Airplane "White swan" Tu-160: description, technical characteristics

The Russian aircraft "White Swan" - a machine developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau, belongs to the class of military aviation. Was going to in the times of the Union. Several machines are functioning to this day. A distinctive feature of this model is the variable geometry of the wing. In the class of weapons refers to bombers. Like all Tupolev cars, I got my "Tu" in the title. Full name on technical data - Tu-160.

At the moment, the production of the aircraft is stopped, but in the media there are rumors that it will be resumed, taking into account all the innovations and developments that exist to this day.

Own names ...

The "White Swan" aircraft is the only class from all Russian aviation, which got its name. Perhaps this is due to the fact that there are not so many such planes in Russia. Perhaps it is an exceptional case, but each "White Swan" also has its own name. These are the names of the famous pilots (Tu-160 "Valery Chkalov") of fairy-tale heroes (Tu-160 "Ilya Muromets") or famous designers and champions.

18

It is interesting that there were two cars with a number "18" in the design bureau. For the first time this airborne number received the first flight model. He ascended to the air on December 18, 1981. The second plane was assembled for static experiments, and it did not rise to the air. The next plane (third) also became a flying model.

The second car with the number "18" came out after the launch of series production. She got her own name "Andrey Tupolev". By the reduction of the manufacturer's factory (Kazan), it was planned to restore in 2013.

It should be noted that the strategic aircraft "White Swan", as it was later called, cost a lot of money, and was developed only for the needs of the Soviet Union, so the concept of seriality can be used with great stretch. For export, this model was not supplied.

Is the pack large?

Before proceeding directly to the characteristics of flight, weapons and capabilities, it should be noted that, unlike other non-serial models, there is a different situation. Interested in the question of how many aircraft "White Swan" from Russia, you can recall that the car began to gather even during the Soviet era and, probably, would be collected to this day, if there was a Union. But with the disintegration of all the all-union production facilities, assembly was stopped here. Therefore, only 35 cars were assembled, able to be understood in the air among them - an order of magnitude less. But according to some media reports, the Russian Defense Ministry plans to bring the fleet of swans to 50 units. Along with this, the old machines are being modernized, and new ones are being developed.

After examining the situation today, we will move on to the history of the creation, the development of weapons and other details without which the military aircraft "White Swan" simply could not exist, or would be completely different. After all, at first the role of the main developer was offered not at all to Tupolev. But first things first.

The history of the White Swan

In the mid-70s of the last century, the Union had powerful capabilities for a nuclear attack, and at the same time, a clear lag in the class of strategic aviation. This class of those years was represented only by subsonic bombers, unable to pass through the air defense of alleged opponents. Therefore, in 1967, the government of the USSR issued a decree on the creation of a "new, multi-regime strategic aircraft." Development of the project is read in the offices of Sukhoi and Myasishchev. Tupolev at that time had other orders, so this plane was not engaged. It is noteworthy that while developing completely different aircraft, the two bureaus agreed on one thing: in both projects a variable sweep wing was featured.

Projects of the new aircraft

At the same time, the Sukhoi Design Bureau was repelled from the T-4 version created by them earlier, and Myasishev went the other way - the bureau was developing a multimode bomber-missile carrier M-20. It can also be noted that both versions were planned and other modifications - anti-submarine aircraft or high-altitude scout.

The Tupolev Design Bureau is connected in 1969, after the Air Force revises plans and sets specific deadlines. It should be noted that the Tupolevs had an advantage over the competitors - TU-144, supersonic passenger liner. Its development allowed solving the main problems of pre- and supersonic flight. You can also mention the Tu-22M, with the development of which were tested new armament and flight equipment. The project they released most resembled the improved TU-144 and did not pull the White Swan plane. The characteristics of it largely corresponded to the characteristics of the 144th, but it had some new details rolled in the production of the TU-22M.

Decision in favor of the "White Swan"

It should be noted that the Air Force recognized the best version of Sukhoi - the new T-4M bomber, but the Suhovtsi at that time started developing the T-10 (better known as the SU-27), and the transition to heavy aircraft would postpone its development for an indefinite period. Therefore, the military adopted a "Solomonic decision". Suhovtsi will continue work on the fighter, but T-4M supplies all materials to Tupolev, who brings the aircraft to serial production.

Perhaps this would end the projects, and the new aircraft "White Swan" would be renamed T-4M, but Tupolev decided differently. He refused the documentation and decided to continue developing a new aircraft with a variable wing sweep. Arrangements with a fixed wing no longer rose. It should be noted that the Air Force called two basic requirements - near-sound flights at low altitudes or subsonic to significant ones. It was in response to these opposite conditions that the aircraft appeared, which later received the codename Tu-160M. "M" in this context meant an upgraded version with the use of new technologies and materials. Then the development of new power plants, chassis, engines and other components began. In total, the aircraft "White Swan" received details from more than 500 organizations of various profiles.

"Swan" and modifications

Despite the rather complicated fate of the Tu-160, in addition to the main model, four versions of the 160th were also developed, differing in different indices and intended for different purposes, as well as the Tu-161 model, which has a wider fuselage due to the use of liquid hydrogen engines.

So, the Tu-160PP was developed - the radio-electronic interception aircraft. In addition to the full-scale model and the determination of the necessary equipment, no further action was taken. Tu-160P, apart from missiles, could have the capabilities of a heavy fighter. Model NK-74 (Tu-160) would receive special, more powerful powerplants, which would positively affect the range of flights. And finally, the Tu-160K remained only on paper - a missile complex project.

Flight data and speed

As the reviews on the Internet write, this is the most powerful, the heaviest, the best airplane "White Swan". Characteristics of flight data: wingspan 35-55 m. At the same time, the wing area remains unchanged and is 232 square kilometers. M. The practical ceiling - 21 km (for comparison: a passenger liner can rise to 11.5). The duration of the flight can be more than 15 hours, with a flight without refueling it will be 12,500 km. The battle radius is 5000 km.

The aircraft is operated by a team of 4 people, and, the crew members have the opportunity to get up, warm up. The length of the aircraft is 50 m, the height is 13. On board there is a small kitchen and a bathroom. 4 engines are pressed to the fuselage, a pair of each side, able to develop traction up to 18000 kgf, the afterburner mode is able to squeeze up to 25000.

Given that the Air Force has instructed to assemble an aircraft capable of squeezing supersonic speed (and previously only TU-144 could be squeezed out in the Union) - a supersonic airliner, the speed of the White Swan aircraft was a subject of controversy for a long time. Nevertheless, the cruising speed is 920 km / h, and the maximum speed is 2300 km / h. The speed on the rise is 4,000 m / min. To take off the car you need a strip with a length of at least 800 m, you can sit on a strip with a length of at least 2 km.

Armament

It remains for us to describe one more detail, which is always mentioned when talking about military equipment, which is the "White Swan". The aircraft, the armament of which requires finding above the territory of the enemy - so you can say about the bomber. But the "swan" does not necessarily appear above the territory of the enemy.

Being a strategic bomber, the Tu-160 also got the opportunity to use cruise missiles. You can use 2 of their type. This is X-55SM, used to defeat targets that have given coordinates (the coordinates of the targets are entered into the rocket memory blocks even before the aircraft takes off). In flight, you can use up to 12 missiles. Or X-15C, designed to defeat nearby targets - on board you can take 24 rockets of this type.

It is interesting that, after modernization, missile armament became the main one - for use of bombs launchers may need to be removed. Instead of bombs, you can use sea mines, nuclear bombs or bomb cartridges. Further upgrades of existing machines will make it possible to use the X-101 and X-555 - the newest missiles, designed to extend the range and defeat targets of almost all classes, regardless of whether they are on land or sea.

Conclusion

According to most experts, the aircraft "White Swan" several times ahead of its main rivals, the American B-1 and the English fighter Typhoon. The flight range of Tu-160M (modernized) is 4 times higher than the British, the number of bombs is also several times higher. The engine efficiency is better than the English version. The flight speed is 1.5 times higher than the American one, the range and combat radius is 1.5 times higher. The thrust of the engines is almost 2 times stronger. If you compare with the B-2 (B-1 upgrade), the characteristics of which are truncated, wherever possible, the Tu-160 will be better for any parameter.