About 20 years after the end of World War II, the Soviet command realized how cruelly underestimated the American aircraft carriers. There was no experience in the construction of such ships in our country, and therefore we had to look for asymmetric answers: nuclear missile carriers and aircraft capable of breaking through the air defense of an aircraft carrier group with the subsequent destruction of the main ship. One of the most successful projects was the T-4.
Reasons for the appearance
By the end of the 50s, our country was in a critical situation: we definitely lost the United States on ships and aircraft, where during the war heavy cruisers and bombers were laid at an accelerated pace. Parity could only be maintained at the expense of the heroic efforts of the rocket launchers. But the situation was still alarming, because at the same time, the Americans began to introduce nuclear missile carriers, which were covered as part of the warrant, into their navy. We could not effectively deal with aircraft-carrying groups, since there simply was no appropriate equipment for this.
The only reliable way to destroy an aircraft carrier group was to launch a supersonic nuclear missile. The aircraft and submarines of the USSR existing at that time simply could not detect the target from a safe distance, much less hit it.
How to solve the problem?
There was simply no time to create special submarines, and therefore they decided to use aircraft designers. They were given the “simple” task: to develop the “aircraft + rocket” complex as soon as possible, capable of penetrating the air defense of an American aircraft carrier group and destroying all the most dangerous ships.
At the end of the 50s in our country there was not a single project that would at least somehow meet these requirements. However, in Myasishchev Design Bureau there was a project for the M-56 aircraft. Its main advantage was speed, which could reach 3,000 km / h. But its take-off weight was 230 tons, and the bomb load was only 9 tons. This was clearly not enough. So the T4 plane appeared: the Sukhoi Design Bureau missile carrier was to occupy an empty niche.
"Weaving"
The “killer of aircraft carriers” was supposed to have a take-off weight of not more than 100 tons, the “ceiling” of the flight was not less than 24 kilometers and the speed was exactly the same 3000 km / h. Such an aircraft on approaching the target is simply physically impossible to detect and direct missiles at it. At that time there were no interceptors capable of destroying such a machine.
The range of the "hundred" was to be at least 6-8 thousand kilometers with a range of missiles - 600-800 kilometers. It should be noted that it was the missile that played the leading role in this complex: it not only had to penetrate the air defense, going at the highest possible speed, but also reach the target with its subsequent defeat in an absolutely autonomous mode. So the T4 is a missile carrier, the electronic filling of which should have been seriously ahead of its time.
Development participants
The government decided that Tupolev, Sukhoi and Yakovlev design bureaus will participate in the development of the new aircraft. Mikoyan was not included in the list, not because of any intrigues, but for the reason that his design bureau was completely overwhelmed with work to create a new MiG-25 fighter. Although, in fairness, it should be noted that it was the Tupolevs who counted on victory, and the other design bureaus were attracted only to create the appearance of competition. Confidence was also based on the existing “project 135”, which required only an increase in cruising speed to the required 3000 km / h.
Despite expectations, the "fighters" with interest and enthusiasm took up non-core work. The Sukhoi Design Bureau immediately burst forth. They chose the layout of the “duck” with air intakes that protruded somewhat beyond the front edge of the wing. Initially, the aircraft project had a take-off mass of 102 tons, which is why it was assigned the unofficial nickname “weaving”.
Incidentally, the modified T4, the “200”, is a project proposed at the same time as the Tupolev Tu-160. Many works of Sukhoi were then used by Tupolev to create his own machine, the take-off mass of which exceeded 200 tons.
It was Sukhoi’s project that won the competition. After that, the designer had to go through many unpleasant minutes, as he was directly forced to transfer all the materials of Tupolev Design Bureau. He refused, that he had not made friends either in the aircraft industry or in the party itself.
Power point
Unique at that time, the T-4 aircraft required no less unique engines that could operate on special grades of fuel. Typically, Sukhoi had three options at once, but, in the end, settled on the RD36-41 model. The well-known NPO Saturn was responsible for its development. Note that this motor was a “distant relative” of the VD-7 model. They, in particular, were equipped with 3M bombers.
The engine immediately stood out with its compressor immediately at 11 stages, as well as the presence of air cooling of the first stage of the turbine blades. The latest technical innovation made it possible to increase the operating temperature of the combustion chamber immediately to 950K. This engine is a real unfinished building, especially by Soviet standards. It took ten years to create it, but the result was worth it. It is due to this engine that the T4 is a missile carrier, the speed of which exceeded that for its counterparts.
What rocket was armed with this aircraft?
Perhaps, perhaps the most important element of the “tandem” was the X-33 model rocket , for the development of which the legendary ICB “Rainbow” was responsible. The task before the design bureau was posed the most difficult actually on the verge of technologies of that time. It was necessary to make a rocket that would autonomously follow the target at a height of at least 30 kilometers, and its speed should be six to seven times higher than the sonic one.
In addition, after entering the aircraft carrier order, she herself (!) Had to calculate the lead aircraft carrier and attack him, choosing the most vulnerable point. Simply put, the T-4 strike reconnaissance aircraft, the photo of which is in the article, carried a missile on board that cost as much as half a hundred.
Even for today's designers, this is a rather difficult task. At that time, the requirements presented did seem somewhat fantastic. To accomplish these tasks, the rocket design included its own radar station, as well as a huge amount of highly complex electronics. The complexity of the on-board systems X-33 was in no way inferior to those on the "hundred".
The triumph of science and technology
A real sensation T-4 aircraft made for the light of its super-technological cockpit. For the first time in the history of domestic aircraft construction there was even a separate display for timely assessment of the tactical and technical situation. On top of microfilm maps of the entire earth's surface, the tactical situation was displayed in real time.
Design and Creation Issues
It is not surprising that already at the design stage of such a complex machine hundreds of problems arose, each of which could even confound the academician. Firstly, initially the landing gear of the aircraft did not fit into the internal compartment. To solve this problem, many options were put forward, many of which were frankly delusional: in particular, even the “shifter” project was proposed, when the aircraft had to fly down to the target with the cabin.
Of course, the T-4 is a bomber, the technical characteristics of which were noticeably ahead of their time ... But not to the same extent!
But even the decisions made then looked very fantastic in many ways. So, at a speed of 3000 km / h, even a slightly protruding cabin lamp significantly increased resistance. Then a simple solution was proposed: for minimal drag during the flight, the cabin rises. Since at a height of 24 kilometers it still doesn’t work to navigate visually, navigation was supposed to be carried out exclusively by instruments.
When the T-4 aircraft is landing, the cockpit deviates downward, so the pilot has an excellent view. At first, the military took this idea very cautiously, but the authority of Vladimir Ilyushin, the son of the very same brilliant creator of Shtkrmovik Il, nevertheless allowed to convince the generals. In addition, it was Ilyushin who insisted on introducing the periscope into the design: it was planned to be used in case of failure of the tilt mechanism. By the way, the creators of the domestic Tu-144 and the English-French Concorde subsequently took advantage of his decision.
Create Fairing
One of the most difficult tasks was to create a fairing. The fact is that when it was created, the designers had to fulfill two seemingly mutually exclusive points. First, the fairing must have been radiolucent. Secondly, to withstand extremely high mechanical and thermal loads. To solve this problem, it was necessary to create a special material based on a glass filler, the structure of which resembled a honeycomb.
Because of this, the T-4 strike reconnaissance aircraft is deservedly considered the "progenitor" of many unique technologies that are used today not only in the army, but also in completely peaceful industries.
The fairing itself is a five-layer structure, with 99% of the load on its outer shell, the thickness of which was only 1.5 mm. To achieve such impressive performance, scientists had to develop a composition based on silicon and organic compounds. In the process, scientists had to consider and analyze the prospects of more than 20 (!) Likely shapes and sizes of the future aircraft, predicting their flight performance. And all this - without modern computer programs! So the enormous contribution of designers is difficult to underestimate.
First flight
The first T4 Sotka aircraft was ready for flight in the spring of 1972, but due to peat fires around Moscow, visibility on the runways of the test airfield was practically zero. I had to postpone flights. Therefore, the first flight took place only at the end of the summer of the same year, with pilot Vladimir Ilyushin and navigator Nikolai Alferov piloting the plane. First, nine test flights were completed. Note that five of them were pilots without removing the chassis: it was important to assess the controllability of the new machine in all operating modes.
Pilots immediately noted the high convenience of controlling the aircraft: even the “hundred” sound barrier passed perfectly, and even the moment of transition to supersonic was felt exclusively by instruments. Representatives of the army, who observed the tests, were delighted with the new machine, and immediately demanded the production of a batch of 250 pieces. For an airplane of this class, this is simply an incredibly high circulation!
If everything went well, then we would know the T-4 aircraft (the bomber, the characteristics of which are described in this material) as one of the most numerous representatives of its class.
Aircraft Perspective
Another highlight of this car was the wing of a variable configuration. Due to this, it could be considered multi-purpose, the aircraft could well be used as a stratospheric reconnaissance. This would reduce the cost of the military program, allowing only one aircraft to be replaced in exchange for two.
The end of new technology
Initially, the "hundred" was supposed to be built at the Tushino Aviation Plant, but it simply did not pull the required production volumes. The only enterprise where they could produce the required number of new cars was Kazan AZ. Soon, work began on the preparation of new workshops. But here politics intervened: Tupolev was not at all interested in a competitor, and therefore Sukhoi was brazenly “pushed out” from the factory, cutting down on the vine all the prospects of building a new car.
That is why today we know that the T-4 aircraft is a bomber that had characteristics unique to its time, but did not even go into a small series. At the same time, the second stage of the “field” tests was taking place. At the end of January 1974, there was a flight during which the aircraft was able to reach a height of 12 km and a speed of M = 1.36. It was assumed that it was at this stage that the machine, in the end, would achieve acceleration at M = 2.6.
Meanwhile, Sukhoi agreed with the management of the Tushino plant, even offering to rebuild the shops, if only to be able to build the first 50 "hundredths." But the authorities represented by the Ministry of Aviation Industry, who knew Tupolev very well, deprived the designer of even this chance. Already in March 1974, all work on the revolutionary aircraft was discontinued without explanation. So the T-4 is an airplane (there is a photo of it in the article), destroyed exclusively for the personal reasons of some people in the Ministry of Defense and the government of the USSR.
The death of Sukhoi, which occurred on September 15, 1975, did not bring clarity to this matter. Only in 1976 did the Ministry of Aviation Industry dryly mention that work on the “hundred parts” was stopped only because Tupolev needed workers and production facilities for the production of the Tu-160. At the same time, the T-4 is still officially declared the predecessor of the White Swan, although the Tupolev Design Bureau simply privatized all materials on the “Object 100”, taking advantage of Sukhoi’s death.
Tupolev’s defenders explain his position by the fact that the designer wanted to introduce a “simpler and cheaper Tu-22M” ... Yes, this plane was really cheaper, it only took more than seven years to implement it, and by its characteristics it was very far from strategic bomber. In addition, until the numerous problems with reliability were resolved, this model went through many cycles of modification, which also did not have the best effect on the total cost of the project.
The fact that the most valuable equipment intended for serial production of the “hundredths” was simply cut out and thrown out into scrap also speaks of a tremendous cost overrun of folk funds.
The significance of the "hundred"
Currently, the only Sukhoi T-4 aircraft is in eternal parking at the Moninsky Museum of Aviation. It is worth noting that in 1976, Sukhoi Design Bureau took the last chance to bring “a hundred” to the finish line, voicing the amount of 1.3 billion rubles. The government made an incredible noise, which only contributed to the speedy oblivion of the aircraft. Most noteworthy is the fact that the Tu-160 cost the USSR much more. So the T-4 is an airplane that could be an ideal option in terms of price-performance ratio.
Neither before nor after in the Soviet Union there were not so many latest inventions embodied in one machine. By the time the prototype of the “Object 100” was released, there were exactly 600 of the latest inventions and patents. The breakthrough in the field of aircraft construction was incredible. Alas, at the same time there was one subtlety: the T4 “weaving” aircraft could not cope with its task, that is, a breakthrough of an air defense of an aircraft carrier warrant. It is noteworthy that the Tu-160 is unsuitable for this. Underwater missile carriers are much better suited for this.
Precursors and analogues
The most famous is the "White Swan", it is the TU-160 missile carrier. This is our last strategic bomber. The maximum take-off weight is 267 tons, the standard ground speed is 850 km / h. The White Swan can accelerate to 2000 km / h. The largest range is up to 14,000 km. On board, an aircraft can take up to 40 tons of missiles and / or bombs, including smart bombs, when directed by satellite systems.
In the usual version, there are six X-55 and X-55M missiles in the bomb bay. The White Swan is the most expensive Soviet aircraft, it is much more expensive than the T-4, an aircraft rejected, inter alia, due to the "high cost". In addition, none of these aircraft at the time of its creation could not ensure the fulfillment of the goals for which it was created. In the recent past, it was decided to resume production at the Kazan Aviation Plant. The reason is simple - the emergence of new missiles that allow with relative success (theoretically) to break through air defense, as well as the complete absence of modern developments in this area.
M-50
A revolutionary aircraft for its time, created by Vladimir Myasischev and the OKB-23 team. With a take-off mass of 175 tons, it was supposed to accelerate to almost 2000 km / h and carry up to 20 tons of bombs and / or missiles.
XB-70 Valkyrie
Top-secret American bomber (for its time), the hull of which was entirely composed of titanium. Creator Company - North American. Take-off weight - 240 tons, top speed - 3220 km / h. Range of application - up to 12 thousand kilometers. I did not go into the series due to the incredible high cost and technological production difficulties.
Today, the T-4 (an airplane, the photo of which is in the article) is a great example of how technological and high-class equipment is killed for the sake of political motives and undercover games.
Summary
Fortunately, the titanic efforts of designers and the huge amounts spent on the development and production of prototypes have not sunk into oblivion. Firstly, many of the technologies developed then were subsequently used to create the Tu-160, which today guard the borders of our country. Secondly, Sukhoi Design Bureau was able to use all these developments in creating a unique Su-27 for its time, which to this day continues to be a hit of fighter aircraft.
At least the fact that the technology of "cellular" coverage was used in the development of "Buran" speaks of the influence of the "hundred" on the history of the domestic aircraft industry and the space industry. Alas, but this project was ineptly ruined.