Tu 160 white swan for strategic purposes. Airplane "White Swan": technical characteristics and photos. Learn more about flight opportunities

Tu-160 (according to NATO classification Blackjack) is a supersonic missile-carrying bomber with a variable sweep wing, created by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1980s. It has been in service since 1987. The Russian Air Force currently has 16 Tu-160 strategic missile carriers. This aircraft is the largest supersonic aircraft and aircraft with variable geometry wings in military aviation, as well as the heaviest among all combat aircraft in the world. The Tu-160 has the largest maximum take-off weight among all existing bombers. Among Russian pilots, the plane is nicknamed "White Swan".

Work on the creation of a new generation strategic bomber began at the A. N. Tupolev Design Bureau in 1968. In 1972, the project of a multi-mode bomber with a variable sweep wing was ready, in 1976 the preliminary design of the Tu-160 project was completed, and already in 1977, the Design Bureau named after. Kuznetsov began work on creating engines for a new aircraft. Initially, it was going to be armed with high-speed X-45 missiles, but later this idea was abandoned, giving preference to small-sized subsonic cruise missiles like the X-55, as well as aeroballistic hypersonic missiles X-15, which were placed on multi-position launchers inside the hull.

The full-scale model of the new bomber was approved in 1977. In the same year, at the pilot production of the MMZ “Experience” in Moscow, they began assembling a batch of 3 experimental machines. The wing and stabilizers for them were produced in Novosibirsk, the fuselage was manufactured in Kazan, and the landing gear was manufactured in Gorky. The final assembly of the first prototype was carried out in January 1981, the Tu-160 aircraft with the numbers “70-1” and “70-3” were intended for flight tests, and the aircraft with the number “70-02” for static tests.

Assembly of a prototype at MMZ "Experience"

The first flight of the aircraft with the serial number “70-01” took place on December 18, 1981 (the crew commander was B.I. Veremey), and on October 6, 1984, the aircraft with the serial number “70-03” took off, which already had a complete set serial bomber equipment. Another 2 years later, on August 15, 1986, the 4th serial bomber left the gates of the assembly shop in Kazan, which became the first combatant. In total, 8 aircraft of two experimental series were involved in flight tests.

During the state tests, which were completed in mid-1989, 4 successful launches of X-55 cruise missiles, which were the main vehicle, were carried out from the missile-carrying bomber. The maximum speed of horizontal flight was also achieved, amounting to almost 2200 km/h. At the same time, during operation, they decided to limit the speed threshold to a speed of 2000 km/h, which was mainly due to preserving the service life of the propulsion system and the airframe.

The first 2 experimental Tu-160 strategic bombers were included in the Air Force combat unit on April 17, 1987. After the collapse of the USSR, almost all production vehicles available at that time (19 bombers) remained on the territory of Ukraine, at the air base in the city of Priluki. In 1992, bombers of this type began to enter service with the 1st TBAP of the Russian Air Force, which was based in Engels. By the end of 1999, there were 6 Tu-160 aircraft at this airbase, another part of the aircraft was in Kazan (under assembly) and at the airfield in Zhukovsky. Currently, most of the Russian Tu-160s have individual names. For example, the Air Force has aircraft “Ilya Muromets” (this was the name of the world’s first heavy bomber, which was built in Russia in 1913), “Mikhail Gromov”, “Ivan Yarygin”, “Vasily Reshetnikov”.

The high performance of the Russian strategic bomber was confirmed by the establishment of 44 world records. In particular, with a payload of 30 tons, the aircraft flew along a closed route with a length of 1000 km. at a speed of 1720 km/h. And in a flight over a distance of 2000 km, with a take-off weight of 275 tons, the aircraft was able to reach an average speed of 1678 km/h, as well as a flight altitude of 11,250 m.

During serial production, the bomber underwent a number of improvements, which were determined by the experience of its operation. For example, the number of shutters for feeding the aircraft engines was increased, which made it possible to increase the stability of the turbojet engine (a two-circuit turbojet engine with an afterburner) and simplify their controllability. Replacing a number of structural elements from metal to carbon fiber made it possible to reduce the weight of the aircraft to some extent. The operator's and navigator's hatches were equipped with rear-view periscopes, the software was also improved and changes were made to the hydraulic system.

As part of the implementation of a multi-stage program to reduce radar signature, a special graphite radar-absorbing coating was applied to the air intake ducts and shells, and the nose of the aircraft was also covered with radar-absorbing paint. It was possible to implement measures to shield the engines. The introduction of mesh filters into the cabin glazing made it possible to eliminate the re-reflection of radar radiation from its internal surfaces.

Today, the strategic missile-carrying bomber Tu-160 is the most powerful combat vehicle in the world. In terms of armament and its main characteristics, it is significantly superior to its American counterpart - the B-1B Lancer multi-mode strategic bomber. It is assumed that further work to improve the Tu-160, in particular the expansion and updating of weapons, as well as the installation of new avionics, will be able to further increase its potential.

Design Features

The Tu-160 bomber is made according to a normal aerodynamic design with variable wing geometry. A special feature of the aircraft airframe design is the integrated aerodynamic layout, according to which the fixed part of the wing forms a single whole with the fuselage. This solution made it possible to make the best use of the internal volumes of the airframe to accommodate fuel, cargo, and various equipment, as well as to reduce the number of structural joints, which led to a reduction in the weight of the structure.

The bomber's airframe is made primarily from aluminum alloys (B-95 and AK-4, heat-treated to increase service life). The wing consoles are made of titanium and high-strength aluminum alloys and are docked to hinges that allow you to change the wing sweep in the range from 20 to 65 degrees. The share of titanium alloys in the mass of a bomber airframe is 20%; fiberglass is also used; glued three-layer structures are widely used.

The bomber's crew, consisting of 4 people, is located in a single spacious sealed cabin. In its front part there are seats for the first and second pilots, as well as for the navigator-operator and navigator. All crew members are seated in K-36DM ejection seats. To improve the performance of operators and pilots during long flights, the seat backs are equipped with pulsating air cushions for massage. At the rear of the cockpit there is a small kitchen, a folding berth for rest and a toilet. Late model aircraft were equipped with a built-in stairway.

The aircraft landing gear is tricycle with 2 steered front wheels. The main landing gear has an oscillating shock strut and is located behind the bomber's center of mass. They have pneumatic shock absorbers and three-axle bogies with 6 wheels. The landing gear retracts into small niches in the fuselage backwards along the flight path of the bomber. Shields and aerodynamic deflectors, designed to press air against the runway, are responsible for protecting engine air intakes from dirt and precipitation entering them.

The Tu-160 power plant includes 4 bypass turbojet engines with an NK-32 afterburner (created by the N.D. Kuznetsov Design Bureau). The engines have been mass-produced in Samara since 1986; until the mid-1990s they had no analogues in the world. NK-32 is one of the world’s first production engines, during the design of which measures were taken to reduce IR and radar signature. The aircraft's engines are located in pairs in engine nacelles and separated from each other by special fire partitions. The engines operate independently of each other. To implement autonomous power supply, a separate auxiliary gas turbine power unit was also installed on the Tu-160.

The Tu-160 bomber is equipped with a PRNA sighting and navigation system, consisting of an optoelectronic bomber sight, surveillance radar, INS, SNS, astro-corrector and on-board defense complex “Baikal” (containers with dipole reflectors and IR traps, heat direction finder). There is also a multi-channel digital communications complex that is interfaced with satellite systems. More than 100 special computers are used in the bomber's avionics.

The onboard defense system of a strategic bomber guarantees the detection and classification of enemy air defense system radars, determination of their coordinates and their subsequent disorientation by false targets, or suppression by powerful active jamming. For bombing, the “Groza” sight is used, which ensures the destruction of various targets with high accuracy in daytime conditions and in low light levels. The direction finder for detecting enemy missiles and aircraft from the rear hemisphere is located at the extreme rear of the fuselage. The tail cone contains containers with dipole reflectors and IR traps. The cockpit contains standard electromechanical instruments, which are generally similar to those installed on the Tu-22M3. The heavy vehicle is controlled using a control stick (joystick), as on fighter aircraft.

The aircraft's armament is located in 2 intra-fuselage cargo compartments, which can contain a variety of target loads with a total weight of up to 40 tons. The armament may consist of 12 X-55 subsonic cruise missiles on 2 multi-position drum-type launchers, as well as up to 24 X-15 hypersonic missiles on 4 launchers. To destroy small tactical targets, the aircraft can use adjustable aerial bombs (CAB) weighing up to 1500 kg. The aircraft can also carry up to 40 tons of conventional free-fall bombs. In the future, the armament complex of a strategic bomber can be significantly strengthened by including new high-precision cruise missiles, for example, the X-555, designed to destroy both tactical and strategic ground and sea targets of almost all possible classes.

Performance characteristics of the Tu-160:
Dimensions: maximum wingspan - 55.7 m, minimum - 35.6 m, length - 54.1 m, height - 13.2 m.
Wing area – 360.0 sq. m.
Aircraft weight, kg.
- empty – 110,000
- normal take-off – 267,600
- maximum take-off – 275,000
Engine type – 4 NK-32 turbofan engines, non-afterburning thrust – 4x137.2 kN, afterburning – 4x247.5 kN.
Maximum speed at altitude is 2230 km/h, cruising speed is 917 km/h.
Practical flight range without refueling: 12,300 km.
Combat radius: 6,000 km.
Practical ceiling – 15,000 m.
Crew – 4 people
Armament: two ventral compartments accommodate various target loads with a total mass of 22,500 kg, maximum - up to 40,000 kg. The armament includes tactical and strategic cruise missiles X-55 and X-55M, as well as short-range aeroballistic hypersonic missiles X-15 (M=5) with nuclear and non-nuclear warheads, as well as KAB adjustable aerial bombs of various types up to KAB-1500 , conventional types of bombs, as well as mines.

Sources used:
www.arms-expo.ru/049049056050124055049050.html
www.worldweapon.ru/sam/tu160.php
www.militaryrussia.ru/blog/topic-262.html

The strategic bomber Tu-160 “White Swan” or Blackjack (baton) in NATO terminology, is a unique aircraft. This is the basis of the nuclear power of modern Russia. The TU-160 has excellent technical characteristics: it is the most formidable bomber that can also carry cruise missiles. This is the largest supersonic and graceful aircraft in the world. Developed in the 1970-1980s at the Tupolev Design Bureau and has a variable sweep wing. In service since 1987. Tu-160 "White Swan" - video

Video removed or not publicly available

The Tu-160 bomber became the “answer” to the US AMSA (Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft) program, within which the notorious B-1 Lancer was created. The Tu-160 missile carrier was significantly ahead of its main competitors Lancers in almost all characteristics. The speed of the Tu 160 is 1.5 times higher, the maximum flight range and combat radius are just as large. And the thrust of the engines is almost twice as powerful. At the same time, the “stealth” B-2 Spirit cannot stand any comparison, in which literally everything was sacrificed for the sake of stealth, including distance, flight stability and payload capacity.

Quantity and cost of TU-160 Each long-range missile carrier TU-160 is a one-piece and rather expensive product; it has unique technical characteristics. Since their creation, only 35 of these aircraft have been built, with an order of magnitude fewer remaining intact. But they still remain a threat to enemies and the real pride of Russia. This aircraft is the only product that received its name. Each of the aircraft built has its own name; they were assigned in honor of champions (“Ivan Yarygin”), designers (“Vitaly Kopylov”), famous heroes (“Ilya Muromets”) and, of course, pilots (“Pavel Taran”, “Valery Chkalov " and others).

Before the collapse of the USSR, 34 aircraft were built, with 19 bombers remaining in Ukraine, at the base in Priluki. However, these vehicles were too expensive to operate, and they were simply not needed for the small Ukrainian army. Ukraine offered to give 19 TU-160s to Russia in exchange for Il-76 aircraft (1 to 2) or for writing off the gas debt. But for Russia this was unacceptable. In addition, Ukraine was influenced by the United States, which actually forced the destruction of 11 TU-160s. 8 aircraft were transferred to Russia for writing off the gas debt. As of 2013, the Air Force had 16 Tu-160s. Russia had too few of these aircraft, but their construction would have cost a huge amount. Therefore, it was decided to modernize 10 bombers out of the existing 16 to the Tu-160M standard. Long-range aviation should receive 6 modernized TU-160s in 2015. However, in modern conditions, even the modernization of existing TU-160s cannot solve the assigned military tasks. Therefore, plans emerged to build new missile carriers.

In 2015, Kazan decided to consider the possibility of starting production of the new TU-160 at KAZ facilities. These plans were formed as a result of the current international situation. However, this is a difficult but solvable task. Some technologies and personnel were lost, but, nevertheless, the task is quite feasible, especially since there is a backlog of two unfinished aircraft. The cost of one missile carrier is about 250 million dollars. History of the creation of the TU-160 The design task was formulated back in 1967 by the Council of Ministers of the USSR. The design bureaus of Myasishchev and Sukhoi were involved in the work, and they proposed their own options a few years later. These were bombers capable of reaching supersonic speed and overcoming air defense systems at it. The Tupolev design bureau, which had experience in developing Tu-22 and Tu-95 bombers, as well as the Tu-144 supersonic aircraft, did not participate in the competition. In the end, the Myasishchev Design Bureau project was recognized as the winner, but the designers did not have time to celebrate the victory: after some time the government decided to close the project at the Myasishchev Design Bureau. All documentation on the M-18 was transferred to the Tupolev Design Bureau, which joined the competition with Izdeliye-70 (the future TU-160 aircraft).

The future bomber had the following requirements: flight range at an altitude of 18,000 meters at a speed of 2300-2500 km/h within 13 thousand km; flight range near the ground of 13 thousand km and at an altitude of 18 km in subsonic mode; the aircraft must approach the target at subsonic cruising speed, overcome enemy air defenses - at cruising speed near the ground and in supersonic high-altitude mode. The total mass of the combat load should be 45 tons. The first flight of the prototype (Product “70-01”) was carried out at the Ramenskoye airfield in December 1981 of the year. Product “70-01” was piloted by test pilot Boris Veremeev and his crew. The second copy (product "70-02") did not fly, it was used for static tests. Later, a second aircraft (product “70-03”) joined the tests. The supersonic missile carrier TU-160 was put into serial production in 1984 at the Kazan Aviation Plant. In October 1984, the first production aircraft took off, in March 1985 - the second production vehicle, in December 1985 - the third, in August 1986 - the fourth.

In 1992, Boris Yeltsin decided to suspend the ongoing serial production of the Tu 160 if the US stopped mass production of the B-2. by that time 35 aircraft had been produced. KAPO by 1994 KAPO transferred six bombers to the Russian Air Force. They were stationed in the Saratov region at the Engels airfield. The new missile carrier TU-160 (“Alexander Molodchiy”) became part of the Air Force in May 2000. The TU-160 complex was put into service in 2005. In April 2006, the completion of testing of the modernized NK-32 engines created for the TU-160 was announced. The new engines are characterized by increased reliability and significantly increased service life. In December 2007, the first flight of the new production aircraft TU-160 was carried out. Colonel General Alexander Zelin, commander in chief of the Air Force, announced in April 2008 that another Russian bomber would enter service with the Air Force in 2008. The new aircraft was named “Vitaly Kopylov”. It was planned that three more operational TU-160s would be modernized in 2008.

Design Features The White Swan aircraft was created with extensive use of proven solutions for aircraft already built at the design bureau: Tu-142MS, Tu-22M and Tu-144, and some components, assemblies and some systems were transferred to the aircraft without changes. “White Swan” has a design that widely uses composites, stainless steel, aluminum alloys V-95 and AK-4, titanium alloys VT-6 and OT-4. The White Swan aircraft is an integral low-wing aircraft with a variable-sweep wing, an all-moving fin and stabilizer, and a tricycle landing gear. The wing mechanization includes double-slotted flaps, slats, and flaperons and spoilers are used for roll control. Four NK-32 engines are mounted in the lower part of the fuselage in pairs in engine nacelles. The TA-12 APU is used as an autonomous power unit. The airframe has an integrated circuit. Technologically, it consists of six main parts, starting from F-1 to F-6. In the unsealed nose section, a radar antenna is installed in a radio-transparent fairing; behind it there is an unsealed radio equipment compartment. The one-piece central part of the bomber, 47.368 m long, includes the fuselage, which includes the cockpit and two cargo compartments. Between them there is a fixed part of the wing and a caisson-compartment of the center section, the rear part of the fuselage and the engine nacelles. The cockpit consists of a single pressurized compartment, where, in addition to the crew’s workplaces, the aircraft’s electronic equipment is located.

The wing on a variable-sweep bomber. The wing has a minimum sweep of 57.7 m. The control system and rotary assembly are generally similar to the Tu-22M, but they have been recalculated and strengthened. The wing is of coffered structure, mainly made of aluminum alloys. The rotating part of the wing moves from 20 to 65 degrees along the leading edge. Three-section double-slit flaps are installed along the trailing edge, and four-section slats are installed along the leading edge. For roll control there are six-section spoilers, as well as flapperons. The inner cavity of the wing is used as fuel tanks. The aircraft has an automatic fly-by-wire onboard control system with redundant mechanical wiring and fourfold redundancy. The controls are dual, with handles installed rather than steering wheels. The aircraft is controlled in pitch using an all-moving stabilizer, in heading - by an all-moving fin, and in roll - by spoilers and flaperons. Navigation system – two-channel K-042K. The White Swan is one of the most comfortable combat aircraft. During the 14-hour flight, pilots have the opportunity to stand up and stretch. There is also a kitchen on board with a cupboard for heating food. There is also a toilet, which was not previously available on strategic bombers. It was around the bathroom that a real war took place during the transfer of the plane to the military: they did not want to accept the car, since the design of the bathroom was imperfect.

Armament of the Tu-160 Initially, the Tu-160 was built as a missile carrier - a carrier of cruise missiles with long-range nuclear warheads, designed to deliver massive attacks on areas. In the future, it was planned to expand and modernize the range of transportable ammunition, as evidenced by stencils on the doors of the cargo compartments with options for hanging a huge range of cargo. The TU-160 is armed with Kh-55SM strategic cruise missiles, which are used to destroy stationary targets having given coordinates; they are entered into the missile’s memory before the bomber takes off. The missiles are located six at a time on two MKU-6-5U drum launchers in the cargo compartments of the aircraft. The weaponry for short-range engagement may include hypersonic aeroballistic missiles Kh-15S (12 for each MKU).

After appropriate conversion, the bomber can be equipped with free-fall bombs of various calibers (up to 40,000 kg), including disposable cluster bombs, nuclear bombs, sea mines and other weapons. In the future, the bomber's armament is planned to be significantly strengthened through the use of high-precision cruise missiles of the latest generation X-101 and X-555, which have an increased range and are also designed to destroy both tactical sea and ground targets, as well as strategic targets of almost all classes.



	Supersonic strategic missile-carrying bomber
Developer:	OKB Tupolev
Manufacturer:	MMZ "Experience", KAPO
Chief designer:	Valentin Ivanovich Bliznyuk
First flight:
Start of operation:
	Operated
Main operators:	Russian Air Force, USSR Air Force (former), Ukrainian Air Force (former)
Years of production:
Units produced:	35 (27 production and 8 prototypes)
Unit cost:	6.0-7.5 billion rubles or $250 million (1993)

Choice of concept

Testing and production

Exploitation

Modernization plans

Current situation

Modification projects

Design

General design features

Power point

Hydraulic system

Fuel system

Electricity supply

Armament

Instances

Specifications

Flight characteristics

In service

Literature

In art

(factory designation: product 70, according to NATO codification: Blackjack- Russian black Jack) is a supersonic strategic missile-carrying bomber with a variable-sweep wing, developed at the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1980s.

It has been in service since 1987. At the beginning of 2013, the Russian Air Force has 16 Tu-160 aircraft.

It is the largest supersonic aircraft and aircraft with variable wing geometry in the history of military aviation, as well as the heaviest combat aircraft in the world, having the highest maximum take-off weight among bombers. Among pilots he received the nickname “White Swan”.

Story

Choice of concept

In the 1960s, the Soviet Union developed strategic missiles, while the United States relied on strategic aviation. The policy pursued by N. S. Khrushchev, led to the fact that by the beginning of the 1970s the USSR had a powerful nuclear missile deterrent system, but strategic aviation had at its disposal only subsonic Tu-95 and M-4 bombers, which were no longer capable of overcoming the air defense (air defense) of the countries NATO.

It is believed that the impetus for the development of the new Soviet bomber was the US decision to develop, within the framework of the AMSA (Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft) project, the latest strategic bomber - the future B-1. In 1967, the USSR Council of Ministers decided to begin work on a new multi-mode strategic intercontinental aircraft.

The following basic requirements were presented to the future aircraft:

flight range at a speed of 2200-2500 km/h at an altitude of 18,000 meters - within 11-13 thousand km;
flight range in subsonic mode at altitude and near the ground - 16-18 and 11-13 thousand kilometers, respectively;
the aircraft had to approach the target at subsonic cruising speed, and overcome enemy air defenses in supersonic high-altitude mode or at cruising speed near the ground;
the total mass of the combat load is up to 45 tons.

Projects

The Sukhoi Design Bureau and the Myasishchev Design Bureau began work on the new bomber. Due to the heavy workload, the Tupolev Design Bureau was not involved.

By the early 1970s, both design bureaus had prepared their projects - a four-engine aircraft with variable wing geometry. At the same time, despite some similarities, they used different schemes.

The Sukhoi Design Bureau worked on the T-4MS (“product 200”) project, which maintained a certain continuity with the previous development - the T-4 (“product 100”). Many layout options were worked out, but in the end the designers settled on an integrated circuit of the “flying wing” type with rotating consoles of a relatively small area.

Myasishchev Design Bureau also, after conducting numerous studies, came up with a variant with variable wing geometry. The M-18 project used a traditional aerodynamic design. The M-20 project, built using a canard aerodynamic design, was also being worked on.

After the Air Force presented new tactical and technical requirements for a promising multi-mode strategic aircraft in 1969, the Tupolev Design Bureau also began development. Here there was a wealth of experience in solving the problems of supersonic flight, gained in the process of developing and manufacturing the world's first supersonic passenger aircraft Tu-144, including experience in designing structures with a long service life in supersonic flight conditions, developing thermal protection for the airframe, etc.

The Tupolev team initially rejected the option with variable geometry, since the weight of the wing rotation mechanisms completely eliminated all the advantages of such a design, and took the civilian supersonic aircraft Tu-144 as a basis.

In 1972, the commission reviewed the projects of the Sukhoi Design Bureau (“product 200”) and the Myasishchev Design Bureau (M-18) submitted to the competition. A non-competition project from the Tupolev Design Bureau was also considered. The members of the competition commission most liked the Myasishchev Design Bureau project, which to a greater extent met the stated requirements of the Air Force. The aircraft, due to its versatility, 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. It was decided to transfer all materials for further work to the Tupolev Design Bureau.

Although the Myasishchev Design Bureau project largely replicated the American B-1 aircraft, V.I. Bliznyuk and other developers did not have complete confidence in it, so the design of the aircraft began “from scratch,” without directly using Myasishchev Design Bureau materials.

Testing and production

The first flight of the prototype (under the designation “70-01”) took place on December 18, 1981 at the Ramenskoye airfield. The flight was carried out by a crew led by test pilot Boris Veremey. The second copy of the aircraft (product “70-02”) was used for static tests and did not fly. Later, a second flight aircraft under the designation “70-03” joined the tests. Aircraft "70-01", "70-02" and "70-03" were produced at MMZ "Experience".

In 1984, the Tu-160 was put into serial production at the Kazan Aviation Plant. The first production vehicle (No. 1-01) took off on October 10, 1984, the second production vehicle (No. 1-02) on March 16, 1985, the third (No. 2-01) on December 25, 1985, the fourth (No. 2-02) ) - August 15, 1986.

In January 1992, Boris Yeltsin decided to possibly suspend the ongoing serial production of the Tu-160 if the United States stopped serial production of the B-2 aircraft. By this time, 35 aircraft had been produced. By 1994, KAPO transferred six Tu-160 bombers to the Russian Air Force. They were stationed at the Engels airfield in the Saratov region.

In May 2000, the new Tu-160 (w/n “07” “Alexander Molodchiy”) entered service with the Air Force.

The Tu-160 complex was put into service in 2005. On April 12, 2006, it was announced that state tests of the modernized NK-32 engines for the Tu-160 had been completed. New engines are distinguished by significantly increased service life and increased reliability.

On April 22, 2008, Air Force Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Alexander Zelin told reporters that another Tu-160 strategic bomber would enter service with the Russian Air Force in April 2008.

On April 29, 2008, a ceremony took place in Kazan to transfer the new aircraft into service with the Air Force of the Russian Federation. The new aircraft was named “Vitaly Kopylov” (in honor of the former director of KAPO Vitaly Kopylov) and was included in the 121st Guards Aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Heavy Bomber Regiment, based in Engels. It was planned that in 2008 three combat Tu-160s would be modernized.

Exploitation

The first two Tu-160 aircraft (No. 1-01 and No. 1-02) entered the 184th Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment in Priluki (Ukrainian SSR) in April 1987. At the same time, the aircraft were transferred to the combat unit before the completion of state tests, which was due to the rapid pace of introduction of American B-1 bombers into service.

By 1991, 19 aircraft arrived in Priluki, of which two squadrons were formed. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, they all remained on the territory of Ukraine.

In 1992, Russia unilaterally stopped flights of its strategic aviation to remote regions.

In 1998, Ukraine began dismantling its strategic bombers using funds allocated by the United States under the Nunn-Lugar program.

In 1999-2000 an agreement was reached under which Ukraine transferred eight Tu-160s and three Tu-95s to Russia in exchange for writing off part of the gas purchase debt. The remaining Tu-160s in Ukraine were disposed of, except for one vehicle, which was rendered unfit for combat and is located in the Poltava Long-Range Aviation Museum.

By the beginning of 2001, in accordance with the SALT-2 Treaty, Russia had 15 Tu-160 aircraft in combat service, of which 6 missile carriers were officially armed with strategic cruise missiles.

In 2002, the Ministry of Defense entered into an agreement with KAPO to modernize all 15 Tu-160 aircraft.

On September 18, 2003, during a test flight after engine repair, a disaster occurred; the plane with tail number “01” crashed in the Sovetsky district of the Saratov region during landing. The Tu-160 crashed into a deserted place 40 km from the home airfield. There were four crew members on board the vehicle: commander Yuri Deineko, co-pilot Oleg Fedusenko, as well as Grigory Kolchin and Sergei Sukhorukov. They all died.

On April 22, 2006, the Commander-in-Chief of Long-Range Aviation of the Russian Air Force, Lieutenant General Khvorov, said that during the exercise, a group of modernized Tu-160 aircraft penetrated US airspace and went unnoticed. However, this information does not have any objective confirmation.

On July 5, 2006, the modernized Tu-160 was adopted by the Russian Air Force, which became the 15th aircraft of this type (w/n “19” “Valentin Bliznyuk”). The Tu-160, which was transferred to combat service, was built in 1986, belonged to the Tupolev Design Bureau and was used for testing.

As of the beginning of 2007, according to the Memorandum of Understanding, the strategic nuclear forces included 14 Tu-160 strategic bombers (one bomber was not declared in the START data (b/n “19” “Valentin Bliznyuk”)).

On August 17, 2007, Russia resumed strategic aviation flights in remote regions on a permanent basis.

In July 2008, reports appeared about the possible deployment of Il-78 refueling tankers at airfields in Cuba, Venezuela and Algeria, as well as the possible use of airfields as backup for Tu-160 and Tu-95MS.

On September 10, 2008, two Tu-160 bombers (“Alexander Molodchiy” with identification number 07 and “Vasily Senko” with identification number 11) flew from their home base in Engels to the Libertador airfield in Venezuela, using the Olenegorsk airfield as a jumping off airfield. Murmansk region. Part of the way through Russian territory, the missile-carrying bombers were accompanied (for cover purposes) by Su-27 fighters of the St. Petersburg Air Force and Air Defense Association; while flying over the Norwegian Sea, Russian bombers intercepted two F-16 fighters of the Norwegian Air Force, and two F- fighters near Iceland. 15 US Air Force. The flight from the stopover site in Olenegorsk to Venezuela took 13 hours. There are no nuclear weapons on board the aircraft, but there are training missiles with the help of which combat use is practiced. This is the first time in the history of the Russian Federation that Long-Range Aviation aircraft have used an airfield located on the territory of a foreign state. In Venezuela, the aircraft carried out training flights over neutral waters in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. On September 18, 2008, at 10:00 Moscow time (UTC+4), both aircraft took off from the Maiquetia airfield in Caracas, and over the Norwegian Sea, for the first time in recent years, made night refueling in the air from an Il-78 tanker. At 01:16 (Moscow time) on September 19, they landed at the base airfield in Engels, setting a record for flight duration on the Tu-160.

June 10, 2010 - The maximum range flight record was set by two Tu-160 strategic bombers, official representative of the press service and information department of the Russian Ministry of Defense Vladimir Drik told Interfax-AVN on Thursday.

The flight duration of the missile carriers exceeded last year's figure by two hours, amounting to 24 hours 24 minutes, while the flight range was 18 thousand kilometers. The maximum volume of fuel during refueling was 50 tons, whereas previously it was 43 tons.

Modernization plans

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. The Tu-160M is planned to be equipped with a new weapons system that will allow the use of advanced cruise missiles and bomb weapons. Electronic and aviation equipment will also undergo complete modernization.

Current situation

In February 2004, it was reported that it was planned to build three new aircraft, the aircraft were on the plant's stocks, and delivery dates to the Air Force had not been determined.

Modification projects

Tu-160V (Tu-161)- a project for an aircraft with a power plant running on liquid hydrogen. It also differed from the base model in the size of the fuselage, designed to accommodate tanks with liquid hydrogen. See also Tu-155.
Tu-160 NK-74- with more economical NK-74 engines (increased flight range).
- a project for a heavy escort fighter armed with long- and medium-range air-to-air missiles.
- the electronic warfare aircraft was brought to the stage of manufacturing a full-scale mock-up, and the composition of the equipment was completely determined.
- preliminary design of the Krechet combat aircraft and missile system. Development began in 1983, Yuzhnoye SDO released it in December 1984. It was planned to deploy 2 two-stage ballistic missiles (1st stage - solid fuel, 2nd - liquid), weighing 24.4 tons, on a carrier aircraft. The total range of the complex was assumed to be more than 10,000 km. Warhead: 6 MIRV IN or monoblock warhead with a set of means to overcome missile defense. KVO - 600 m. Development was stopped in the mid-80s.
- carrier aircraft of the aerospace liquid three-stage Burlak system weighing 20 tons. It was assumed that the mass of the payload launched into orbit could reach from 600 to 1100 kg, and the cost of delivery would be 2-2.5 times lower than ground-launched rockets of similar payload capacity. The rocket launch was to be carried out at altitudes from 9 to 14 km at a carrier flight speed of 850-1600 km/h. In terms of its characteristics, the Burlak complex was supposed to surpass the American subsonic launch complex, created on the basis of the Boeing B-52 carrier aircraft and the Pegasus launch vehicle. The main purpose is to replenish the constellation of satellites in conditions of mass destruction of cosmodromes. Development of the complex began in 1991, commissioning was planned in 1998-2000. The complex was to include a command and measurement station based on the Il-76SK and a ground support complex. The flight range of the carrier aircraft to the ILV launch zone is 5000 km. On January 19, 2000, in Samara, the State Research and Production Space Center "TsSKB-Progress" and the Aerospace Corporation "Air Launch" signed a cooperation agreement on the creation of an aviation and space missile complex (ARKKN) "Air Launch".
- Tu-160 modernization project, which provides for the installation of new radio-electronic equipment and weapons. Capable of carrying conventional weapons, for example, 90 OFAB-500U, weighing about 500 kg and a continuous destruction radius of 70-100 m.

Design

General design features

When creating the aircraft, proven solutions were widely used for the machines already created at the design bureau: Tu-144, Tu-22M and Tu-142MS, and some of the systems and some components and assemblies were transferred to the Tu-160 without changes. Aluminum alloys AK-4 and V-95, stainless steel, titanium alloys OT-4 and VT-6, and composites are widely used in the design.

The Tu-160 aircraft is designed according to the integral low-wing design with a variable-sweep wing, a tricycle landing gear, an all-moving stabilizer and a fin. The wing mechanization includes slats, double-slotted flaps, and spoilers and flaperons are used for roll control. Four NK-32 engines are installed in pairs in engine nacelles in the lower part of the fuselage. The TA-12 APU is used as an autonomous power unit.

Fuselage

Integrated circuit planner. Technologically, it consists of six main parts, from F-1 to F-6. In the forward unsealed part, a radar antenna is installed in a radio-transparent radome, followed by an unsealed radio equipment compartment. The central integral part of the aircraft, 47.368 m long, includes the fuselage itself with a cockpit and two cargo compartments (weapons compartments), between which there is a center section caisson compartment and a fixed part of the wing; engine nacelles and the rear fuselage with a keel superstructure. The cockpit is a single pressurized compartment, which, in addition to the crew’s workplaces, houses various electronic equipment of the aircraft.

Wing

The wing on a variable sweep aircraft. The wingspan with minimum sweep is 57.7 meters. The rotary assembly and control system are generally similar to the Tu-22M, but accordingly recalculated and strengthened. The rotating part of the wing can be adjusted along the leading edge from 20 to 65 degrees. The wing is of a coffered design, made mainly of aluminum alloys. Four-section slats are installed along the leading edge, and three-section double-slit flaps are installed along the rear edge. The root part of the flap section on the rotating part is also a ridge designed to smoothly mate the wing with the center section with minimal sweep. For roll control, six-section spoilers and flapperons are installed. The internal cavities of the wing serve as fuel tanks.

On the ground, moving the wing at large angles is prohibited (without special devices), since due to the centering shift the plane falls “on its tail.”

Chassis

The plane has a three-wheel landing gear with a front and a pair of main struts. The front strut is located in the forward part of the fuselage, in an unpressurized niche under the technical compartment and is retracted back downstream. The front pillar has two 1080x400 mm wheels with an aerodynamic deflector that protects against foreign particles (debris) from the wheels getting into the engine air intakes. Through the niche of the front leg, along the ground ladder, the entrance to the cockpit is made. The main racks have three-axle bogies with six wheels 1260x485 mm each. They are retracted into gondolas, back in flight, while being shortened, which requires less internal volume of the compartments. When released, the racks extend, simultaneously moving outward by 60 cm, increasing the track (which has a positive effect on stability when steering). The compartments of the main racks themselves are also technical compartments for placing various equipment. Chassis track - 5400 mm, chassis base - 17880 mm. There is a two-chamber gas-oil shock absorber on the front strut, and three-chamber shock absorbers on the main struts. The wheels of the front strut are rotating, controlled by the track control pedals in the cockpit.

Power point

The aircraft is equipped with four NK-32 engines, which are a further development of the NK-144, NK-22 and NK-25 line.

Structurally, the NK-32 is a three-shaft dual-circuit engine with mixing of output flows and a common afterburner with an adjustable nozzle. The axial three-stage compressor has fifteen stages and consists of three units: a three-stage low-pressure compressor, a five-stage medium-pressure compressor and a seven-stage high-pressure compressor. The division of the air flow along the contours is carried out behind the low pressure compressor, the selection of air for aircraft needs occurs behind the high pressure compressor. The combustion chamber is an annular type, multi-nozzle with two starting igniters. In the afterburner, flows are mixed and fuel is burned in afterburner mode. The drive box is equipped with a hydraulic pump, a DC generator and a three-phase alternating current drive-generator. The engine spins up when starting - from an air starter.

The engines are placed in pairs in nacelles under the fuselage. Rectangular air intakes with a vertically positioned adjustable wedge and six air supply flaps.

The TA-12 APU provides the aircraft with electricity and compressed air on the ground, and can also be used as an emergency power source in the air at altitudes up to 7 km.

Hydraulic system

The aircraft uses four parallel operating high-pressure hydraulic systems with a discharge pressure of 280 kg/cm2; IP-50 oil is used as the working fluid. The hydraulic drive is used to move control surfaces, takeoff and landing mechanization and landing gear. Hydraulic pumps are installed one on each engine; APU turbopump units are used as a reserve.

Fuel system

The filling capacity of the fuel tanks is 171,000 kg. Each engine is powered from its own supply tank. Part of the fuel is used for alignment. A retractable in-flight fuel receiver boom for air refueling is installed in the nose.

Electricity supply

The aircraft is equipped with four non-contact DC generators and four AC drive generators on the engines. TA-12 APU generators are used as a backup source on the ground and in flight.

Armament

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

The Kh-55SM strategic cruise missiles in service with the Tu-160 are designed to hit stationary targets with predetermined programmed coordinates, which are entered into the missile’s memory before the bomber takes off. The missiles are placed on two MKU-6-5U drum launchers, six each, in two cargo compartments of the aircraft. To hit targets at shorter ranges, the weapons may include Kh-15S aeroballistic hypersonic missiles (24 missiles, 12 on each MKU).

The aircraft can also be equipped with free-falling bombs (up to 40,000 kg) 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 due to the introduction of high-precision cruise missiles of the new generation X-555 and X-101, which have an increased range and are designed to destroy both strategic and tactical ground and sea targets of almost all classes.

Flight navigation, instrumentation and radio-electronic equipment

The aircraft is equipped with a fly-by-wire automatic on-board control system with fourfold redundancy and redundant mechanical wiring. The aircraft controls are dual, there are not steering wheels installed, as is customary on heavy aircraft, but handles (RUS). In pitch, the aircraft is controlled using an all-moving stabilizer, in roll - by flaperons and spoilers, and in heading - by an all-moving fin. Two-channel astroinertial navigation system - K-042K. The Obzor-K sighting and navigation system will include 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. A separate system (SURO) is used to work with missile weapons. Most of the aircraft's equipment is integrated, depending on the solution to the current task.

The crew instrument panels are equipped with traditional dial instruments (mostly similar to those used on the Tu-22M); there are no multifunctional liquid crystal indicators on the aircraft. At the same time, a lot of work has been done to improve the ergonomics of workplaces and reduce the number of instruments and indicators, in comparison with the workplaces of the Tu-22M3 crew.

The following instruments and indicators are installed on the ship's commander's instrument panel:

radio altimeter indicator A-034
reserve attitude indicator AGR-74
radiomagnetic indicator RMI-2B
position indicator IP-51
indicator of vertical parameters IVP-1
combined device DA-200
barometric altimeter VM-15
speed indicator ISP-1
combined speed indicator KUS-2500 or KUS-3 (depending on the year of manufacture of the aircraft)
radar warning system indicator

The following indicators and instruments are installed on the co-pilot's instrument panel:

vertical parameters indicator IVP-1 or light signaling unit (depending on the year of manufacture of the aircraft)
speed indicator ISP-1
combined speed indicator KUS-2500 or KUS-3 (depending on the year of manufacture of the aircraft)
flight command device PKP-72
planning navigation device PNP-72
combined device DA-200
altimeter indicator UV-2Ts or UVO-M1
radio altimeter indicator A-034.

Instances

Most of the Tu-160 strategic missile carriers have their own names. The tail numbers of aircraft in service with the Air Force are highlighted in bold.

Tu-160 aircraft
			Note
			first flight prototype
			Passed statistical tests, did not fly
			second flight prototype
			first production aircraft
			second production aircraft, lost in an accident
			third production aircraft, stored at LII
	19 (previously 87)	"Valentin Bliznyuk"
		"Boris Veremey"	previously had exhibition number 342, based in Zhukovsky
			sawed up in Priluki in 1999, having less than 100 hours of flight time
		"General Ermolov"

			was in Pryluky, presumably sawed up
			was in Pryluky, presumably sawed up

			was in Pryluky, presumably sawed up
			was located in Priluki, since 2000 in the aviation museum in Poltava
			sawed in Pryluky
			sawed in Pryluky
			sawed in Pryluky
			sawed in Pryluky
		"Nikolai Kuznetsov"
		"Vasily Senko"
		"Alexander Novikov"	Arrived at KAPO in 2011 to carry out inspection and restoration maintenance; it is planned to be handed over to the Russian Ministry of Defense in 2012.
		"Igor Sikorsky"	was relocated from Pryluky to Engels, previous w/n unknown
		"Vladimir Sudets"	KAPO is undergoing a major overhaul.
		"Alexey Plokhov"	was relocated from Pryluky to Engels, underwent modernization
		"Valery Chkalov"	was relocated from Pryluky to Engels
			was relocated from Pryluky to Engels
		"Mikhail Gromov"	post-Soviet production, crashed in 2003
		"Vasily Reshetnikov"
		"Pavel Taran"	Passed inspection and restoration maintenance at KAPO in 2011.
		"Ivan Yarygin"	Passed inspection and restoration maintenance at KAPO in 2010.
		"Alexander Golovanov"	Post-Soviet production, in 1995 it received the name “Ilya Muromets”, in 1999 it was renamed. It is undergoing inspection and restoration maintenance at KAPO and is scheduled for delivery to the Russian Ministry of Defense in 2012.
		"Ilya Muromets"	Passed inspection and restoration maintenance at KAPO in 2009.
		"Alexander Molodchiy"	First flight in 1999, transferred to the Air Force in 2000
		"Vitaly Kopylov"	The last car produced at KAPO in 2008.

Also, according to the annual accounting reports of KAPO for 2011, the following Tu-160 serial numbers underwent major repairs and control and restoration maintenance:

5-03 Completed a major overhaul at KAPO in 2009.

5-04 Completed a major overhaul at KAPO in 2011.

5-05 It is undergoing a major overhaul at KAPO and is scheduled for delivery to the Russian Ministry of Defense in 2012.

6-01 Passed inspection and restoration maintenance at KAPO in 2008.

6-05 It is undergoing a major overhaul at KAPO and is scheduled for delivery to the Russian Ministry of Defense in 2013.

Performance characteristics

Specifications

Crew: 4 people
Length: 54.1 m
Wingspan: 55.7/50.7/35.6 m
Height: 13.1 m
Wing area: 232 m²
Empty weight: 110000 kg
Normal take-off weight: 267600 kg
Maximum take-off weight: 275000 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 range without refueling: 13950 km
Practical range without refueling: 12300 km
Combat radius: 6000 km
Flight duration: 25 h
Practical ceiling: 15000 m
Rate of climb: 4400 m/min
Run/run length: 900/2000 m

1185 kg/m²
1150 kg/m²

Thrust-to-weight ratio:

at maximum take-off weight: 0,37
at normal take-off weight: 0,36

Comparison of Tu-160 with analogues
Country and name of the supersonic missile-carrying bomber
Appearance
Maximum take-off weight, t

Maximum speed, km/h		3 200 calculated)
Combat radius, km

Maximum range, km
Working ceiling, m

56,7 (34 + 22,7)
Maximum speed, km/h
Combat radius, km
Range with combat load, km
Maximum range, km
Working ceiling, m
Total engine thrust, kgf
Application of visibility reduction technologies	partially
Number of aircraft in service

In service

In service

Russian Air Force - 16 Tu-160s are in service with the 121st Guards TBA of the 22nd Guards TBA of the 37th Air Army of the Supreme High Command (Engels-2 airfield), as of 2012. By 2015, all Tu-160s in service with the Russian Air Force will be modernized and repaired, and the fleet will also be replenished with new types of strategic bombers by 2020.

Was in service USSR

USSR Air Force - Tu-160 was in service until the collapse of the country in 1991

Ukrainian Air Force - 19 Tu-160s in service with the 184th Guards Tank Battalion at Priluki Air Base, as of 1993. 10 Tu-160s were disposed of, one Tu-160 was transferred to a museum, the remaining 8 were transferred to Russia.

On November 16, 1998, Ukraine began dismantling the Tu-160 under the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program. In the presence of American senators Richard Lugar and Carl Levin, a Tu-160 with tail number 24, produced in 1989 and having 466 flight hours, was cut down. The second to be scrapped was the Tu-160 with tail number 13, built in 1991 and with less than 100 flight hours.

On September 8, 1999, in Yalta, an intergovernmental agreement was signed between Ukraine and Russia on the exchange of 8 Tu-160, 3 Tu-95MS, about 600 cruise missiles and airfield equipment in payment of the Ukrainian debt for supplied natural gas in the amount of $285 million.

On November 5, 1999, the Tu-160 with tail number 10 became the first to fly to Russia, to the Engels-2 airbase.

On February 21, 2000, the last 2 Tu-160s sold to Russia took off for the Engels-2 airbase.

On March 30, 2000, a Ukrainian Air Force Tu-160 with tail number 26 flew to the Poltava Long-Range Aviation Museum. Subsequently, the bomber was rendered unfit for combat. This is the only Tu-160 that remains on the territory of Ukraine.

On February 2, 2001, the tenth Tu-160 was cut down, the last of the strategic bombers of the Ukrainian Air Force, which were to be disposed of in accordance with an agreement with the United States and the Russian Federation.

Literature

Gordon E. Tu-160. - M.: Polygon-Press, 2003. P. 184. ISBN 5-94384-019-2

In art

Documentary film from the series “Special Correspondent” “White Swan (TU-160)”
Documentary film from the series “Strike Force” Film 15, “Air Terminator (Tu-160)”
Feature film “07 changes course”
Television series "Special Forces". Series: Runway (aircraft number 342 is used to deliver a GRU special forces group from St. Petersburg to Afghanistan). Series: Breath of the Prophet (Tu-160 with b/n 342, taking off from the Russian Air Force air base in Pskov, launches a missile attack on the Taliban’s secret laboratory in Afghanistan)
In the computer game Rise of Nations, the Asian strategic bomber model is based on it.

Those who are destined to crawl cannot fly (c). That is OK. However, the planes are amazing, especially the combat ones. They combine charm and a desire for weapons and an endless misunderstanding in the soul of how such a mass can fly so gracefully! I suggest you look at interesting photographs and learn something new about the pride of Soviet/Russian aviation.

Tu-160 (according to NATO classification Blackjack) is a supersonic missile-carrying bomber with a variable-sweep wing, created by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1980s. It has been in service since 1987. The Russian Air Force currently has 16 Tu-160 strategic missile carriers. This aircraft is the largest supersonic aircraft and variable-geometry wing aircraft in the history of military aviation, as well as the heaviest among all combat aircraft in the world. The Tu-160 has the largest maximum take-off weight among all existing bombers. Among Russian pilots, the plane is nicknamed "White Swan".

First plane.

The impetus for the development of a project for a new strategic bomber was the start of work in the United States on the project of the future B-1. Two aviation design bureaus began designing the aircraft: the P.O. Sukhoi Design Bureau (Moscow Machine-Building Plant "Kulon") and the newly restored V.M. Design Bureau .Myasishchev (EMZ - Experimental Machine-Building Plant, located in Zhukovsky). The A.N. Tupolev Design Bureau (Moscow Machine-Building Plant "Experience") was loaded with other topics and, most likely, for this reason, was not involved in the work on the new strategic bomber at this stage.

A competition was announced. By the beginning of the 70s, both teams, based on the requirements of the received assignment and the preliminary tactical and technical requirements of the Air Force, prepared their projects. Both design bureaus proposed four-engine aircraft with variable sweep wings, but with completely different designs. The Myasishchev Design Bureau's M-18 was recognized as the winner in the 1972 competition.

However, this design bureau (just revived) did not have its own production base and there was nowhere to turn the aircraft into metal. The Suhoga Design Bureau specialized in fighters and front-line bombers. After a series of intrigues at the government level, Tupolev was assigned to build a strategic bomber, whose design bureau was given design documentation from the Myasishchev and Sukhoi Design Bureaus

The specifications for the aircraft were also changed, because At that time, negotiations on SALT (strategic arms limitation) were intensively underway. In the seventies, new weapons appeared - low-altitude, long-range cruise missiles (over 2500 km), flying around the terrain. This radically changed the strategy for using strategic bombers.

The full-scale model of the new bomber was approved in 1977. In the same year, at the pilot production of the MMZ “Experience” in Moscow, they began assembling a batch of 3 experimental machines. The wing and stabilizers for them were produced in Novosibirsk, the fuselage was manufactured in Kazan, and the landing gear - in Gorky. The final assembly of the first prototype was carried out in January 1981, the Tu-160 aircraft with the numbers “70-1” and “70-3” were intended for flight tests, and the aircraft with the number “70-02” for static tests.

On December 18, 1981, the first flight of the multi-mode strategic bomber TU-160 took place.

During state tests, which were completed in mid-1989, 4 successful launches of X-55 cruise missiles were made from the missile-carrying bomber, which were the main weapon of the vehicle. The maximum speed of horizontal flight was also achieved, amounting to almost 2200 km/h. At the same time, during operation, they decided to limit the speed threshold to a speed of 2000 km/h, which was mainly due to preserving the service life of the propulsion system and the airframe.

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The Tu-160 bomber is made according to a normal aerodynamic design with variable wing geometry. A special feature of the aircraft airframe design is the integrated aerodynamic layout, according to which the fixed part of the wing forms a single whole with the fuselage. This solution made it possible to make the best use of the internal volumes of the airframe to accommodate fuel, cargo, and various equipment, as well as to reduce the number of structural joints, which led to a reduction in the weight of the structure.

The Tu-160 power plant includes 4 bypass turbojet engines with an NK-32 afterburner (created by the N.D. Kuznetsov Design Bureau). The engines have been mass-produced in Samara since 1986; until the mid-1990s they had no analogues in the world. NK-32 is one of the world's first serial engines, during the design of which measures were taken to reduce IR and radar signature. The aircraft's engines are located in pairs in engine nacelles and separated from each other by special fire partitions. The engines operate independently of each other. To implement autonomous power supply, a separate auxiliary gas turbine power unit was also installed on the Tu-160.

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The TU-160 strategic bomber, the so-called “White Swan” or Blackjack (baton) in NATO terminology, is a unique aircraft.
The TU-160 has excellent technical characteristics: it is the most formidable bomber that can also carry cruise missiles. This is the largest supersonic and graceful aircraft in the world. Developed in the 1970-1980s at the Tupolev Design Bureau and has a variable sweep wing. In service since 1987.

The TU-160 bomber became the “answer” to the US AMSA (Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft) program, within which the notorious B-1 Lancer was created. The TU-160 missile carrier was significantly ahead of its main competitors Lancers in almost all characteristics. The speed of the Tu 160 is 1.5 times higher, the maximum flight range and combat radius are just as large. And the thrust of the engines is almost twice as powerful. At the same time, the “stealth” B-2 Spirit cannot stand any comparison, in which literally everything was sacrificed for the sake of stealth, including distance, flight stability and payload capacity.

Quantity and cost of TU-160

Each TU-160 long-range missile carrier is a one-piece and rather expensive product; it has unique technical characteristics. Since their creation, only 35 of these aircraft have been built, with an order of magnitude fewer remaining intact. This aircraft is the only product that received its name. Each of the aircraft built has its own name; they were assigned in honor of champions (“Ivan Yarygin”), designers (“Vitaly Kopylov”), famous heroes (“Ilya Muromets”) and, of course, pilots (“Pavel Taran”, “Valery Chkalov " and others).

Before the collapse of the USSR, 34 aircraft were built, with 19 bombers remaining in Ukraine, at the base in Priluki. However, these vehicles were too expensive to operate, and they were simply not needed for the small Ukrainian army. Ukraine offered to give 19 TU-160s to Russia in exchange for Il-76 aircraft (1 to 2) or for writing off the gas debt. But for Russia this was unacceptable. In addition, Ukraine was influenced by the United States, which actually forced the destruction of 11 TU-160s. 8 aircraft were transferred to Russia for writing off the gas debt.
As of 2013, the Air Force had 16 Tu-160s. Russia had too few of these aircraft, but their construction would have cost a huge amount. Therefore, it was decided to modernize 10 bombers out of the existing 16 to the Tu-160M standard. Long-range aviation should receive 6 modernized TU-160s in 2015. However, in modern conditions, even the modernization of existing TU-160s cannot solve the assigned military tasks. Therefore, plans emerged to build new missile carriers.

History of the creation of TU-160

The design assignment was formulated back in 1967 by the USSR Council of Ministers. The design bureaus of Myasishchev and Sukhoi were involved in the work, and they proposed their own options a few years later. These were bombers capable of reaching supersonic speed and overcoming air defense systems at it. The Tupolev design bureau, which had experience in developing Tu-22 and Tu-95 bombers, as well as the Tu-144 supersonic aircraft, did not participate in the competition. In the end, the Myasishchev Design Bureau project was recognized as the winner, but the designers did not have time to celebrate the victory: after some time the government decided to close the project at the Myasishchev Design Bureau. All documentation on the M-18 was transferred to the Tupolev Design Bureau, which joined the competition with Izdeliye-70 (the future TU-160 aircraft).

The following requirements were imposed on the future bomber:
flight range at an altitude of 18,000 meters at a speed of 2300-2500 km/h within 13 thousand km;
flight range near the ground is 13 thousand km and at an altitude of 18 km in subsonic mode;
the aircraft must approach the target at subsonic cruising speed, overcome enemy air defenses - at cruising speed near the ground and in supersonic high-altitude mode.
the total mass of the combat load should be 45 tons.
The first flight of the prototype (Izdeliye "70-01") was carried out at the Ramenskoye airfield in December 1981. Product “70-01” was piloted by test pilot Boris Veremeev and his crew. The second copy (product "70-02") did not fly, it was used for static tests. Later, a second aircraft (product “70-03”) joined the tests. The supersonic missile carrier TU-160 was put into serial production in 1984 at the Kazan Aviation Plant. In October 1984, the first production aircraft took off, in March 1985 - the second production vehicle, in December 1985 - the third, in August 1986 - the fourth.

In 1992, Boris Yeltsin decided to suspend the ongoing serial production of the Tu-160 if the United States stopped serial production of the B-2. By that time, 35 aircraft had been produced. KAPO by 1994 KAPO transferred six bombers to the Russian Air Force. They were stationed in the Saratov region at the Engels airfield.
The new missile carrier TU-160 (“Alexander Molodchiy”) became part of the Air Force in May 2000. The TU-160 complex was put into service in 2005. In April 2006, the completion of testing of the modernized NK-32 engines created for the TU-160 was announced. The new engines are characterized by increased reliability and significantly increased service life. In December 2007, the first flight of the new production aircraft TU-160 was carried out. Colonel General Alexander Zelin, commander in chief of the Air Force, announced in April 2008 that another Russian bomber would enter service with the Air Force in 2008. The new aircraft was named “Vitaly Kopylov”. It was planned that three more operational TU-160s would be modernized in 2008.

Specifications

TU-160 has the following technical characteristics:
Crew: 4 people.
The length is 54.1 m.
The wingspan is 55.7/50.7/35.6 m.
The height is 13.1 m.
The wing area is 232 m².
The empty weight of the aircraft is 110,000 kg.
Normal take-off weight is 267,600 kg.
The maximum take-off weight is 275,000 kg.
Engine type: 4×TRDDF NK-32.
The maximum thrust is 4×18,000 kgf.
The afterburner thrust is 4×25,000 kgf.
The fuel mass is 148,000 kg.
The maximum speed at altitude is 2230 km/h.
Cruising speed is 917 km/h.
The maximum range without refueling is 13,950 km.
The practical range without refueling is 12,300 km.
The combat radius is 6000 km.
Flight duration is 25 hours.
The service ceiling is 21,000 m.
The rate of climb is 4400 m/min.
The take-off/run length is 900/2000 m.
The wing load at normal take-off weight is 1150 kg/m².
The wing load at maximum take-off weight is 1185 kg/m².
The thrust-to-weight ratio at normal take-off weight is 0.36.
The thrust-to-weight ratio at maximum take-off weight is 0.37.

Design Features

The White Swan aircraft was created with extensive use of proven solutions for aircraft already built at the design bureau: Tu-142MS, Tu-22M and Tu-144, and some components, assemblies and some systems were transferred to the aircraft without changes. The “White Swan” has a design that widely uses composites, stainless steel, aluminum alloys V-95 and AK-4, titanium alloys VT-6 and OT-4. The “White Swan” aircraft is an integral low-wing aircraft with a variable-sweep wing, all-moving wings keel and stabilizer, tricycle landing gear. The wing mechanization includes double-slotted flaps, slats, and flaperons and spoilers are used for roll control. Four NK-32 engines are mounted in the lower part of the fuselage in pairs in engine nacelles. The TA-12 APU is used as an autonomous power unit. The glider has an integrated circuit. Technologically, it consists of six main parts, starting from F-1 to F-6. In the unsealed nose section, a radar antenna is installed in a radio-transparent fairing; behind it there is an unsealed radio equipment compartment. The one-piece central part of the bomber, 47.368 m long, includes the fuselage, which includes the cockpit and two cargo compartments. Between them there is a fixed part of the wing and a caisson-compartment of the center section, the rear part of the fuselage and the engine nacelles. The cockpit is a single pressurized compartment, where, in addition to the crew's work stations, the aircraft's electronic equipment is located. The wing on a variable-sweep bomber. The wing has a minimum sweep of 57.7 m. The control system and rotary assembly are generally similar to the Tu-22M, but they have been recalculated and strengthened. The wing is of coffered structure, mainly made of aluminum alloys. The rotating part of the wing moves from 20 to 65 degrees along the leading edge. Three-section double-slit flaps are installed along the trailing edge, and four-section slats are installed along the leading edge. For roll control there are six-section spoilers, as well as flapperons. The internal cavity of the wing is used as fuel tanks. The aircraft has an automatic fly-by-wire onboard control system with redundant mechanical wiring and fourfold redundancy. The controls are dual, with handles installed rather than steering wheels. The aircraft is controlled in pitch using an all-moving stabilizer, in heading - by an all-moving fin, and in roll - by spoilers and flaperons. The navigation system is a two-channel K-042K. “White Swan” is one of the most comfortable combat aircraft. During the 14-hour flight, pilots have the opportunity to stand up and stretch. There is also a kitchen on board with a cupboard for heating food. There is also a toilet, which was not previously available on strategic bombers. It was around the bathroom that a real war took place during the transfer of the plane to the military: they did not want to accept the car, since the design of the bathroom was imperfect.

Armament

Initially, the TU-160 was built as a missile carrier - a carrier of cruise missiles with long-range nuclear warheads, designed to deliver massive attacks on areas. In the future, it was planned to expand and modernize the range of transportable ammunition, as evidenced by stencils on the doors of the cargo compartments with options for hanging a huge range of cargo.

The TU-160 is armed with Kh-55SM strategic cruise missiles, which are used to destroy stationary targets having given coordinates; they are entered into the missile’s memory before the bomber takes off. The missiles are located six at a time on two MKU-6-5U drum launchers in the cargo compartments of the aircraft. The weaponry for short-range engagement may include hypersonic aeroballistic missiles Kh-15S (12 for each MKU).
After appropriate conversion, the bomber can be equipped with free-fall bombs of various calibers (up to 40,000 kg), including disposable cluster bombs, nuclear bombs, sea mines and other weapons. In the future, the bomber's armament is planned to be significantly strengthened through the use of high-precision cruise missiles of the latest generation X-101 and X-555, which have an increased range and are also designed to destroy both tactical sea and ground targets, as well as strategic targets of almost all classes.

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