According to foreign media, Russia is adapting its "White Swan" for the future. At the end of 2020, the latest version of the Tu-160M2 strategic bomber took off in Kazan for the first time with new engines. In early March of this year, the aircraft flew to the Zhukovsky airfield to continue testing.
It is emphasized that this is the largest combat aircraft in the world and is equipped with the most powerful propulsion system. Each of the four NK-32 turbofan bombers under the fuselage develops a thrust of more than 245 kilonewtons (24983 kgf). This power is enough to lift the aircraft weighing up to 275 tons into the air after a two-kilometer run-up and accelerate it in flight to a speed of more than 2,200 km/h. At the same time, the NK-32, once developed specifically for the Tu-160, is now a good 40 years old. The consequence of such a venerable age, not least, is the high fuel consumption.
Four powerful engines under the fuselage of the White Swan"
As part of the large-scale modernization, the aircraft will receive new NK-32 engines of the second series. It is assumed that it will provide the same characteristics, but will become more economical. The improvement should be achieved mainly by optimizing the compressor and turbine blades. As a result, the plane with full refueling will be able to fly 1620 km further. The total range of the Tu-160M2 with six cruise missiles on board will be 13,950 km. By the way, the NK-32-02 is not entirely new. The engine was developed in 1987, but after the collapse of the USSR, it never went into mass production.
However, as sources note, so far only one plane flies on new engines. This single copy recently arrived at the Zhukovsky airport near Moscow, where the Tupolev flight test base is located. According to the Rostec State Corporation, the new Tu-160M missile carrier is equipped with new NK-32-02 engines and updated on-board equipment, which improves the characteristics of the base aircraft. The car "successfully passed all factory tests" in Kazan and is ready for their next stage. It is also reported that Russia plans not only to upgrade all 16 bombers in service to the M2 version, but also to produce up to 50 new Tu-160M2 at the plant in Kazan.
Based on the materials of the resource flugrevue.de
