Tth tu 160 strategic white swan. Airplane "White Swan": specifications and photos

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The fear and horror of the Americans - the Russian strategic missile carrier Tu-160, capable of demolishing a dozen North American states in one salvo, will soon receive a new development.

Its modernized version Tu-160M2, invulnerable to enemy air and missile defense, will begin after 2021. At the "government hour" at the Federation Council, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu confirmed this date and explained that the Russian defense-industrial complex is ready to begin production of an advanced strategic missile carrier capable of delivering strikes outside of missile defense systems.

Now in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces there are 16 strategic supersonic bombers Tu-160. These are "piece goods", each of them has a proper name - it bears a personal name in honor of Russian and Russian pilots or epic heroes. With a crew of four, this "flying fortress" carries on board a weapon charge that is comparable to the power of a nuclear submarine, capable of destroying at least one of the US coasts with bombs and cruise missiles.

The need to modernize this "strategist" is due to the spirit of the times - it is planned to place new types of weapons on board, including the X-BD super-long-range missile capable of carrying its warhead over a distance of over 3000 kilometers. Now we are talking about the release of a practically new aircraft, which, while outwardly similar to its older brother, the "swan flock", will completely differ from it in terms of equipment, avionics, and weapons. The decision to produce the updated Tu160M2 was made when it was necessary to create a transitional version of the strategic missile carrier. The promising long-range aviation complex (PAK DA), a new generation bomber-missile carrier, created at PJSC Tupolev, will appear in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces a little later, approximately in 2023. It is assumed that this aircraft should replace the Tu-95, Tu-160 bombers and partially take over the functions of the Tu-22M3. The new aircraft should be designed according to the "flying wing" scheme. Before its appearance, it is the improved Tu-160M2 that will take over the functions of the strike force of the strategic air wing.

“Tu-160M2 is a completely new aircraft,” says aviation expert Yuri Gavrilov. - More detailed information the characteristics of this "strategist" have not yet been disclosed. Presumably, PJSC Tupolev made changes to the design of this combat aircraft, which should be implemented during the initial production cycle of the bomber. These changes are likely to be minimal. Most of the changes will most likely affect the bomber's onboard electronics. Avionics for the Tu-160M2 is being developed by the Russian Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies. As part of the project to modernize the new aircraft, it is assumed that new onboard systems, a strapdown inertial navigation system, an electronic warfare system, fuel and flow metering systems, as well as weapons control systems. It is possible that some of the new systems can then be used in the PAK DA, which is being developed in parallel with the Tu-160M2.

The resumption of production of "White Swans" will undoubtedly require the mobilization of research and production capacities of the aviation concern and the development of a fundamentally new approach to the creation of fundamentally new strategic aviation aircraft. Their purpose remains the same. Moreover, many elements of the improved aircraft will be completely new. And the Tu-160M2 will remain a powerful nuclear deterrent, which relies on supersonic flight speed and lightning-fast destruction of targets by missiles, primarily strategic cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. "

The new strategic bomber must also receive new weapons. First of all, we are talking about the Kh-BD missile, which is supposed to surpass in many respects its predecessor, the Kh-101, which is carried on board the current Tu-160. Its range is 3,000 kilometers, and the new missile is said to have a probability of hitting a target of 5,000 kilometers. With the complete secrecy of this development, it is argued that it will have tremendous capabilities to "deceive" all existing and future air defense and missile defense systems. The Tu-160M2 will not even need to enter the air defense engagement zone - it took off, launched at a safe distance and returned to the takeoff airfield to drink tea. In principle, this is how the Tu-160 currently in service is now capable of acting.

“The main place of deployment of Russian strategic Tu-160 bombers is considered to be the Aerospace Forces airbase in Engels, Saratov Region,” recalls aviation expert Yuri Pelyaev. “However, these aircraft, as well as such“ strategists ”as the Tu-95, which are also based here, are capable of carrying out combat duty in almost any region of the world. The range of their practical flight is about 12 thousand kilometers, with refueling in the air, they are able to stay in the air for more than a day. And the range recorded in 2010 was 18 thousand kilometers! And, taking off near Saratov, and then refueling, say, in the South China Sea, where our Il-78 tankers are on duty at the Vietnamese base Cam Ranh, they can stay near the coast of the United States for several hours.

Well, one cannot exclude the use of so-called "jump airfields", for example, on Sakhalin or Kamchatka, from where these bombers can quickly fly up at the time of a calculated strike against potential enemy targets. At the same time, it is not even necessary to enter the enemy's air defense zone - the weapons carried on board are capable of reaching the target at a distance of two to five thousand kilometers. It is not at all necessary to approach the shores of a country that turns out to be hostile to Russia. "

The current Tu-160 is a supersonic aircraft with variable wing geometry, which is the world's best strategic bomber. It has the largest payload, the most high speed, it has no equal in terms of maximum flight altitude, combat radius, power-to-weight ratio, it has the most long-range missiles. For the first time, the combat use of the Tu-160 was used during the military operation of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria in November 2015. Taking off from the territory of Russia, they struck with Kh-555 and Kh-101 cruise missiles at the objects of the "Islamic State" (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation) and, without entering the airspace of Syria, returned to their home airfields. All targets were hit, which was confirmed by means of objective control.

The new generation of Tu-160M2 strategic bombers, according to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, will be produced at Kazan aircraft factory them. S.P. Gorbunov. It has experience in manufacturing, among others, Tu-160 aircraft. And now electron-beam welding of titanium has been restored, which is extremely necessary in the manufacture of new "White Swans".

The combat effectiveness of the new aircraft, according to Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov, will increase 2.5 times compared to the Tu-160, which was adopted by the Air Force Long-Range Aviation in 1987.

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TU-160 " White Swan"- a supersonic bomber-missile carrier of long-range aviation. Work on the creation of the aircraft began in 1968 by the Tupolev Design Bureau. And in 1972, a preliminary draft of such aircraft with a wing of inconsistent geometry. In 1976, the project of the Tu-160 model was approved by the commission. The engine of the NK-32 type was specially developed for this aircraft model by the OKB im. Kuznetsov in 1977.

These strategic bombers are called "Black Jack" by NATO classification. In American slang, it is a "club" (Black Jack - to beat with a club). But our pilots called them "White Swans" - and this is very similar to the truth. Supersonic Tu-160s are beautiful and graceful, even possessing formidable weapons and tremendous power. The Kh-55 and Kh-15 missiles were chosen as their main armament. - subsonic small-sized missiles, - aeroballistic missiles. They were placed on multi-position ejection mounts under the wings.

How it all began

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

Tu-160 with serial "70-01" was first tested in the air in 1981 on December 18. State tests were completed in mid-1989. The Tu-160 then fired four Kh-55 cruise missiles as the main armament of the aircraft. The maximum speed of the aircraft in 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 is one of the combat aircraft of the USSR, which the press learned about even before its construction, for several years. As you know, in 1981, on November 25, the aircraft was prepared for testing in the town of Zhukovsky (Ramenskoye) near Moscow. The car was parked together with two Tu-144s and was photographed by a passenger from an aircraft landing at the nearby Bykovo airfield. From that moment on, the bomber received its nickname "Ram-P" (Ram - from Ramenskoye) and NATO code - "Black Jack". With this name, the world's heaviest bomb carrier of all time was presented.

At the talks on SALT-2 in the 70s of the last century, Leonid 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 will be produced at a plant in Kazan.

With the collapse of the USSR, the Tu-160 was distributed between the republics. Ukraine, for example, got 19 cars in the air regiment in Priluki, eight were transferred as debt for gas to Russia. The rest, unfortunately, were simply sawn. In Poltava, you can visit the last Ukrainian "swan" turned into a museum.

Modifications

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

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

Tu-160P - modification, which is heavy fighter long-distance escort. He could carry on board air-to-air missiles with medium and long range.

Tu-160PP is a project of an electronic warfare aircraft. 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 air-missile complex. It was brought to the stage of a finished draft design at the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau. The chief designer was V.F. Utkin. Work on the ARC "Krechet" was carried out in 1983-1984. in order not only to increase the efficiency and survivability of ballistic missiles during a nuclear explosion, but also to test the energy functionality of the carrier aircraft. Armed with a Krechet-R missile.

This is a 4th generation two-stage small-sized ICBM. It was equipped with sustainer solid propellant engines running on mixed fuel. In flight mode, liquid monopropellant was used. The carrying capacity of the Tu-160K carrier aircraft was 50 tons. That is, 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.

Missile guidance system

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

Tu-160SK is an aircraft designed to carry the Burlak three-stage liquid system, the mass of which was 20 tons. According to the calculations of the designers, up to 600-1100 kg of cargo could be put into orbit. At the same time, delivery will cost 2-2.5 times less than using launch vehicles with a similar carrying capacity. The missile launch from the Tu-160SK should take place at altitudes of 9000-14000 m at an aircraft speed of 850 to 1600 km / h. The characteristics of the Burlak complex were supposed to surpass the American analogue of the subsonic launch complex, which was carried by a Boeing B-52, equipped with a Pegasus launch vehicle. Purpose of "Burlak" - a constellation of satellites in the event of a massive destruction of airfields. The development of the complex began in 1991, the commissioning was planned in 1998-2000. The complex was also supposed to include a ground service station and a command and measurement point. The flight range of the Tu-160SK to the launch site of the carrier rocket was 5000 km. On January 19, 2000, the Aerospace Corporation "Air Launch" and "TsSKB-Progress" in Samara signed documents on cooperation in the direction of creating the Air Launch aircraft complex.

Tu-160M

Tu-160M ​​is the latest modernization of the Tu-160 aircraft. It includes only new weapons and electronic equipment. Only OFAB-500U it can carry on board up to 90 pieces weighing 500 kg each. According to experts, the Russian bomber-missile carrier is ahead of its British counterpart - the Typhoon fighter in many respects. For example, the flight range of a domestic aircraft, even without refueling, is 4 times greater than that of a British aircraft. Tu-160M ​​is capable of carrying on board not only more non-nuclear missiles and bombs, but also has a better engine efficiency indicator.

Of course, it is also worth mentioning the increasing power of the "White Swans". Flight tests of the updated Tu-160M ​​missile carrier have already begun, which will soon enter service.

High support

The head of state called the work done to create this aircraft "a great success of the plant's staff."

Russian President Vladimir Putin and general manager OJSC Kamaz Sergey Kogogin during a meeting with representatives of the public on implementation issues national project"Housing and urban environment". Photo by RIA Novosti.

KAZAN, February 12 - RIA Novosti. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed satisfaction with the results of the production of the Tu-160 combat missile carrier.

We have implemented a brilliant project in Kazan, in fact, we have created a new Tu-160 aircraft for The armed forces... Supersonic combat missile carrier. And not only the carrier itself, but also the weapon for it was finalized. Everything works like a clock, just great. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.

The Tu-160 is the largest aircraft with variable wing geometry and is undoubtedly one of the most powerful combat vehicles in the world. In 2015, the decision was announced to resume production of strategic missile carriers at the Kazan aircraft plant. On November 16, 2017, the new aircraft was transferred from the final assembly workshop to the plant's flight test station. Thanks to the modernization, the efficiency of the Tu-160 should increase by 60%.

No competitors

According to the military expert, due to the improved tactical and technical characteristics of the aircraft, it has no competitors for the coming years. “The Tu-160M ​​will undoubtedly receive the latest electronic onboard systems, an inertial navigation system, and modernized weapons control systems. Tu-160s are now strengthening the grouping in the Arctic, and have also successfully participated in hostilities in Syria. Recently, for example, they crossed the Atlantic Ocean, several seas and unexpectedly for the whole world ended up in Venezuela, close to the enraged USA, "Mikhailov says about the uniqueness of the White Swans.

Another combat highlight of the aircraft was reported at the final board of the Ministry of Defense by Sergei Shoigu. Tu-160s launched 12 Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles at the Pemboy training ground located in the Arctic Circle. The head of the department added that in contrast to the US deployment of a global missile defense system, our Armed Forces are building up their strike potential.

Without a doubt, the Tu-160 is one of the most advanced aviation systems in the world. It has tremendous potential and unmatched power. And yet, he is very handsome, for which he received the nickname "White Swan".

At present, the Russian Ministry of Defense has begun to conclude the first contracts for the resumption of production of Tu-160M2 strategic bombers. They announced, for example, that an additional 50 modernized strategic bombers under the Tu-160M2 index would be built.

Scheduled flights

Tu-160 strategic missile carriers perform scheduled flights in airspace over neutral waters of the Barents, Norwegian and North Seas. As a rule, the crews of the MiG-31 fighter-interceptors carry out aviation escort of long-range aircraft. The flight duration is more than 13 hours.

During the flight, the crews of the Tu-160 and MiG-31 practice refueling in the air. At certain stages of the route, Russian planes are accompanied by fighters of the air forces of NATO countries.

Long-range aviation pilots regularly fly over the neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Black and Caspian Seas, and the Pacific Ocean. All flights of aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces are carried out in strict accordance with the International Rules for the Use of Airspace.

The price of the issue

Expert estimates of the cost of the "WHITE SWAN" fluctuate in the range of $ 250-600 million. In 1993, the media named 6 billion rubles, which corresponded to about $ 600 million. combat use) costs 580 thousand rubles (about $ 23.3 thousand). For comparison, the cost of the American B-1B bomber, which is close to the Tu-160 in terms of flight performance, is $ 317 million, an hour of flight costs $ 57.8 thousand.

It is possible, with a certain margin of error, to calculate the cost of refueling the heaviest combat aircraft in the world. The aircraft is equipped with fuel tanks with a total volume of 148,000 liters. With an average price of aviation fuel (kerosene) of about 50,000 rubles per ton, we get 7,400,000 rubles for one refueling.

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Weapons don't have to be pretty. For example, the appearance of the Soviet combat helicopter Some American journalists call the Mi-24 frightening. But there are also opposite examples, the most striking of which is the Tu-160 supersonic strategic bomber. The perfection and smoothness of its main contours evoke involuntary admiration. Of course, beauty is not the only advantage of the Tu-160. The White Swan is an unusual plane. It remains the most powerful and fastest strategic bomber in the world today. In addition, it is an important part of the Russian nuclear "triad", and is capable of causing irreparable damage to any aggressor.

The history of the development of the Tu-160 "White Swan" bomber

In the 60s of the last century, the active development of strategic bombers was actually not carried out in the USSR. For a long time, the military-political leadership of the country thought that the time of aircraft was running out, and it was better to concentrate efforts on the construction of ballistic missiles. This situation changed only in 1967, when the government instructed the defense industry to prepare a project for a fundamentally new bomber. The decree of the Council of Ministers indicated the desired parameters of this machine, including a cruising (not even maximum!) Speed ​​of 3,500 kilometers per hour with a flight range of 13 thousand kilometers - characteristics that are absolutely fantastic even for today.

The greatest experience in creating heavy bombers was possessed by design department A.N. Tupolev, however, at first it did not participate in the design of the new machine.

Two other design bureaus were involved - P.O. Sukhoi and V.M. Myasishchev. The first of them developed the T-4MS project, based on the "flying wing" aerodynamic design. At the same time, the engineers of the Myasishchev Design Bureau prepared two promising options at once by 1972. One of them, M-18, was outward appearance rather close to the American B-1B, which was still being created at that time, and the second, the M-20, used a duck aerodynamic design.

KB A.N. Tupolev was involved in the creation of a new "strategist" at the end of 1969. For various reasons, including, perhaps, under the influence of D.F. Ustinov, this design bureau first tried to design an aircraft based on the Tu-144 passenger liner.

In 1972 the Soviet Ministry aviation industry held a competition, following which it was supposed to choose one of the projects of a strategic bomber for the subsequent "fine-tuning" of the design and serial production. The option proposed by the Tupolev Design Bureau was recognized as the most unsuccessful. The T-4MS made a strong impression on the competition commission, however, the military expressed concern that the P.O. Sukhoi will not be able to simultaneously work on the creation of the Su-27 fighter, which was then a priority.

Myasishchev's project - M-18 - looked the most acceptable against this background. The similarity to the B-1 was more of a plus than a minus: it indicated that at least the bomber's layout was already "proven." At the same time, the Myasishchev Design Bureau did not have its own production base and did not have experience in creating supersonic aircraft.

The final decision of the commission looked paradoxical: the winner was not named, and all further work was entrusted to the design bureau A.N. Tupolev, inviting other participants to transfer all the technical documentation to him.

Looking at the modern "White Swan" Tu 160, it may seem that it was based on the Myasishchev M-18 project, but this is not entirely true. In particular, the Tupolevites did not immediately settle for a variant of an aircraft with a variable sweep wing. For a long time we could not choose the most optimal layout. The final decision on the creation of a bomber under the designation Tu-160, together with the general terms of reference, which stipulated the required characteristics, was fixed in December 1975 by a special decree of the USSR government.

In parallel with the work on the creation of the aircraft itself, the design of its onboard equipment, power plant and weapons system was carried out. All these tasks were extremely difficult, but they were solved within the set time frame.

The Tu-160 made its first flight on December 18, 1981. Factory tests of the bomber lasted until 1985, after which they smoothly flowed into state tests. In mid-1989, the aircraft was prepared for transfer to the troops for trial operation.

The first copies of the Tu-160 were built in Moscow, and then serial assembly was carried out in Kazan. Separate parts of the airframe were manufactured in Irkutsk, Voronezh and Kuibyshev (now Samara).

The further fate of a strategic bomber was complicated, sometimes even tragic. After the collapse of the USSR, some of the already produced serial aircraft ended up on the territory of Ukraine, where, due to a constant lack of funding, these aircraft did not receive the necessary maintenance. As a result, 8 out of 19 "Ukrainian" Tu-160s were transferred to Russia, one became an exhibit of the museum, and 10 were sawn in the presence of American senators who did not hide their gloating.

The production of the modernized Tu-160 can be resumed in the coming years, however, reports about this are still rather contradictory.

Features of the design of the bomber

The Tu-160 has an integral layout typical of many modern military aircraft. Lift is created not only by its wings, but also by the fuselage. According to the aerodynamic design, this is a low-wing aircraft with an all-turning keel and stabilizer. In the manufacture of the airframe, composite materials as well as alloys based on steel, heat-resistant aluminum and titanium.

Fuselage

The glider of the Tu-160 aircraft consists of the following main parts:

1. F1 - fairing for onboard radio-electronic station;
2. F2 - cockpit and avionics compartment;
3. F3 - the first bomb bay and front slugs, coupled with the wing;
4. Ф4 - central beam-caisson;
5. F5 - second bomb bay, engine nacelles;
6. Ф6 - tail and keel.

The cockpit is made common, the commander and pilot are located in the front seats, the operators are behind them.

Ejection of any of the crew members is allowed in all flight modes.

Wing

The variable sweep swivel wing is one of the most noticeable design elements of the Tu-160. The angle of inclination of the leading edge can be varied in the range from 20 to 65 degrees. The turning mechanism used on the bomber was copied from a similar device installed on Tu-22M aircraft, adjusted for the increased dimensions and weight of the wing. There is developed system mechanization.

When servicing on the ground, it is forbidden to shift the wing to the "supersonic" position, since the tail of the bomber "outweighs" the rest of the aircraft and may even hit the concrete.

Chassis

During taxiing, takeoff run and run, the Tu 160 aircraft is supported by three landing gear legs. There are special gondolas to accommodate the two main racks. When the landing gear is retracted, the length of these struts is reduced, which makes it possible to reduce the overall dimensions of the aircraft. The main carts are six-wheeled. The front single-axle pivot strut retracts into a special recess, which is also equipped with an entrance to the cockpit. The track width of the chassis is 5.4 meters. To prevent foreign objects from entering the air intakes during takeoff, the A-pillar is equipped with an aerodynamic deflector.

Power point

The Tu-160 missile carrier is equipped with four NK-32 by-pass turbofan engines, created at the Kuibyshev Engine Plant (now ANTK named after N.D. Kuznetsov). Serial production began in 1983 and resumed in 2016.

The nominal thrust in cruise mode is 14,000 kgf, and in afterburner this figure reaches 25,000 kgf. The engine nacelles are located under the fuselage of the aircraft, two on each side.

In contrast to the American B-1B, adjustable air intakes are used, which makes it possible to develop and maintain a speed of 2,200 kilometers per hour for a long time. The turbine blades of the engine are made in such a way that the radio waves falling on them are reflected on the absorbing structural elements. As a result, the bomber's radar signature is reduced.

Fuel system

There are a total of 13 fuel tanks in the wing of the aircraft as well as in its fuselage. During the flight, the on-board electronics monitors the position of the bomber's center of gravity and, if necessary, redistributes the fuel, preventing the machine from unbalancing.

Tu-160 can be refueled in the air. For this, a retractable fuel receiver rod located in the nose of the aircraft is used.

Equipment

The bomber is equipped with a fly-by-wire control system that includes both analog and digital devices. Quadruple redundancy is provided, there is also a mechanical wiring that duplicates commands if necessary.

The search for targets and the guidance of offensive weapons at them is carried out using the OPB-15R device (optical-television sight) and a radar station with an antenna directed directly along the flight path. These items of equipment make up the Obzor-K complex, which is also used for terrain mapping.

The defense of the aircraft from fighters and ground-based air defense systems is provided by the Baikal defense complex. It includes devices for shooting passive interference, as well as electronic warfare systems and detecting the operation of enemy radars. For a long time, "Baikal" remained the weak point of the Tu-160 (the creators of the American B-1B aircraft faced a similar problem), however, over time, they managed to achieve a fairly high level of reliability of this equipment. In addition, it is assumed that the characteristics of the defensive systems of the Tu-160 M2 variant will be significantly improved.

The cockpit dashboard looks outdated by modern standards. Multifunctional indicators were not installed in it, the equipment was basically "inherited" from the Tu-22M.

Armament Tu-160

The bomber is capable of lifting up to 45 tons of combat load into the air, for which there are two separate compartments.

There are three main weapon options that can be used:

1. 24 X-15 aeroballistic missiles. They have a relatively short flight range - up to 300 km, but at the same time the speed reaches 5M. The main version of the warhead is nuclear, with a capacity of 300 kilotons. There are also anti-radar and anti-ship modifications;
2. 12 X-55 cruise missiles. Flight range - 3,500 km, speed - up to 830 km / h. The warhead is nuclear, with a capacity of 200 to 500 kilotons. There is a "conventional" version of the Kh-555, the flight range of which is 2,000 km;
3. 12 X-101 cruise missiles. The range is 5,500 km, the weight of the warhead is 400 (according to other sources - 450) kg. There is a nuclear version of the rocket - Kh-102, with a capacity of up to 1 megaton. The main advantage of the Kh-101 and Kh-102 is their increased accuracy, the circular probable deviation is 5 meters.

Rockets are launched from special drum devices. The possibility of using free-falling and corrected aerial bombs is being studied.

Technical characteristics of the "White Swan" (TTX)

Tu-160 is the largest and heaviest bomber in the world. Its main operational parameters are as follows:

It should be noted that the wing area changes depending on the magnitude of its sweep.

Bomber flight characteristics

Unlike the American B-1B bomber, the Tu-160 is designed for flights in the stratosphere, not near the ground. Therefore, during its operation, it is possible to carry out flights with full tanks, thereby reaching the maximum possible range.

Attention is drawn to the climb characteristics achieved on the Tu-160 - 4.4 kilometers per minute. When refueling, this aircraft can stay aloft for up to 25 hours.

Advantages and disadvantages of Tu-160

Despite the fact that some American politicians are trying to demonstrate a disdainful attitude towards the "White Swan", this aircraft still has ample potential today. Its advantages, in particular, include:

1. Large carrying capacity - up to 45 tons. No other strategic bomber is capable of lifting such an impressive mass into the air;
2. High flight speed. According to this indicator, the Tu-160 is unique;
3. Large combat radius. While the B-1B is closer to tactical aircraft in this respect, the White Swan is quite close in flight range to the much slower Tu-95 and B-52;
4. High level of reliability. Today the Tu-160 is ahead of, for example, the Tu-22M3 medium bomber in terms of this indicator.

Among the shortcomings of the machine, one can note, first of all, its inability to use conventional bomb weapons. This greatly limits the practical use of the Tu-160, especially in regional conflicts. Perhaps, in the future, this drawback will be eliminated.

In addition, technical personnel experience significant difficulties in ground handling of the White Swan due to the very high noise level generated by the aircraft's engines. You even have to wear special headphones and anti-vibration belts.

Bomber modifications

The development of the Tu-160 design after the collapse of the USSR actually stopped. For this reason, the White Swan did not have new serial modifications.

So far, we can only talk about a few experimental variants of the machine:

1. Tu-160M ​​and Tu-160M2. These projects involve equipping the aircraft with new systems of onboard equipment, including electronic warfare stations, control facilities, and a navigation system. In addition, after modernization, the "White Swan" will be able to use free-fall and corrected bombs;
2. Tu-160P. A project to convert an aircraft into a heavy long-range fighter armed with long-range air-to-air missiles. Reminiscent of the American B-1R project;
3. Tu-160PP. It exists as a layout. The main idea is to transform the bomber into a specialized electronic warfare aircraft;
4. Tu-160K. A platform for launching air-launched ballistic missiles. Such a bomber existed only in the form of a preliminary design;
5. Tu-161. Experimental aircraft with a hydrogen propulsion system;
6. Tu-160NK-74. It differs from the basic version only in engines. NK-74 are economical and allow to increase the flight range.

The Tu-160SK deserves a separate mention - the plane on which it was supposed to accommodate the 20-ton Burlak system, intended for launching spacecraft into Earth's orbit. The initial purpose of this complex, called "Air Launch", is an emergency replenishment of a group of military satellites, however, "civilian" use is also possible.

Combat use

The Tu-160 bomber made repeated patrol and airborne missions, but they were usually carried out without weapons on board. At the same time, the plane was repeatedly used to strike at terrorists in the territory of the Syrian Republic. The first such episode took place on November 17, 2015.

The combat use of the Tu-160 took place in "range" conditions, without any opposition from the enemy and was more reminiscent of the tests of the Kh-555 and Kh-101 missiles. At the same time, these strikes were a kind of demonstration for Western "partners" who had the opportunity to make sure that Russia possesses modern high-precision weapons.

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.

The Tu-160 strategic bomber is a unique aircraft. This powerful model is often called "White Swan" or Blackjack, according to the terminology invented by the American side.

Currently, this particular model of air transport, developed in the mid-70s by Soviet design engineers, is the largest, formidable and at the same time graceful military bomber equipped with a variable glassy wing. Plane "White Swan" strategic purpose replenished the stock of weapons of the Russian army back in 1987.

Airplane Tu-160

According to the order issued by the Council of Ministers Soviet Union in 1967, domestic manufacturers began designing a new bomber. They took part in the development of the project as employees of the enterprise "Myasishchev" and "Sukhoi", making various proposals for the project being created over the course of several years.

For some reason, representatives of the airline named after Tupolev did not take part in the competition, despite the fact that earlier the engineers of this particular bureau were able to develop and put into operation a project to create several models of bombers, as well as the Tu-144 supersonic aircraft. ... The considered air force is the basis of Russia's nuclear power. And this fact is confirmed by the excellent technical characteristics of the Tu-160.

According to the results of the selection competition, the winner was the project created by the staff of "Myasishchev". However, literally a few days later, by order of the government, all the documentation was seized from the winner and handed over to the Tupolev bureau. This is how the Tu-160 aircraft was created.

The design engineers were given specific goals regarding the creation of the future military machine:

• the flight range of air transport should be equal to 13 thousand km at an approximate altitude of 18 thousand km at a speed of 2450 km / h;
• military air transport must be able to approach the designated target in high-speed subsonic cruising;
• the weight of the load relative to the total mass should be equal to 45 tons.

The first test flight of a military vehicle was made at the end of 1981 on the territory of the Ramenskoye military airfield. The tests were successful, which was confirmed by an experienced pilot B. Veremeyev, piloting the first model.

Tu-160 cockpit

The supersonic Russian missile carrier was put into mass production 3 years after a successful test flight. New models of military aircraft were manufactured by specialists working at the aviation enterprise in Kazan. The first model of mass production was able to rise into the heavens at the end of 1984, in the future, the aircraft manufacturer annually produced one unit of the demanded military aircraft.

By order of B. Yeltsin, at the beginning of 1992 it was decided to stop mass production of Tu-160 models. The current president at that time made this decision in response to the decision of the United States to suspend the production of the equally powerful American military B-2 bombers.

New aircraft models

In the spring of 2000, an updated model of the Tu-160 missile carrier was added to the Air Force Russian Federation... After 5 years, the complex was put into service. In the spring of 2006, the last test round of modernization to improve the characteristics of the NK-32 power unit came to an end. Thanks to the changes made, the design engineers managed to increase the reliability of the power unit and increase its resource several times.

An updated serial bomber flew into the sky at the end of 2007. According to previously approved plans, the designers were supposed to modernize 3 more models of military air vehicles over the next 12 months. After looking at the photos of the Tu-160 of early and updated models, you can independently understand what a tremendous work the design engineers had to do.

According to analytical data, in 2013, there were 16 Tu-160 models in the Russian Air Force.

Sergei Shoigu issued a statement in 2015 emphasizing the importance of the resumption of the most powerful bombers. The application was reviewed and approved, which allowed Russian aircraft designers to proceed with the renewal of production process... According to preliminary data, the updated models of Tu-160 M and Tu-160 M2 bombers will be put into mass production in early 2023.

Features of the war machine

To create a truly unique model of a military aircraft that meets the goals set, the designers were forced to make standard rules assembly, certain features thanks to which the Tu-160 aircraft really turned out to be unique in its kind:

1. Composite alloys, stainless and titanium high-quality steel were used to assemble the structure.
2. The maximum speed of the Tu-160 at an altitude reaches 2200 km / h.
3. The bomber, manufactured by a Russian aircraft manufacturer, is an integral low-wing aircraft equipped with a variable swept wing, an all-turning stabilizer, and technical support landing gear.
4. The cockpit of the "White Swan" was recognized as one of the most spacious and comfortable, given that the pilots, if desired, can easily walk around their compartment and even warm up.
5. The bomber's board is equipped with a kitchen where you can warm up food, as well as a toilet room that was not previously part of the design of military aircraft.

For armament Russian bomber cruise types of strategic missiles of the Kh-55-SM class are used.

Having broken many records at the beginning of the century, the Tu-160 White Swan is still the fastest bomber in the world, capable of carrying the greatest payload. Flying twice as fast as sound, it is capable of traversing multiple continents and completing a mission anywhere in the world. NATO christened it Blackjack.

The origin of the "White Swan"

It is believed that the impetus for starting work on the Tu-160 was the US decision to create a new B-1 strategic bomber in the 1960s, and it was impossible to lag behind the States in this regard. In 1967, the Council of Ministers of the USSR decided to start work on a new multi-mode aircraft that could carry up to 45 tons of payload over continental distances, approach the target at subsonic, and pass enemy air defenses at supersonic speed. The maximum flight range, according to the requirements, was to be 11-13 thousand km at supersonic and 16-18 thousand km at subsonic speed.

Interestingly, at first, the Tupolev Design Bureau was not involved in the work on the new project due to the high occupancy of the Tu-144 passenger, but the Myasishchev Design Bureau and the Sukhoi Design Bureau were engaged in this. In the 1970s, they introduced their variants - both four-engine, variable wing geometry. Although they were similar, they used different design solutions. The Tupolev Design Bureau took up the aircraft only in 1969, when new tactical and technical requirements were presented. Unlike others, they already had considerable experience in solving different problems associated with overcoming supersonic speed by heavy aircraft. The supersonic passenger Tu-144 passed all tests and conducted its first flight in 1968, and all the developments on it began to be actively used to create the strategic Tu-160. Including a fixed wing. It was believed that the weight of the pivot structure nullified all the advantages of a variable geometry wing.

In 1972, the M-18 models from the Myasishchev design bureau and the "product 200" of the Sukhoi design bureau were considered, and an additional version from the Tupolev design bureau out of competition. M-18 to the greatest extent met the assigned tasks and had ample opportunities, becoming the favorite of the competition. However, after weighing the rich experience of the Tupolevites in the development of heavy supersonic aircraft (Tu-144 and Tu-22M), the commission ultimately gave preference to the Tupolev Design Bureau. It was decided to transfer all the materials developed by other design bureaus to them. But the chief designer of the Tu-160, Valentin Ivanovich Bliznyuk, and others did not have confidence in the development of the Myasishchev Design Bureau, and they decided to start work from scratch. In 1976, they defended the sketch of the project, and a year later the Kuznetsov Design Bureau was already developing engines for the future Tu-160. The prototype, codenamed 70-01, made its first flight from the Ramenskoye airfield in 1981. It was later joined by prototypes 70-02 and 70-03. All three were assembled at the MMZ "Experience".

Continuous tests

The first and third prototypes were used for flight tests, and the 70-02 for static tests. In 1986, the fourth bomber left the gates of the workshop, which became a combatant. Initially, they wanted to install X-45 high-speed cruise missiles on the plane, but in the end they settled on subsonic small-sized X-55, as well as aeroballistic hypersonic X-15. The latter could be placed on launchers inside the hull. In 1989, four X-55s were successfully launched from the Tu-160 aircraft, and the aircraft itself was accelerated in horizontal flight to almost 2200 km / h, after which it was decided to lower the operating speed threshold to 2000 km / h in order to preserve its resource for a long time. engines and airframe. As a result, the world's best performance was confirmed by 44 different records.

The tests took place at the test ranges of the Lower Volga, where there was more than enough space for X-55 cruise missiles with a range of more than three thousand kilometers, and the number of clear days was close to 320 a year. The missile launch was accompanied by the Il-76 flight, which received telemetry data from the aircraft and controlled the Kh-55 flight. When launched over long distances, the missiles went to the target even after the Tu-160 landed. Several times we had to detonate them in the air when the missiles lost control and approached the boundaries of the range. As a result, it was possible to bring the accuracy of their hit to an average of 22 meters in circular deviation. Many hours were spent on tuning electronic systems, especially the new on-board defense complex "Baikal", installed instead of small arms. "Baikal" detected enemy air defenses, determined their location and jammed them with interference, or created false targets behind the aircraft. In total, during the tests of the Tu-160, 150 sorties were made, and even the simultaneous dropping of missiles from both cargo compartments was worked out.

In the ranks

The first Tu-160 aircraft entered service with the air regiment in Priluki, Chernigov region, in 1987. The pilots began to master the new car without waiting for the end of state tests, which were already dragging on. They immediately liked the Tu-160, which was very easy to operate, went up a drill and had no problems landing. Once it even managed to be lifted into the air with the spoilers released - the hundred-ton thrust of the engines could not be compared with anything. The plane was very respected and in the first months they even removed all debris, stones and branches from the runway to avoid being sucked into the air intakes. A feature was quickly discovered, in which the plane landed on the "fifth point" when parked, and it was problematic to return it to its normal position. This was due to folded wings, which moved the center of gravity back. I had to sacrifice space and leave them at a minimum angle.

As new aircraft arrived, the run-in Tu-160s were transferred to other air regiments, and some were disposed of on the spot so that the total number of aircraft would be included in the framework of the Treaty on the Reduction of Conventional Arms. We flew from Priluki to Baikal and back, or to the North to Graham Bem Island. The longest flight was made by the Gorgol crew - 12 hours 50 minutes. At the time of the collapse of the USSR, there were 19 Tu-160s in Priluki, and now there are 16 of them in service with the Russian Air Force. The baptism of fire of the aircraft occurred during the conflict in Syria in 2015, during the Russian military operation. Then cruise missiles Kh-555 and Kh-101 were launched against the targets of the Islamic State (a group banned in Russia).

Specifications

• Length - 54100
• Height - 13100
• Wingspan - 55.7 / 50.7 / 35.6 m
• Wing area - 232 sq.
• Weight - 110 tons
• Crew - 4 people
• Maximum fuel capacity - 148 tons
• Maximum takeoff weight- 275 tons
• Thrust - 4 × 18,000 kgf (afterburner 4x25000)
• Rate of climb - 4400 m / min
• Maximum speed - 2200 km / h
• Cruising speed - 850 km / h
• Practical range - 12 300 km (maximum 18 950 km)
• Practical / Strategic ceiling - 22,000 m