Projects that did not have time to become a reality, but went down in history ... How many of them, deservedly and not very forgotten. One of these projects is the strategic supersonic intercontinental bomber-bomber developed by the design bureau under the leadership of P.O. Sukhoi.
Creation Background
As often happens, the question of the need to create strategic aviation, which had already arisen earlier, was raised by the military again in 1967, when the United States decided to create a promising manned strategic aircraft (Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft). The AMSA project began the creation of the famous B-1, a high-altitude strategic bomber of deep invasion.
And in January 1969, by order of the Minister of Aviation Industry, a competition began between the design bureaus of V.M. Myasishchev, A.N. Tupolev and P.O. Sukhoi. In accordance with this order, enterprises had to conduct research on a strategic dual-mode aircraft, create a power plant, missile weapons and airborne systems. Only the creation of the electronic complex was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Radio Electronic Industry. His order appeared in the spring of that year.
Initial data
A government decree in late autumn 1967 defined the characteristics of the future aircraft.
He was supposed to have first and foremost exceptional flight characteristics.
At an altitude of up to 1.8 km, a speed of 3.2-3.5 thousand km / h was set. Moreover, it was assumed that in this mode and at subsonic speeds near the ground, the plane should fly at least 11–13 thousand km, and in high-altitude flight at subsonic the flight range should be 16–18 thousand km.
The assignment was given and the composition of weapons. It was supposed to be replaceable and consisted of freely falling and adjustable bombs of various types and purposes, and air-based missiles, four hypersonic X-45 "Lightning" and up to 24 aerobalistic X-2000. The total mass of weapons was also set - 45 tons.
Development start
OKB Sukhoi P.O. since 1961, also on a competitive basis, has been developing the supersonic T-4 bomber, for a mass of 100 tons, received the second name "Sotka". He had to reach a speed of 3000 km / h, to overcome the thermal barrier, and therefore, to have almost perfect aerodynamics. An air-to-ground missile, a power plant and navigation equipment were specially developed for him. Only the thirty-third draft of the new aircraft was approved.
On its basis, a new strategic T-4MS dual-mode aircraft was developed while maintaining maximum continuity with the original model. The new development should have left: the power plant, already mastered new materials, which became typical design and technological solutions, developed and tested on-board systems and equipment and, what would become important in the process of mass production, well-established technological processes. Even the machine received the cipher by analogy with the "Weaving". Its take-off weight, according to the calculations of the designers, was approaching two hundred tons, which is why the T-4MS aircraft became known as the “Product 200”.
New solutions
Alas, it was not possible to realize such a wonderful idea. If you save the layout, the dimensions and mass of the new product increased sharply, but still could not place the full amount of weapons.
Therefore, in the OKB Sukhoi P.O. first of all, the specialists took up the development of a new layout scheme, which would make it possible to obtain the maximum possible volumes with a minimum washed surface and ensure the placement of the necessary weapons in the cargo compartments. At the same time, the design had to be as rigid as possible so that the aircraft could fly at high speeds near the ground.
In addition, it was decided to exclude the propulsion system from the aircraft power scheme. In this case, it became possible to create new modifications with other engines. The new layout was to retain the ability to continuously improve flight performance and technical data of the new product.
In the process of the designer’s work, they created an aerodynamic layout, the integrated circuit of which was designed as a “flying wing”, and the rotary consoles of a small area (relatively small, of course) in flight could change the sweep.
Bomber layout
The fundamentally new layout of the T-4MS aircraft, agreed at the end of the summer of 1970, served as the basis for the development of the advance project.
Models of this arrangement were purged in TsAGI wind tunnels and showed exceptional results both at subsonic flight speeds and at supersonic.
Due to the small area of the swivel consoles and the rigid load-bearing body of the center section, the elastic deformation of the wing disappeared during flights near the ground.
At the same time, the sweep of the rotary consoles varied in the range from 30 ° to 72 °.
Luck was undoubted, but the whole next year was devoted to finalizing the advance project.
The thickness and shape of the wing profile changed to further improve aerodynamic quality. The use of supercritical profiles was supposed to increase the cruising subsonic speed. Studies were conducted on how wing bevels can affect the operation of a power plant and vertical tail. Work continued on the selection of the shape of the wing to increase the stability and controllability of the machine.
The optimal structural-power scheme of the airframe was selected in order to increase the mass return of fuel.
Error handling
All developments were checked in the wind tunnels of TsAGI. As a result, experts found that the aircraft has poor alignment, there is an instability of at least 5%. It was decided to further refine the layout.
As a result, horizontal plumage and a long nose appeared in the T-4MS variants . In one version, the nose was completely needle-shaped. But nevertheless, the layout was adopted for further development, in which the nose was somewhat elongated, except for it only the engine nacelles, the vertical tail with two keels, the rotary wing consoles protruded from the supporting fuselage. Particular attention was paid to the problem of reducing visibility on enemy radars.
Description of the T-4MS bomber
The aircraft was to be controlled by a crew of three, which was located in a weakly projecting lantern. At the same time, the ship's commander, pilot and navigator-operator had to fly in spacesuits, despite the fact that the cabin of the two compartments was airtight. The front compartment was intended for pilots, and the rear - for the navigator. Since the lantern practically did not protrude outside, special sashes were provided to improve visibility during take-off and landing.
Ejection seats provided a safe emergency escape at any altitude and speed, including during landing and take-off.
The electronic equipment on board consisted of navigation, aerobatic systems, radio communication and defense systems, a computer, defense and sighting complex, and missile and missile control systems.
The overall dimensions of the aircraft, which was defined as a supersonic intercontinental bomber, were:
- length - 41.2 m;
- height - 8 m;
- the center-wing span - 14.4 m;
- wing span at a sweep angle of 30 ° - 40.8 m;
- wing area with a sweep angle of 30 ° - 97.5 sq.m.
The estimated take-off weight of the aircraft was 170 tons.
Bomber powerplant
In the rear part, in two gondolas, spaced apart, four DTRD NK-101s were located in pairs. The take-off thrust of each of them was 20,000 kgf. It was assumed that the engines would combine the advantages of a dual-circuit engine in cruising at subsonic speeds and turbojet during acceleration and in flight at supersonic sound.
The gondolas had flat adjustable air intakes for each engine separated by a partition, protected from icing and foreign objects from getting inside.
In addition to the engines, the power plant included systems for refueling the aircraft with fuel on the ground and in the air, powering the engines, emergency fuel drain, pressurization, cooling, and fire fighting.
The main fuel tanks were located in the sections of the center section.
Estimated Flight Data
The aircraft was designed for flights over very long distances. According to calculations, it could fly without refueling in flight with a normal combat load of 9 tons at a cruising speed of 900 km / h (subsonic) 14 thousand km, and at 3,000 km / h (supersonic) - 9 thousand km.
At altitude, the bomber could fly at a speed of 3.2 thousand km / h, near the ground - 1.1 thousand km / h.
At the same time, the maximum height that the aircraft could have calculated was 24 thousand m.
With such a large mass, the take-off run was 100 m, and the mean free path after landing was 950 m.
Weapons on board
The estimated bomb load was 9 tons of free-falling and coordinated bombs.
The promising T-4MS missile carrier was to carry from two to four X-45 Lightning long-range liquid-propellant rockets, which were specially developed for the T-4 project, with an ARLGSN guidance system and a high-explosive cumulative warhead. Their feature was a radio-transparent fairing. The length of the rocket is about 10 m, the launch weight is 5 tons, the payload is 0.5 tons. The range of its flight is 1.5 thousand km, flight speed is up to 9 thousand km / h.
Also, the armament of the aircraft included up to 24 X-2000 missiles with an ANN guidance system, with a firing range of up to 300 km, a flight speed of about 2 M and a launch weight of 1 ton.
Various types of weapons, missiles, aerial bombs, mine-torpedo weapons, one-time bomb cartridges, were located in two internal compartments equipped with ventilation and thermal protection, transportation and discharge systems.
Contest Results
In addition to the brainchild of P.O. Sukhoi, the supersonic Tu-160M bomber developed by A.N. Tupolev Design Bureau and M-20 from V.M. Myasishchev were presented at the competition.
Projects were heard at the IAP at the Scientific and Technical Council in the fall of 1972.
The Tu-160 was initially rejected by the military due to too much similarity with a passenger plane. The M-20 satisfied the military, but the newly created design bureau did not have production facilities for serial production of the machine.
The T-4MS attracted general attention and was recognized as the best, but ... At the same time, a new fighter was created under OKB Sukhoi’s design bureau, which saw the light under the number SU-27, work was carried out to create modifications of the existing Su-24 fighters and Su-17M. The Ministry of Aviation Industry considered that these works in "light" aviation are more important, and the KB will not be able to work in two diverse directions.
So it turned out that Sukhoi P.O.'s design bureau won the competition, and further work was carried out by A.N. Tupolev Design Bureau. Moreover, the commander of the Air Force P.S. Kutakhov also proposed to transfer all the materials to the Tupolevites, but they refused and continued to independently improve their development.
Therefore, an aircraft with about the same payload and flight range at subsonic speeds, but with a flight mass greater than 35% and half the flying range at supersonic than would be possible if the project P. Dry.
Immediately after the end of the competition, work on the T-4MS project was discontinued. The plane never saw the sky, but the ideas born during its development were embodied in the same Tu-160, and in the Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters. Perhaps, they will still be embodied in airplanes of the present century.