynamics and strength that are common to all, but also, to an increasing extent, on the existing production base, the level of technology, their own experience and, finally, the traditions of the company. Political problems on which the financing of the work depends (and often the fate of the project) also affect the “internal content” and capabilities of the future aircraft.

As a quick reference, let us recall: the B-1 appeared earlier and made its first flight on December 23, 1974. On June 30, 1977, President J. Carter ordered that work on the aircraft be frozen, and the freed funds be used to develop cruise missiles. It soon turned out that the relationship between these types of weapons was optimal. In November 1979, the conversion of the B-1 into a carrier of the B-1 B cruise missiles began, with a simultaneous reduction in its radar visibility while cutting funds for the program. The military and the “senators from industry” failed to defend many expensive “excesses”, and the proportion of titanium alloys in the bomber design had to be reduced and adjustable air intakes abandoned, which reduced the maximum speed to M = 1.25. The aircraft was to be armed with ALCM cruise missiles, SRAM short-range missiles and nuclear bombs. On March 23, 1983, the first prototype of the B-1B (a converted second prototype of the B-1) was launched, and the first production aircraft was flown on October 18, 1984. Production of the B-1B ended in 1988 with the release of the 100th bomber.

The Seventy, which was created in a planned economy and had no problems with financing, went into production and was put into service in its intended form (of course, adjusted for the technological level of the aviation industry) - as a multi-mode aircraft capable of delivering intercontinental strikes in a wide range of altitudes and speeds.

The opportunity to actually compare both aircraft presented itself on September 23-25, 1994 in Poltava, where the Tu-160 and B-1B, having met “face to face” for the first time, arrived to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Operation Frentik - shuttle flights of American bombers to targets in Germany, which were carried out with landing at Soviet airfields. Pilots and technicians of both aircraft were able to inspect the aircraft, go inside and evaluate them in the air, and get an idea of ​​their practical capabilities.

The Americans (the group included, in addition to the B-1B, a B-52N bomber and a KS-10A tanker from the 2nd Bomb Wing from the Barksdale base in Louisiana) “proved themselves” immediately after crossing the border - if this phrase is appropriate here, since the group is here disappeared from the screens of ground-based radars (although this incident should not be attributed to the achievements of stealth technology, but rather to the current state of Ukrainian air defense). A B-1B that appeared over Poltava, without wasting time on the usual “box” around the airfield, immediately after a steep turn, energetically dived down (already on the ground its crew talked about practicing maneuvers with rolls of up to 45 degrees) - this approach is used to save fuel and is categorically unacceptable for our pilots, who are constrained by a multitude of instructions, instructions and flight safety regulations.

Upon closer acquaintance, it turned out that the level of reliability and the number of failures in operation of the Tu-160 and V-1B are almost the same. The problems turned out to be similar - frequent engine failures (at the exhibition in Le Bourget, the crew of the B-1B, unable to launch them, was forced to abandon the demonstration flight) and the vagaries of complex electronics, especially the BKO (the Americans did not hide their special interest in the Baikal ": "Does this really work for you?!"). It was the insufficient reliability of the power plant and on-board electronic warfare systems AN/ALQ-161 and ALQ-153 that prevented the use of the B-1 B in Operation Desert Storm, and the laurels went to the B-52 veterans.

In terms of offensive weapons, the Tu-160 was “on horseback” - its main weapon, cruise missiles, was well mastered, while the Americans, for financial reasons, were never able to rearm their aircraft with them (expensive shock complex ALCM required not only modifications to the cargo compartments, but also significant changes to the on-board electronics). SRAM short-range missiles, adopted as a “temporary measure,” had reached their shelf life by 1994 (the solid fuel of their engines began to decompose, losing their properties) and were withdrawn from service, and their replacement remains a matter of the future. Only the B61 and B83 nuclear bombs remained in service with the B-1B; The Americans remembered the possibility of equipping the aircraft with conventional bomb weapons only on the eve of the war with Iraq, having carried out tests to drop them in 1991, but did not have time to re-equip the aircraft.

It must be said that such a modification only seems simple: it is necessary to calculate the most effective methods of bombing, develop and install bomb racks, cargo lifting winches, install wiring to fuses arming devices and bomb releasers, remake sighting equipment, train crews in the intricacies of aiming and tactical techniques and, finally, test new weapons in different flight modes.

The design of the Tu-160 initially included an expansion of the range of weapons, including the use of conventional bombs, for which the aircraft was equipped with a high-precision optical-electronic bomb sight OPB-15T. We also developed a “package” suspension of bombs using a loader, which reduces the time it takes to equip the aircraft. In contrast to the B-1B, in order to reduce radar visibility and greater flight range on the Tu-160, the placement of all types of ammunition was provided for on the internal sling, in two cargo compartments, with larger dimensions than the “American” (which affected the somewhat larger dimensions airplane). However, the planned implementation of this work was prevented by the emergence of known problems, and the result was the “under-equipping” of the aircraft - again, common to both machines and preventing their use in growing local conflicts.

The instrumentation and design of the B-1B cockpit, which, by the way, is also equipped with control sticks, was unanimously rated by our pilots as excellent. Monochrome displays on which information is displayed to the crew are very convenient to use and allow you to concentrate on piloting without being distracted by searching through the “scattering” of pointer indicators. Much of the B-1B equipment was seen only in computer games, and the American veterans present at the meeting were touched when they found analogue devices in the Tu-160 cockpit of those they used during the war. The level of comfort and convenience of the aircraft workplaces turned out to be close, although the B-1B cabin itself is somewhat cramped - it is “propped up” from below by the nose landing gear compartment.

Having become acquainted with the equipment and systems of the “American”, our pilots and navigators agreed that both in terms of potential capabilities and tactical and technical characteristics - range, speed and load-carrying weight, the Tu-160 is superior to the B-1B, but on the side The advantages of the practical mastery of the bomber remain to the US Strategic Command. Using the capabilities of the B-1B “to the fullest,” American crews have gone far ahead, while many Tu-160 systems are not fully used, and some flight modes remain prohibited.

Due to the more intensive use of equipment, US pilots maintain a high level of class (the average flight time on a B-1B is 150-200 hours per year), including in flights at extremely low altitudes and during aerial refueling. A Russian Air Force delegation that visited the United States in May 1992 could verify this. During one flight, a pair of aircraft from the same 2nd Air Wing performed demonstration docking and undocking in the air 12 times.

At the meeting in Poltava, the sleek appearance of the B-1B decorated with emblems (although it had flown quite well, as evidenced by the erased steps of the built-in ladder) next to the somewhat neglected Tu-160, which was hastily crowned with “tridents,” spoke in favor of the Americans. It was hard to believe that even the B-1B chassis was washed by technicians with special shampoos. The greatest interest of practical Americans was caused by the earnings of the commander of the Ukrainian Tu-160: “20 dollars? Per day?... Per month!! Ooo!!!"

Tu-160 Ukrainian Air Force, Poltava, 09/24/1994.

Stars and tridents

The Air Force's initial request for the Tu-160 was 100 aircraft - the same number as the Americans received the B-1B. With the collapse of the USSR, the production of the Tu-160, which required the cooperation of hundreds of enterprises, found itself in a difficult situation. The production of aircraft slowed down and was practically reduced to assembly from the existing stock. The modernization of these machines, provided for in the work program until 1996, also stopped.

The air regiment in Priluky was not spared the problems of “big politics”. On August 24, 1991, the Parliament of Ukraine transferred all military formations on the territory of the state under its control, and on the same day the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine was formed. However, at first these events did not have a significant impact on the service of the 184th regiment. However, in the spring of 1992, military units of Ukraine began to take the oath of allegiance to the republic. On May 8, 1992, the 184th Air Regiment was also assigned to it (about 25% of the air force and up to 60% technical staff). The regiment commander Valery Gorgol was the first to take the oath. The 409th regiment of Il-78 tanker aircraft at the airbase in Uzin also came under the jurisdiction of Ukraine.

Tu-160 board No. 342 blue at one of the MAKS-93 air shows (http://militaryphotos.net)

In February 1992, B.N. Yeltsin announced a decree on the completion of production of Tu-95MS bombers and the possibility of stopping the assembly of Tu-160, provided that the United States stopped producing B-2 bombers (it was planned to build 100 copies). However, this proposal did not meet with an adequate response. In addition, with the collapse of the USSR, Russia was virtually left without new strategic bombers. This forced it to continue producing such expensive aircraft, which began to enter service with the 1096th heavy bomber regiment in Engels. Officers from Priluki also began to be transferred there (in total, in 1992-93, the Russian Air Force recruited 720 pilots from Ukraine).

It should be noted that initially it was planned to transfer the first aircraft to Engels; the 184th Air Regiment was considered as a reserve one, but life decreed otherwise. Previously, the 1096th TBAP was armed with bombers designed by V.M. Myasishchev M-4 and 3M. Next to it was the 1230th Regiment of 3MS-2 tanker aircraft. On February 16, 1992, the first Tu-160 landed in Engels, which had to be mothballed for six months - there was no one to fly. By May, the 1096th TBAP already had three Tu-160s, but the first flight took place only on July 29.

The car was lifted into the air by DA inspector Lieutenant Colonel Medvedev. At the same time, the airfield was being re-equipped - all ground equipment, simulators and aircraft training facilities remained in Priluki, and now everything needed to be re-equipped.

The fourth aircraft arrived at Engels in early 1993. To strengthen the veto “active” regiment, it was planned to transfer six bombers from the Tupolev company and LII, even if they had managed to exhaust their service life in test flights, but this did not happen. The first launch of the X-55 cruise missile was carried out on October 22, 1992 by the crew of the regiment commander, Lieutenant Colonel A. Zhikharev. The next day, the same firing practice was carried out by the crew of Lieutenant Colonel A. Malyshev.

The crew of the 1096th TBAP of the Russian Air Force, which for the first time lifted the Tu-160 from the airbase in Engels. From left to right: navigator Adamov, assistant. com. ship Mr. Kolesnikov, navigator p/p-k Karpov, com. ship p/p-k Medvedev

Despite all the difficulties, YES Russia managed to maintain a semblance of combat effectiveness. Even in the most difficult year of 1992, Russian “long-range fighters” maintained their class, having flight time of 80-90 hours per year - twice as high as in front-line aviation. As for the Tu-160, they took part in the large-scale exercise “Voskhod-93” in May 1993, during which maneuvers by aviation forces were practiced in quickly responding to a threat. The long range of the Tu-160 allowed them to strengthen one of the strategic directions and support a group of Su-24 and Su-27 that were being transferred to the Far East (although the missile launch had to only be designated - there were no suitable training grounds for them in Transbaikalia). The actual launch, moreover, of a modernized X-55M with an increased range, took place during the exercises of the Strategic Nuclear Forces on June 21-22, 1994, which were inspected by President Yeltsin. In addition to the Tu-160 group, successful launches at the Kura training ground in Kamchatka were carried out by the Topol ground-based complex and the Typhoon-class submarine cruiser of the Northern Fleet.

The position of the Tu-160 in the Russian Air Force does not seem cloudless. The production of these machines in Kazan, after the transfer of five aircraft to the angelic regiment, stalled (in total, there were eight machines at the plant in varying degrees of readiness). Added to the economic troubles are the financial difficulties of the Ministry of Defense, whose budget primarily involves maintaining the combat effectiveness of the active army and financing promising developments. It seems more reasonable to direct the colossal costs absorbed by the serial production of the Tu-160 to work that meets the requirements of tomorrow and allows preserving the potential of the defense industry. One of possible options The “seventies” could be the Tu-160P heavy escort fighter, armed with long- and medium-range air-to-air missiles. At the Paris Air Show in 1991, the Tu-160SK, a civil version of the aircraft, was presented. In this version, it can be used as the first stage of the Burlak aerospace complex, developed at NPO Raduga (initially, this military space program was aimed at replenishing the orbital constellation when the cosmodromes in Plesetsk and Baikonur were disabled). The launch vehicle is suspended under the fuselage and launched at an altitude of about 12 km, which makes it lighter. The system will be able to launch payloads weighing from 300 to 700 kg into low-Earth orbit and is a response to the American Pegasus system.

In the Ukrainian army, aviators found themselves in an even more difficult situation, and the problems primarily affected the most complex and expensive to maintain DA aircraft. Immediately we had to abandon flights for combat use (Ukraine did not have training grounds, and the equipment of the combat training center YES in the Dnieper-Buzhsky floodplains remained only on paper). Author's supervision by the Design Bureau and support by the manufacturer, which was supposed to provide warranty service for 10 years, ceased. Lack of fuel, spare parts and the departure of qualified flight and technical personnel quickly put some of the aircraft on hold. After all, special motor oil IP-50 for Tu-160 was produced in Azerbaijan, wheels were received from Yaroslavl, and engines from Samara. The depletion of resources by units and the shortage of new ones forced them to resort to “cannibalism”, removing what they needed from other aircraft. However, recently the need for such events has almost disappeared - in the 184th TBAP, by the summer of 1994, there were only a few pilots left capable of lifting the Tu-160 into the air. Unfortunately, they are given this opportunity only 4-5 times a year. In full accordance with the theory of reliability, the decreased flight time led to an increase in the number of failures, and the most difficult of them went to Gorgol: in May 1993, he had to land a plane with the landing gear not fully extended. As a result, 5 Russian Tu-160s may represent a greater fighting force than the 21 located in Priluki.

The Kh-55SM cruise missile is ready for suspension on the Tu-160, Priluki, February 1995.

Commander of the 184th Guards. TBAP Colonel V.I. Gorgol takes the oath of allegiance to Ukraine, Pryluky, 05/08/1992.

As a result of a series of hasty decisions made in the first days after the collapse of the USSR, the right to possess strategic forces was provided only for Russia. The deplorable situation in which the Ukrainian Tu-160 found itself is a direct result of this policy. In March 1993, V. Zakharchenko, then adviser to the Ukrainian military attaché in Russia, said: “The Ukrainian armed forces are not faced with tasks that require such aircraft.” This opinion was confirmed by the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force V. Antonets, saying in his speech to journalists in Priluki on February 15, 1995 that the critical situation in the Ukrainian economy makes it impossible to maintain its Tu-160s in proper condition, so it is interested in selling bombers to Russia. However, problems arose with the evaluation of the machines. The Ukrainian side proposed to write off energy debts at their expense (which surprised Gazprom a lot) or exchange them for Il-76 at the rate of 1:2 (but Il is produced in Uzbekistan...). The parties have not yet reached an agreement. Today, the fate of the Tu-160 completely depends on the political situation. But if there is good will, it is possible to reach an agreement: for example, the Dnepropetrovsk Yuzhmash plant has resumed carrying out routine maintenance on its missiles on combat duty in Russia since 1994.

Brief technical description Tu-160

The Tu-160 is made according to a normal aerodynamic design with a variable sweep wing. The layout of the central part of the airframe is integral. The airframe is made mainly of aluminum alloys (B-95, heat-treated to increase service life, as well as AK-4). The share of titanium alloys in the weight of the airframe is 20%; composite materials are also widely used, and glued three-layer structures are used.

The crew of four is located in the forward part of the fuselage in a common pressurized cabin. Ahead - on the left - the ship's commander, on the right - the co-pilot. Behind them are the seats of the navigator (navigation and offensive weapons) and the navigator-operator (air defense systems, communications and energy). All crew members have K-36DM ejection seats, which are fired upward after the hatches are released. The cabin is equipped with a small kitchen and toilet. Entry on board is carried out via a ground ladder through the niche of the front landing gear (on seventh series aircraft there is a built-in ladder).

Fuselage. In the forward part of the semi-monocoque fuselage there are: an onboard radar, an equipment compartment with avionics units and a pressurized crew cabin, including technical compartments, as well as a niche for the front landing gear leg. Behind the cabin, two unified weapons compartments with a length of 11.28 m and a width of 1.92 m are sequentially located. They each contain one multi-charge revolving ejection device MKU-6-5U, which can carry 6 X-55 missiles. The mass of the MKU is 1550 kg, the drive is hydraulic (on V-1B - from a stepper electric motor). In addition, locks for hanging the entire range of aviation weapons, weapon lifting systems, and electrical switching equipment can be installed in the weapons compartments. The hydraulic system units are located on the end and side walls of the compartment. Between the compartments there is a center section beam. Fuel caisson tanks are located in the inflow and tail parts of the aircraft. In the forward unsealed part of the influx there are units of the life support system.

The wing - swept with a root influx and rotary consoles - has a large aspect ratio. The console rotation units are located at 25% of the wing span with minimal sweep. Structurally, the wing is divided into the following units:

An all-welded titanium center section beam 12.4 m long and 2.1 m wide with a transverse set of ribs made of aluminum alloy. The center section beam is built into the central part of the airframe and ensures the absorption of loads coming from the wing consoles;

Double-cut titanium turning units, ensuring the transfer of loads from the wing to the center section;

Wing consoles made of high-strength aluminum and titanium alloys, rotating in the range of 20°-65°. During takeoff, the sweep angle of the consoles is 20°, during cruising flight -35°, and during supersonic flight - 65°.

The power basis of the consoles is a caisson formed by seven milled twenty-meter panels, five prefabricated spars and six ribs. The caisson serves as a container for fuel. Four-section slats, three-section double-slotted flaps, six-section spoilers and flaperons, and aerodynamic winglets are attached directly to it.

As the wing sweep angle increases, the root parts of the flaps do not retract inside the fuselage, but rotate synchronously with the change in sweep, forming unique aerodynamic ridges.

The tail unit is made according to the normal design with an all-moving stabilizer located at 1/3 of the height of the vertical tail (to remove it from the zone of influence of engine jets). Structurally, it consists of a caisson with rotation units and honeycomb panels made of aluminum or composite materials. The upper part of the keel is all-moving.

The chassis has a steerable two-wheel nose gear and two six-wheel main gears. Chassis track - 5400 mm, wheelbase - 17800 mm. The size of the main wheels is 1260x485 mm, the nose wheels are 1080x400 mm. The nose strut is located under the technical compartment in an unsealed niche and has a deflector that prevents foreign objects from getting under the wheels into the engine air intakes. The stand is retracted by turning it backwards in flight.

Equipment. The Obzor-K radar station in the forward part of the fuselage is used for navigation and target detection both on the ground and in the air. The Groza optical sighting system is located at the bottom of the nose under the fairing. There is a long-range celestial navigation system. Instrumentation is classic analog. The onboard defense complex includes enemy detection and active radar countermeasures systems. The control system is fly-by-wire via pitch, roll and yaw channels with quadruple redundancy and emergency mechanical wiring. The aircraft is statically unstable, so flying with the fly-by-wire system disabled is difficult and has a number of mode restrictions. The aircraft's hydraulic system is four-channel, with a working pressure of 280 kg/sq.cm. All aircraft systems are controlled by about 100 computers, of which 12 serve the weapon control system.

The power plant consists of four NK-32 bypass turbojet engines, created at NPO Trud under the leadership of N.D. Kuznetsov. The engine bypass ratio is 1.4, the pressure ratio is -28.4, and the maximum thrust is -137.3 kN (14,000 kgf) without afterburner and 245.15 kN (25,000 kgf) with afterburner. The engine weight is 3650 kg, length - 6.5 m, inlet diameter - 1455 mm. The engine has a three-stage low pressure compressor, a five-stage medium pressure compressor and a seven-stage high pressure compressor. Low and medium pressure turbines are single-stage, and high-pressure turbines are two-stage. Turbine blades are cooled monocrystalline. The gas temperature in front of the turbine is 1375°C. The engine is equipped with an adjustable auto-model nozzle. The combustion chamber is annular with evaporation nozzles, ensuring smokeless combustion and stable temperature conditions. The NK-32 is one of the world's first aircraft engines, during the development of which technologies aimed at reducing the levels of radar and infrared signature were widely used. On the aircraft, the engines are placed in engine nacelles in pairs, separated by fire partitions and operate completely independently of each other.

The engine control system is electric, with hydromechanical duplication. Work is currently underway to create a digital management system with full responsibility. To ensure autonomous power supply on the aircraft, a gas turbine APU is installed behind the niche of the left main landing gear.

The fuel is located in 13 tanks in the fuselage and rotating wing consoles. The fuel system includes an automatic fuel transfer system to maintain a given alignment in all flight modes. The aircraft has an in-flight refueling system - a fuel rod extends from the nose.

Armament. The main weapon option is 12 Kh-55 or Kh-55M/SM cruise missiles, 6 each on two MKU-6-5U devices.

The Kh-55 missile (“product 125”, or RKV-500B, according to the NATO code AS-15b Kent, the M/SM index depends on the type of warhead) was developed at NPO Raduga under the leadership of I. Seleznev. It has a length of 6040 mm, a diameter of 556 mm. To increase the flight range to 3000 km, the rocket can be equipped with jettisonable conformal fuel tanks. The launch weight of the rocket is 1210 kg (without tanks)/1500 kg (with tanks). The Kh-55SM is equipped with a nuclear warhead with a capacity of 200 kT.

An alternative weapon is the short-range Kh-15 missile (with inertial homing) and its variants: the anti-ship Kh-15S and anti-radar Kh-15P. In total, the Tu-160 can carry 24 missiles on board, six on four MKU-6-1 (two devices in each weapons compartment).

The Kh-15 missile (“product 115”, NATO code AS-16 Kickback) was also created at NPO Raduga. Its length is 4780 mm, diameter - 455 mm, wingspan - 920 mm, weight - 1100 kg (warhead - 150 kg). Rocket flight speed M=5. Range -150 km. With 24 missiles suspended, the weapon mass is 28,800 kg.

With appropriate conversion, the aircraft can carry free-falling nuclear bombs and any type of conventional bombs or sea mines.

Airplane painting. The Tu-160 prototype, which was tested at the LII, was not painted. It had a rather motley appearance due to the different colors and shades of the sheathing sheets and radio-transparent elements.

The aircraft transferred to the units were painted in the standard white color for Long-Range Aviation of the USSR, which, due to its reflective ability, is designed to protect the aircraft from the effects of light radiation during a nuclear explosion. Some elements, in particular the upper cowlings of the engine nacelles and the fairings along the rear fuselage, have the color of unpainted metal.

Two-digit tactical numbers are marked on the nose landing gear doors and on the top of the fin. Moreover, planes based in Pryluki have red numbers, while those in Engels have blue numbers.

Red stars were painted on the top and bottom of the wings and fin. In 1993, they were painted over on Ukrainian Tu-160s, and for some time the vehicles did not have state identification marks at all. Later, at the end of 1993 - beginning of 1994. The aircraft were marked with the identification marks of the Ukrainian Air Force: yellow-blue circles on the wings and a yellow trident against the background of a blue shield on the fin. Russian Tu-160s carry identification marks inherited from the USSR Air Force.

Strategic bombers at the Engels airbase

"Strategist" for all times

As of 2017, the Aerospace Forces have already received five Tu-160Ms. This, one might say, is a cost-effective modernization designed to expand the combat potential of the aircraft. It is difficult to assess the benefits of intermediate upgrades: just remember the dismantled (probably) optical-television sight: this is despite the fact that the role of bombers in local conflicts is now increasing. And without the use of relatively cheap “smart” bombs, which need to be aimed not only using GPS/GLONASS, it is difficult to make a truly useful aircraft.

In turn, the serial Tu-160M2 will not just be a newly built machine: it will be a completely new aircraft in an old “wrapper”. The bomber will receive new computer and on-board systems and controls, a modern strapdown inertial navigation system, an improved electronic warfare system and fuel and flow metering systems, as well as advanced weapons control systems. There will probably be a “glass cockpit”: by the way, something that the legendary B-52 cannot boast of. The new NK-32 engine of the 02 series will be more economical than basic version, which means the combat radius of the winged vehicle will increase. Now it is 7300 kilometers. In general, the Tu-160M2 should receive everything that its predecessor lacked. In total, ten new aircraft should be built at the first stage.

Replacement will be delayed

Previously, the Tu-160M2 project faced severe criticism. For example, some experts tried to suggest that Russia does not need a modernized White Swan, but a Perspective Long-Range Aviation Complex. Purely conceptually, it actually looks more advantageous: with comparable cruising speed, range and (possibly) combat load, the PAK DA will be inconspicuous, that is, made with extensive use of stealth technology.

However, advice is advice, and creating a stealth strategic bomber from scratch is an extremely difficult task, even for the United States. Let us remind you that the Americans produced only 21 B-2 “strategists”. At the same time, the price of one car with such a small series reached an unimaginable two billion dollars. The project can be called almost a failure, especially considering that the Americans, as some Western media previously reported, are already preparing to write off these aircraft. There is little doubt that the old B-52 will outlive the stealth aircraft that was designed to replace it. It's a funny thing.

By analogy with the B-2, the PAK DA bomber should become the most complex combat aviation complex in the entire Russian. This means that the timing of its adoption may be shifted many more times: if the aircraft begins to operate in 2030, this can be considered a huge success. But in general, for a start it would be a good idea to create it, and for this we need to make several technological breakthroughs at once, in particular, in the issue of reducing radar signature. As we know, there are a number of questions regarding the Su-57 in this regard. With PAK DA everything can be even more complicated.

With all this, Soviet aircraft are aging. It should also be noted that for Russia a strategic bomber is not a luxury, but one of the important means of protecting regional and geopolitical interests. Therefore, the production of deeply modernized Tu-160s looks like a good option.

What to do with the existing bomber fleet is another question. The problem is that the Tu-160 aircraft, built back in the Soviet years, have already exhausted part of their service life, and in addition, their total number is only sixteen units. Numerous Tu-95MS are very outdated. Most likely, they will choose the option of a very economical modernization, which will not allow them to be placed on a par with the B-52H. And of course, we should immediately put aside the absurd thesis that Su-34s will be able to replace strategic and long-range bombers. In all respects, these attack aircraft are much closer to the Su-27 than to the “strategists”. Due to all of the above, it seems that the creation of the Tu-160M2 can, at a minimum, provide insurance in case of various kinds of unforeseen situations.

Goals and objectives

Another aspect of criticism directly concerned the combat capabilities of the Tu-160M2 aircraft. It is worth saying right away that criticism of the use of strategic aviation in a hypothetical nuclear conflict is largely fair. The strategic capabilities of air-launched cruise missiles are incomparably more modest than those of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). This applies to both the flight speed of missiles and their range, as well as the mass of the warhead. Therefore, bombers are now seen not so much as a means of nuclear deterrence, but as a weapon for local wars. This can be very effective, even despite the high cost of operating "strategists" compared to fighter-bombers. One example: From October 2014 to January 2016, US Air Force B-1B bombers participated in air strikes against ISIS militants in Syria in the city of Kobani. Then the share of their flights amounted to 3% of the total number of aircraft flights countering ISIS. At the same time, the share of bombs and other ammunition dropped was 40%.

Of course, to successfully hit ground targets, a strategic bomber must have modern advanced targeting systems, such as the American Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, and the military-industrial complex must provide the military with not only accurate, but also cheap bombs, such as the GBU-31, made using JDAM kits. It is also important that in the fight against motley groups of poorly trained militants, the stealth factor is reduced to “no”. So the lack of stealth technology will not be a serious disadvantage for the Tu-160M2, just as it was not a disadvantage for the B-52H and B-1B.

To confront an enemy that is better equipped than the militants in Syria, the Tu-160M2 can use cruise missiles, such as the Kh-101, which has already been tested in the case. It may seem that a large aircraft that is easily visible on radar is an ideal target. However, in reality, this is not entirely true, because the bomber can operate without entering the coverage area of ​​any air defense systems. Even promising ones. It is important to note that in the fight against air defense, almost everything will be determined by the characteristics of cruise missiles, such as range, speed and stealth, and not by the characteristics of the carrier itself. The same Americans, for example, do not have much of a “complex” about the fact that the B-52 is visible far away, although they threaten to rely on the inconspicuous “Spirits” in the event of a major war.

Let's look at this issue in more detail. The maximum launch range of the already mentioned X-101, according to available data, is 5,500 kilometers. For the promising X-BD, this figure should be even higher. Simply put, if the enemy has even hints of air defense, the Tu-160M2 will be able to carry out its tasks while being very far from danger zone. And the relatively high radar signature, as already noted, will not be a serious disadvantage. Of course, we do not mean a hypothetical conflict between Russia and NATO: if it happens, it is unlikely to be local, and the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia will be enough for mutual destruction. There will no longer be time for an air defense breakthrough on some conventional section of the front line. A war with China, due to the presence of large arsenals of nuclear weapons in both countries, is also unlikely.

Simply put, the Tu-160M2 can be a useful and necessary aircraft for Russia, which can play the role of both a “bomb carrier” (if the enemy does not have air defense) and the role of a missile carrier (if there is one). The Americans showed a good example of modernizing their bombers. And it is unlikely that now in the United States there will be many critics of the B-52H or even the B-1B Lancer, which was once unloved by pilots.

Work on the creation of the aircraft TU-160 "White Swan"" - a missile-carrying supersonic long-range bomber began in 1968 at the A.N. Tupolev Design Bureau. And in 1972, a preliminary design of such an aircraft with a wing of variable geometry was made. In 1976, the project of the Tu-160 model was approved by the commission. Engine type NK- 32 was developed specifically for this aircraft model by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau in 1977.

Tu-160 Photo

According to NATO classification, these strategic bombers are called “Black Jack”, and in American slang they are called “bludgeon” (Black Jack - to beat with a baton). But our pilots called them “White Swans” - and this is very similar to the truth. Supersonic Tu-160s are beautiful and graceful, even with formidable weapons and amazing power. The weapons chosen for them were Kh-55 - subsonic small-sized cruise missiles and Kh-15 - aeroballistic missiles, which were placed on multi-position installations under the wings.

The Tu-160 prototype was approved at the end of 1977, and the experimental production enterprise MMZ “Opyt” (in Moscow) began assembling three prototype aircraft. Kazan production manufactured the fuselages, the wing and stabilizer were made in Novosibirsk, the cargo compartment doors were made in Voronezh, and the landing gear supports were made in the city of Gorky. The assembly of the first machine “70-01” was completed in January 1981 in Zhukovsky.

The Tu-160 with serial "70-01" was first tested in the air in 1981 on December 18. During state tests, which ended in mid-1989, the Tu-160 aircraft fired four Kh-55 cruise missiles as the main armament of the aircraft. The maximum speed of the aircraft during horizontal flight was 2200 km/h. This speed for operation was limited to 2000 km/h - this was introduced due to the condition of the resource limit. Many Tu-160s were given personal names, like warships. The first Tu-160 was named “Ilya Muromets”.

Tu-160 crew: 4 people.

Engines: (turbine) four NK - 32 TRDDF 4x14,000/25,000 kgf (thrust: working / afterburner).

The unit is three-shaft, dual-circuit, with an afterburner. It is started by an air starter.

Behind the left support of the main landing gear is the APU - an electrical engine control system with hydromechanical duplication

Weight and loads: normal take-off - 267,600 kg, empty aircraft - 110,000 kg, maximum combat - 40,000 kg, fuel - 148,000 kg.

Flight data: 2000 km/h - flight speed at altitude, 1030 km/h - flight near the ground, from 260 to 300 km/h - landing speed, 16000 m - flight ceiling, 13200 km - practical range, 10500 km - duration flight at maximum load.

Salon

Tu-160 is one of the USSR combat aircraft, which the press learned about several years before its construction. In 1981 November 25 aircraft prepared for testing in the town of Zhukovsky (Ramensky) near Moscow. The car was parked alongside two Tu-144s and was photographed by a passenger from a plane landing at the nearby Bykovo airfield. From that moment on, the bomber received its nickname “Ram-P” (Ram - from Ramenskoye) and the NATO code - “Black Jack”. With this name, the heaviest bomb carrier of all time was introduced to the world.

At the negotiations on SALT-2 in the 70s of the last century, L.I. Brezhnev said that, in contrast to the American B-1, a new strategic bomber was being designed in the USSR. The press mentioned that it would be produced at a plant in Kazan. What about today?

During the collapse of the USSR, Tu-160s were distributed among the republics. 19 of them went to Ukraine, the air regiment in Priluki. Eight were transferred to pay off gas debts to Russia, and the rest were simply cut up. In Poltava you can visit the last Ukrainian “swan”, turned into a museum.

Tu-160V (Tu-161) is a missile carrier project that includes a power plant that runs on liquid hydrogen. Taking into account the peculiarities of the fuel system, it differs from the basic version in the dimensions of the fuselage. Liquefied hydrogen, which was used in engine units as fuel, was reserved at temperatures down to -253 °C. It is additionally equipped with a helium system, which is responsible for controlling cryogenic engines, and a nitrogen system, which controls the vacuum in the thermal insulation cavities of the aircraft.

Tu-160 NK-74 is a modification of the Tu-160, which contains more economical bypass turbojet engines with an NK-74 afterburner. These power plants were assembled to order in Samara at SNTK im. N.D. Kuznetsova. The use of these aircraft engines made it possible to increase the flight range parameter.

Tu-160P is a modification that is a heavy long-range escort fighter that could carry medium- and long-range air-to-air missiles on board.

Tu-160PP is an electronic warfare aircraft project. On at the moment There is only a full-size model; the characteristics of the new aircraft and the composition of the equipment have been determined.

Tu-160K is a project of an aircraft that is part of the Krechet aviation and missile complex. Brought to the stage of a finished preliminary design at the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau. The chief designer was V.F. Utkin. Work on the ARK "Krechet" was carried out in 1983-1984. in order to increase the efficiency and survivability of ballistic missiles during a nuclear explosion and to test the energy functionality of the carrier aircraft. Armed with the Krechet-R missile.

This is a two-stage small-sized ICBM of the 4th generation. It was equipped with sustainer solid fuel engines running on mixed fuel. In flight mode, liquid monopropellant was used. The carrying capacity of the Tu-160K carrier aircraft was 50 tons. This meant that the modification could carry on board two Krechet-R ICBMs weighing 24.4 tons each. Taking into account the flight range of the Tu-160K aircraft, its effective use was at a distance of up to 10 thousand km.

At the project stage, the development of ground equipment for coordinating the actions of the aircraft was completed in December 1984.

The Krechet-R missile control system is autonomous, inertial, and connected to external information sources. The coordinates and speed of the rocket were received on board the aircraft from a satellite, and the position angles of the command instruments were specified from the astrocorrector. The first stage of controls is aerodynamic rudders, the second is a rotary control nozzle. The ICBMs were planned to be equipped with separating warheads with individual guidance and warheads, which were intended to break through enemy missile defense. Work on the ARK "Krechet" was curtailed in the mid-80s of the twentieth century.

Tu-160SK is an aircraft that was intended to carry a three-stage Burlak liquid system, the mass of which was 20 tons. According to the designers’ calculations, up to 600-1100 kg of cargo could be launched into orbit, and delivery would cost 2-2.5 times cheaper , rather than using launch vehicles with a similar payload capacity. The missile launch from the Tu-160SK should take place at altitudes of 9000-14,000 m at an aircraft speed of 850 to 1600 km/h. The characteristics of the Burlak complex were supposed to be superior to the American analogue of the subsonic launch complex, the carrier of which was the Boeing B-52, equipped with a Pegasus launch vehicle. The purpose of "Burlak" is a constellation of satellites in the event mass destruction airfields. Development of the complex began in 1991, commissioning was planned in 1998-2000. The complex also had to include a ground service station and a command and measurement point. The flight range of the Tu-160KS to the launch site of the launch vehicle was 5000 km. 01/19/2000 between the aerospace corporation " Air launch" and "TSSKB-Progress" in Samara signed regulatory documents on cooperation towards the creation of the Air Launch aerial missile complex.

Into the modern basis of nuclear power and aviation Russian Federation includes the legendary and unique strategic bomber TU-160, called the “White Swan”. This excellent machine has excellent flight qualities and is capable of using the most modern cruise missiles.

The development of the bomber began back in 1970, after ten years of work by scientists and engineers, the strategic aircraft TU-160 “White Swan” acquired a unique feature - a wing that is capable of changing its sweep during flight. Thanks to this innovation, the Tu-160 can travel at supersonic speeds, which has significantly increased its flight range.

Having high flight characteristics, the TU-160 bomber had no analogues in the world at that time.

Number and cost of TU-160 bombers

The Tu-160 bomber was adopted into service in the Russian Federation in 1987; a total of 35 combat units were created. It was and is a formidable weapon, which still copes well with its tasks.

This is the only aircraft that was named after famous pilots - the Great Chkalov, designers - Vitaly Kopylov, and heroes - Ilya Muromets and others.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the number of TU-160s in service in Russia was reduced to 15 combat units, others remained in Ukraine.

TU-160 "White Swan" is an expensive aircraft.

Since the strategic bomber TU-160 “White Swan” is an expensive aircraft, operation and repair had a correspondingly high cost, which did not suit the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

During negotiations with Russia, the Ukrainian side transferred 8 combat units in exchange for writing off a certain amount of gas debt. The remaining combat units were destroyed.

In 2013 The Russian Air Force had 16 combat-ready TU-160s in service, of which 10 aircraft were sent for complete modernization.

In 2015 a project was adopted to continue the construction of the White Swan; the cost of one TU-160M ​​bomber is $250 million. The cost of a TU-160 flight for one hour is 580 thousand rubles without combat use (according to data for 2008).

cost of one TU-160M ​​bomber

The number of TU-160s in Russia as of 2018 is 16 combat units.

History of the creation of a strategic aircraft

In 1970 The Myasishchev and Sukhoi Design Bureaus presented for consideration two options for a strategic bomber, which were very similar. The projects had common features of a supersonic combat vehicle with a new type of wing and four powerful engines.

Requirements , which were put forward for the new bomber:

• Flight range - 13 thousand km. The cruising speed of the TU-160 is within 2200 - 2500 km/h, at an altitude of 18 km.
• Flight range in subsonic mode is 13 thousand km. near the ground, 18 thousand km. at medium height.
• The maximum combat load was 45 tons, which ensured bombing at the maximum accessible distance.

Shortly before this, specialists from the Tupolev Design Bureau were involved in working on the projects. After considering all the options and instructions, it was decided to transfer work on the project to the Tupolev Design Bureau. This was due to the fact that this enterprise already had experience working with supersonic aircraft.

By early 1972 More than 800 different organizations worked on the project.

At the end of 1981 The first flight tests of the prototype were carried out and the first flight was carried out under the control of an experienced test pilot. In the same year, the second prototype took part in tests, during which the characteristics of the TU-160 strategic bomber were studied and all the positive flight qualities were identified.

The first samples of the TU-160 were manufactured at the Experience plant, after which production was transferred to the Kazan plant, where the models were completed.

In 1984 was established serial production this model.

In 1989, the TU-160 long-range bomber has passed its final tests.

Technical characteristics of the “White Swan” (TTX)

Flight characteristics of the Tu-160 bomber

Design

The strategic missile carrier-bomber TU-160 was created with many design solutions taken from earlier models. Some of the units and components were transferred from the TU-144. The design of the “White Swan” uses various types composite and stainless steel, titanium and aluminum alloys.

The White Swan TU-160 aircraft, whose performance characteristics are recognized as unique in the world, received a low overall height and wings with variable-sweep technology.

The design also includes a tricycle landing gear and a rotating keel. 4 engines have TU-160, which are mounted in pairs in the lower part of the hull.

Near the streamlined cabin there are two cargo compartments.

In addition to crew seats, the cabin contains electronic equipment for strategic purposes.

The minimum sweep of the swept wing is 57.7 meters. The wing rotation system is similar to the TU-22M model. In the TU-160 the wings are made using aluminum alloys. The rotating characteristics of the wing start from 20° to 65°.

The wings are equipped with four mechanical sectional slats, which provide more stable behavior of the aircraft at high speed. Fuel tanks are built into the inner part of the wings, which provides excellent streamlining.

The aircraft is controlled using double sticks.

Modern navigation is also installed, provided by automatic control of the on-board system.

The cockpit is large, allowing pilots free movement to the galley, which is also installed in the cockpit. The TU-160 has a toilet, which was not available on other strategic bombers.

Armament

The TU-160 strategic missile carrier-bomber is intended as a carrier of medium- and long-range guided cruise missiles with nuclear warheads.

These missiles are designed to deliver precise massive strikes. The aircraft has many suspension options designed for other types of weapons.

The White Swan strategic bomber is armed with Kh-55SM cruise missiles, which operate at specified coordinates, which are inserted directly into the missile before launch.

One aircraft is armed with 12 missiles, 6 per launch drum. Also, when equipped with Kh-15S short-range missiles, 12 missiles are installed on each drum.

The bomb load of the TU-160 is 40 tons, and includes nuclear, cluster bombs and mines. After modernization, the aircraft received the ability to be armed with modern guided missiles such as X-555 and X-101, which have high accuracy and flight range.

Modifications

Video

More than three decades ago, the first flight of the largest supersonic aircraft Tu-160 in the history of military aviation took place at the Ramenskoye airfield near Moscow.

The Americans called the new Russian bomber Blakjack or “Black Jack”.
Among our pilots, he received the lyrical nickname “White Swan”.

It is believed that the development of a new Soviet bomber was a response to the American B-1 strategic bomber.

In almost all characteristics, the Tu-160 is significantly ahead of its main competitor.
The speed of the “swans” is 1.5 times higher, the combat radius and maximum flight range are just as large, and the engines are almost twice as powerful.

The Council of Ministers of the USSR formulated the task for the development of a future strategic bomber in 1967. Initially, the Sukhoi and Myasishchev Design Bureaus were involved in the work.

Already in 1972 design bureaus presented their projects - “product 200” and M-18.
The State Commission also accepted for consideration the out-of-competition project of the Tupolev Design Bureau. The members of the competition committee liked the M-18 project from the Myasishchev Design Bureau the most. It met the stated requirements of the Air Force.

Due to its versatility, the aircraft could be used to solve various types of problems, had a wide range of speeds and a long flight range. However, taking into account the experience of the Tupolev Design Bureau in creating such complex supersonic aircraft as the Tu-22M and Tu-144, the development of the strategic carrier aircraft was entrusted to the Tupolev team.

The developers of the Tupolev Design Bureau abandoned the documentation on existing projects and began to independently continue work on shaping the appearance of the new attack aircraft.

In total, about 800 enterprises and organizations of various profiles were engaged in work on the Tu-160 in the USSR.
Serial production of the aircraft was organized at the Kazan KAPO named after Gorbunov, where they are still produced today. And, despite the fact that in 1992 it was announced that bomber production would be curtailed, work resumed in the early 2000s.

The Tu-160 became the first domestic serial heavy aircraft to use a fly-by-wire control system. As a result, the flight range has increased, controllability has improved, and the load on the crew in difficult situations has decreased.

The bomber's sighting and navigation system includes a forward-looking radar and an OPB-15T optical-television sight.
The Baikal onboard defense complex has radio and infrared threat detection equipment, radio countermeasures systems, and fireable decoy cartridges.

During the development of the aircraft, the ergonomics of the workplaces were improved, the number of instruments and indicators was reduced, in comparison with the Tu-22M3. To control the aircraft, there are not steering wheels, as is customary on heavy aircraft, but handles.

Initially, the aircraft was planned exclusively as a missile carrier - a carrier of long-range cruise missiles with nuclear warheads.
In the future, it was planned to modernize and expand the range of transportable ammunition.

Today, the aircraft can also be equipped with free-falling bombs (up to 40 tons) of various calibers, including nuclear ones, disposable cluster bombs, sea mines and other weapons.

In the future, the bomber’s armament is planned to be significantly strengthened with the help of the new generation high-precision cruise missiles X-555 and X-101, which have an increased range and are designed to destroy both strategic and tactical ground and sea targets.

A control system for the engine and fuel consumption, alignment, as well as a service system, from which in crisis situations the crew can receive a hint about the most optimal actions for the Tu-160, were developed by Aviation Electronics and Communication Systems OJSC.

The aircraft is equipped with four NK-32 engines, developed at OJSC Kuznetsov, which is now part of the Rostec holding - United Engine Corporation (UEC). Structurally, the NK-32 is a three-shaft dual-circuit engine with mixing of output flows and a common afterburner with an adjustable nozzle.

Next year, Kuznetsov plans to transfer to the Ministry of Defense the first NK-32 engine, produced on new production equipment using new technologies.

But still, the main feature of the bomber design is the variable wing sweep.
This design solution was also used in the American analogue - V-1.
The wings of the “White Swan” can change their sweep from 20 to 65 degrees.

This solution has a number of advantages.
During takeoff and landing, the aircraft's wings are spread to the sides, their sweep is minimal.
This allows you to achieve minimum takeoff and landing speeds.
For all its weight, the aircraft does not require overly long runways; it only needs 2.2 km for takeoff and 1.8 km for landing.

On the other hand, increasing the sweep, when the wings are pressed against the fuselage during flight, reduces aerodynamic drag and allows one to achieve maximum supersonic speed.
For example, if a civil airliner covers a distance of 8,000 km on average in 11 hours, then the Tu-160 can fly in 4 hours without refueling.
Thus, the Tu-160 can be considered a “multi-mode” bomber, that is, capable of sub- and supersonic flight.

The aircraft's high flight characteristics are confirmed by a number of world records.
In total, the Tu-160 set 44 world speed and flight altitude records.
In particular, a flight along a closed route of 1000 km with a payload of 30 tons was carried out at an average speed of 1720 km/h.
One of the latest established is the maximum range flight record. The flight duration was 24 hours 24 minutes, while its range was 18 thousand km.

Currently, the Russian Air Force has 16 Tu-160s in service.

Each of the planes has its own name: “Ilya Muromets”, “Ivan Yarygin”, “Vasily Reshetnikov”, “Mikhail Gromov” and others.

Specifications:
Crew: 4 people
Aircraft length: 54.1 m
Wingspan: 55.7/50.7/35.6 m
Height: 13.1 m
Wing area: 232 m²
Empty weight: 110,000 kg
Normal take-off weight: 267,600 kg
Maximum take-off weight: 275,000 kg
Engines: 4 × NK-32 turbofan engines
Maximum thrust: 4 × 18000 kgf
Afterburner thrust: 4 × 25000 kgf
Fuel mass, kg 148000

Flight characteristics:
Maximum speed at altitude: 2230 km/h (1.87M)
Cruising speed: 917 km/h (0.77 M)
Maximum flight range without refueling: 13950 km
Practical flight range without refueling: 12,300 km
Combat radius: 6000 km
Flight duration: 25 hours
Service ceiling: 15,000
Climbing rate: 4400 m/min
Run length 900 m
Run length 2000 m
Wing load:
at maximum take-off weight: 1185 kg/m²
at normal take-off weight: 1150 kg/m²
Thrust-to-weight ratio:
at maximum take-off weight: 0.37
at normal take-off weight: 0.36

According to the Air Force's plans, strategic bombers will be modernized.
The final phases of testing are now underway, and development work is being completed. According to forecasts, the modernization should be completed in 2019.

According to the commander of Russian long-range aviation, Igor Khvorov, the modernized aircraft will be able, in addition to cruise missiles, to hit targets using aerial bombs, will be able to use communications through space satellites and will have improved targeted fire characteristics. Radio-electronic and aviation equipment will also undergo complete modernization.