TU-143: the history of creation. Description of construction

The need for reconnaissance in the rear of the enemy in the mid-fifties, during the beginning of the confrontation between the US and the USSR for the dominant position in the world, determined the importance of creating unmanned aircraft. Now independently piloted equipment is on the armament of many countries of the world and its number is growing. But few people know that the homeland of "smart" aircraft, which are still in use, was the Soviet Union, which developed such well-known reconnaissance vehicles as TU-123, TU-143, TU-141.

How did it all start?

Primitive use of unmanned technology in the form of balloons to deliver bombs by Austrian troops to besieged Venice was dated 1849. Half a century later Nikola Tesla designed and implemented a radio-controlled vessel. And in 1910, American military engineer C. Kettering built and tested several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), but they did not find any practical use.

The thirties were marked by the development of self-controlled reusable technology in the UK. In parallel with this invention in the Soviet Union, designer Nikitin created a torpedo-bearing glider and even designed a torpedo with a range of 100 kilometers, but everything remains on paper. In 1940, German scientists created a cruise missile, first used in combat operations, and a jet engine.

And only after the Second World War does the arms race begin in the unmanned sphere between the Warsaw Pact and NATO, thanks to which the UAVs, including the TU-143 "Flight", have appeared.

The predecessor of the UAV "Flight"

In 1956, the Organization of the Warsaw Pact countries introduced allied troops to Hungary to suppress anti-communist ideas. In the same period, the secret department of "K" was created in the Tupolev Design Bureau, whose task is to develop "C" products. A year later a telegram was sent to the Council of Ministers of the USSR on Aviation Affairs under the "Secret" stamp about the readiness of flight tests of "C" products in the fourth quarter of 1958.

Under the encrypted product, the creation of a UAV was concealed. The idea of development belonged to A.N. Tupolev. The secret product was a metal monoplane with wings of an arrow-shaped form. Soon a project was prepared for a shock-free unmanned complex capable of delivering nuclear weapons at a distance of 10,000 km, but it was not realized by the order of NS. Khrushchev.

The reconnaissance vehicle of self-piloting "Yastreb" TU-123, which became the predecessor of the TU-143, made its first flight in 1961. Unlike the attack aircraft, it had reconnaissance equipment in the fore part of the structure, and not a nuclear warhead.

Imperfections of the "Hawk" and the order "Flight"

The first drawback revealed in the tests of TU-123 was the non-thermally stable photo shoots, which were covered with cracks at an airplane speed of 2,700 km / h. This problem was solved by Soviet engineers with the purchase of Brazilian quartz sand under the pretext of its use in medical equipment. It was from such raw materials that the heat-resistant glass was obtained, and then high-quality images.

The second drawback was the imperfect design of the "Hawk", which during operation retained only the instrument compartment, the remaining parts of the UAV were disposable. The country's leadership understood the need to develop a rescue unmanned reconnaissance complex. He will later be surrounded by the "Flight" TU-143. The history of the UAV begins with the introduction of allied forces in Czechoslovakia and the setting by the leaders of the USSR of a new task for the design bureau Tupolev about the construction of a rescue reconnaissance unmanned vehicle.

Creation of "Flight"

The work on the implementation of the new state order in the sphere of UAV passed quickly. Two years later, the "Flight" had already made its first flight. After 4 years of testing and improvement, in 1976, they adopted the complex for arming the USSR Army. Effective conduct of tactical reconnaissance - so characterized in the troops of TU-143. Production of prototypes in the amount of 10 pieces was realized in Bashkiria in 1973. Soon the serial production of a new complex began. For 10 years (before 1980), they were all produced 950 pieces.

The complex was released in two versions: the first with photo equipment; The second - with the television. In addition, the UAV was equipped with means of radiation reconnaissance. In 1985, on the basis of the "Flight" Tupolev engineers created a target, which also successfully passed state tests.

Invulnerability by air defense means is a feature of TU-143. In the arsenal of six countries was the "Flight": the USSR, Iraq, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Syria, Romania. Today he stayed in Ukraine and in Russia.

Purpose

During the tactical flight, the reconnaissance complex performed aerial photography with preservation of the data on the photographic film. To solve operational problems, TV equipment was used in TU-143. Both types of reconnaissance operations could be carried out in the daytime. The distance that determines the depth of UAV penetration in the rear of the enemy is characterized by indicators in 60-70 km.

Functions of the "Flight":

• Starting with a self-propelled plant at a wind speed of not more than 15 m / s.
• Flight control by means of an automated on-board system (ABSU).
• Possibility to program flight trajectories.
• Collection and preservation of intelligence data using photo and television equipment.
• The possibility of determining the radiation situation.
• Data delivery to a given point and via a radio channel to ground command posts.

TU-143: description of the structure

The UAV "Reis" has unique properties by radio-signage. L.T. Kulikov, one of the chief designers, suggested making special protection measures. The keel, the tips of the wings, the parachute container, the nose of the aircraft are made of non-metallic materials. This made it possible to achieve the invulnerability of the reconnaissance complex.

Structurally the fuselage of the device consists of four compartments: bow, onboard equipment, fuel tank, engine nacelle with a parachute container. The bow of the complex is equipped with reconnaissance equipment. The compartment is made of fiberglass and provides the presence of a photojack.

UAVs land thanks to a three-legged chassis. The front support is concealed in the second compartment, and the other two are released from the wing consoles. Brake and landing parachutes are designed to extinguish the horizontal and vertical landing speed.

Exploitation

The reconnaissance complex was used in the Afghan and Lebanese wars. After the collapse of the USSR, a large number of UAVs remained on the territory of Ukraine.

In 2001, there was a tragic case involving the use of TU-143 for educational purposes as a target. Airliner TU-154M then crashed, which killed about 80 people. The reason was the unintentional hit by a missile intended for the UAV "Flight".

You can see TU-143 (copies), preserved as exhibits, in the following places:

• Aviation Museum in Kiev.
• The Museum of Military Equipment and Weapons of the Spadshchansky Forest.
• In the city of Khmelnitsky.
• The Prague Aviation Museum.
• The Museum. Sakharov.
• Central airfield of Moscow.
• Museum of the Air Force in Monino.

TU-143: ЛТХ

• Weight - 1230 kg.
• The length is 8.06 m.
• The height is 1,545 m.
• The wingspan is 2.24 m.
• The area of the wing is 2.9 m ² .
• The minimum flight altitude is 10 m.
• The flight time is 13 minutes.
• Engine type - TRD TR3-117.
• The depth of action is 95 km.
• The maximum speed is 950 km / h.