Tupolev-160 White Swan (Blackjack)

[gadeshi]

Tu-160M air refuelling (Zvezda TV Channel video):

 

[gadeshi]

Tu-160M2 serial production preparations - KAPO (Kazan) has restored Tu-160 titanium "spine":
https://www.strelok1965.cont.ws/post/427265

And a fun: Caught a cold

 

[gadeshi]

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[gadeshi]

Tu-160 wing folding root mechanism:

And Zvezda film:

 

[gadeshi]

Tu-160M2 production has started on Gorbuov-KAPO AF in Kazan - the first Tu-160M2 airframe is under construction.
It means that KAPO has managed to fix and restore vacuum titanium parts welding chamber.
http://sdelanounas.ru/blogs/89131/

 

[Bahamut]

Tu-160M2 production has started on Gorbuov-KAPO AF in Kazan - the first Tu-160M2 airframe is under construction.
It means that KAPO has managed to fix and restore vacuum titanium parts welding chamber.
http://sdelanounas.ru/blogs/89131/

Will there is a new engine that can enable Super cruise? What will the changes in avionic, airframe and ecm ?

 

[tharun]

No way to do this.
1 - Tu-160 is a dooms day bomber for "special occasions" only. This will be never exported nowhere.
2 - Russians have too few of them untill 2020, when their Tu-160M2 modernized version production will be renewed.
3 - It's too expensive for export.

Yep we don't need that one..because it will be overkill..we need Kh-101

 

[gadeshi]

Will there is a new engine that can enable Super cruise? What will the changes in avionic, airframe and ecm ?

There will be completely new avionics suit with AESA radars, AESA-based ESM/ECM suit, bispectral high resolution imaging optics suit.
Also will be the new series of NK-32M Series 3 engines (already are ready actually).

 

[Tactical Frog]

Two " White Swans" spotted large of Brittany ! Send them more often , please ! Awesome planes.

 

[pmaitra]

@gadeshi, if I remember correctly, the Titanium welding facility in KAPO was not a vacuum chamber, but Argon gas filled chamber. Could you please confirm?

 

[pmaitra]

Two " White Swans" spotted large of Brittany ! Send them more often , please ! Awesome planes.

I have a question regarding the Tweet. The Tweet claims the Blackjacks were intercepted by Armée de l’air. Did the Armée de l’air manage to prevent these Blackjacks from reaching their destination?

Spoiler: intercept

 

[gadeshi]

@gadeshi, if I remember correctly, the Titanium welding facility in KAPO was not a vacuum chamber, but Argon gas filled chamber. Could you please confirm?

Yes, correct

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[gadeshi]

I have a question regarding the Tweet. The Tweet claims the Blackjacks were intercepted by Armée de l’air. Did the Armée de l’air manage to prevent these Blackjacks from reaching their destination?

Spoiler: intercept

View attachment 13738

Of course no.
Otherwise it will be an aggression act in international airspace.

Отправлено с моего XT1080 через Tapatalk

 

[Tactical Frog]

I have a question regarding the Tweet. The Tweet claims the Blackjacks were intercepted by Armée de l’air. Did the Armée de l’air manage to prevent these Blackjacks from reaching their destination?

Spoiler: intercept

View attachment 13738

Well interception here is an approximation of language. Tu-160, "Bears" fly at the limit of UK , French and Spanish airspace, above international waters. So yes, they were not intercepted , censu stricto. I guess you want me to say that this a little manipulation in order to dramatize things and scare ordinary citizens ? Hmm, who is really trying to look scary here ?
The main point might be to show that the interceptors are always ready to do their job under any circumstances. These pics are good PR for the French airforce.

 

[gadeshi]

UAC and VKS to overhaul and MLU-2 update all the present Tu-160M to Tu-160M2 standard and also all the Tu-22M-3M to Tu-22M-4 standard:
https://rg.ru/2017/04/28/reg-pfo/vse-bombardirovshchiki-tu-160-moderniziruiut.html

 

[gadeshi]

Kazan Aircraft Factory (KAZ) has restored and upgraded electro-optical (plasmatic) oxy-less titanium parts welding chamber tostart Tu-160M-2 serial production in 2020:
https://sdelanounas.ru/blogs/93764/

 

[gadeshi]

MAKS-2017 photos: ==================

 

[gadeshi]

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[pmaitra]

Evolution of the Tupolev-160 sans suffixe


With the successful completion of the Tupolev-144 programme, and the less-than-successful service life of the Tupolev-144, both the Tupolev Design Bureau and the Soviet military saw the promise it held of possible military uses. One reason for this is that neither the Soviet Air Force not the Soviet Navy had an aircraft capable of penetrating the air defences of NATO.

There were three bureaux working on a reconnaissance/strike aircraft: Sukhoi Design Bureau, Myasishchev Design Bureau, and of course, Tupolev Design Bureau.

In the late 1960s and in the 1970s, the Tupolev Design Bureau was working on the Tupolev-144R, a missile carrier. This was followed by the Tupolev-144D, with a longer range.

Air Marshal (R) Vasily Reshetnikov, then the Colonel-General, was given a presentation about the new aircraft. He immediately spotted the striking similarity of the aircraft with the Tupolev-144. Considering the Tupolev-144 had a forgettable operational life, Reshetnikov was not impressed.

Eventually, the Tupolev-160M* (starred, so as not to confuse with the current operational Tupolev-160M) was devised. Nonetheless, this Tupolev-160M* still had plenty of similarities with the Tupolev-144. A picture is provided below for perspective.

Schematic diagram of Tupolev-160M*.

While there were many theoretical modifications done to the Tupolev-144, all of them looked very similar to the original Tupolev-144. A picture is provided below for perspective.

Illustration comparing the Tupolev-160M* with the Tupolev-144D.

One of the last attempt by the Tupolev Design Bureau was the Tupolev-144MR, a long-range maritime reconnaissance/strike aircraft. A picture is provided below for perspective.

Illustration of the Tupolev-144MR.

In late 1970, Myasishchev Design Bureau started work on the Myasishchev M-18. Please note, this came after Myasishchev M-20, although Myasishchev M-20 was more innovative. Myasishchev M-18 had quite a lot of similarities with the current Tupolev-160 sans suffixe airframe. A picture of the model is provided below for perspective.

Model of the Myasishchev M-18.

Myasishchev Design Bureau worked hard with TsAGI (Central Aero-Hydrodynamic Institute), including 1200 hours of computer analysis of its airframes, including one with a front canard. Eventually, Myasishchev M-18 was chosen as the “safer” option over Myasishchev M-20.

The Soviet government invited Myasishchev, Sukhoi, and Tupolev Design Bureaux, to encourage competition and submit their proposals for a long range bomber. The Tupolev Design Bureau had an edge, because it had the best expertise in heavy bombers. Sukhoi Design Bureau did offer their T-4, but it was too much of a fighter aircraft and not much of a long range heavy bomber aircraft. Myasishchev Design Bureau claimed to be the winner of the contest and there is some truth to it, of technical remarks of the evaluators were to be considered; however, there never was any announcement of the official winner and the details thereof are classified to this day. An alternative interpretation could be that the Sukhoi Design Bureau was the winner. Eventually, it was “recommended” that Myasishchev Design Bureau had over all its documents related to the Myasishchev M-18 to the Tupolev Design Bureau.

So as not to discredit the Tupolev Design Bureau, they also carried out extensive tests of various models before settling for the airframe that we see today. Two interesting models that were considered are depicted in the two pictures below.

Experimental model of the Tupolev-160 that seems to have been influenced by the Tupolev-22M3.

Experimental model of the Tupolev-160 sans suffixe, with the jet turbines positioned somewhat like the Tupolev-144, and a T-Tail empennage like in the Tupolev-134, Tupolev-154, Ilyushin-62, Ilyushin-76, and several other Soviet aircraft.


Source:
Book entitled “Tupolev Tu-144” by Yefim Gordon, Dmitriy Komissarov, and Vladimir Rigmant.
Book entitled “Tupolev Tu-160” by Yefim Gordon, and Dmitriy Komissarov.

 

[Spectribution]

Obsolete today because of lack of LO features.