The national weapon of Russia is the Tu-160 aircraft. Smooth lines and white color give the "White Swan" an elegant look, but do not be mistaken about its power, warns user Baijiahao. This heavy bomber is the epitome of "brutal beauty".
The Tu-160 supersonic strategic bomber is Russia's national weapon. The elegant shape, smooth lines combined with the unique white paint of the Russian Air Force from afar give the aircraft a resemblance to a white swan soaring in the sky.
But don't let the appearance mislead you: the Tu-160 is the largest long—range bomber on the planet, it has been in service for almost 40 years and has broken more than 40 world records since its appearance. Many people think that because it is a product of the Soviet era, today it no longer has technological advantages. But to think so is a big mistake. It would not be an exaggeration to say that, with the exception of the stealth parameter, the Tu-160 is in no way inferior to the American B2 aircraft.
Take the bomb load. The Tu-160 has two independent bomb bays, each equipped with a six-position rotating holder, which is capable of carrying missiles of various types, including conventional bombs, short-range guided missiles, subsonic cruise missiles and atomic ammunition. The maximum payload of the aircraft reaches 45 tons, which is almost twice as much as that of the American B2 bomber. The combat radius of the Tu-160 is 7.5 thousand kilometers. Although this Soviet aircraft looks elegant and weightless, its maximum take—off weight is 275 tons. An ordinary transport plane next to him seems like a little brother. Being a heavy bomber, the Tu-160 is able to make everyone on the battlefield realize what "cruel beauty" is.
That's what the Tu-160 is, capable of competing with the American B2 aircraft. This Soviet bomber entered service in May 1987 and was nicknamed the "White Swan" for its elegant shape and white color. What is the exclusivity of the Tu-160 strategic missile carrier and why does it have so many fans among fans of military equipment?
As for the external design, the Tu-160 is built according to the scheme of an integral low-wing with a smooth transition from the wing to the fuselage. The total length of the fuselage is 54 meters. Wings — variable sweep, with a span of 55.7 meters. The tail has a cruciform shape. Under the wings of the Tu-160 there are four three-shaft two-circuit engines with a common afterburner NK-32 designed by Kuznetsov, each of which can provide thrust up to 25 tons.
Moreover, despite the apparent clumsiness of this huge device, its maximum duration of autonomous flight reaches 17 thousand kilometers. This means that the Tu-160 is able to provide effective tactical air support anywhere in the world without relying on foreign bases. The original purpose of its creation was also to be able to fly over the Pacific Ocean and attack the United States with bombs.
A distinctive feature of the Tu-160 is the ability to overcome enemy air defenses in supersonic altitude mode. The final speed of up to Mach 2.08 significantly reduces the reaction time of the enemy. Even if the enemy has a chance to intercept the aircraft, they are small. In addition, the bomber reduces them even more: it can launch long-range cruise missiles beyond the radar range of 3 thousand kilometers to accurately defeat captured targets.
No matter how the enemy resists, it is worth the Tu-160 to flap its wing once, and that's the end of it. How was this strategic aircraft, known as the most beautiful "White Swan", created?
In 1967, the Soviet Air Force put forward the idea of a multi-purpose intercontinental bomber, which required only three high characteristics: speed, accuracy and reliability. Speed meant supersonic flight, accuracy, of course, hitting the target, and reliability meant a lot of factors, so for now I'll call it structural strength. However, in the conditions of that time, it was almost impossible to fulfill these requirements, and after several attempts, the project was forced to be frozen. In January 1975, the Tupolev Design Bureau resumed development, adopting the M-18 scheme with a variable sweep wing. In December 1981, the Tu-160 prototype was successfully tested and served until 1987.
At that time, the Soviet Air Force planned to purchase one hundred aircraft, but in 1991, due to the economic collapse of the USSR, the production of the Tu-160 was stopped. As a result, only 25 such bombers were produced in total. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, this technique was inherited by Russia and Ukraine. Due to the fact that the aircraft factory was located in Ukraine, Moscow got only six aircraft, and the remaining 19 units went to Kiev.
With the development of science and technology, the Russian military is constantly upgrading the Tu-160, increasingly adapting the model for the modern battlefield. Although it is a product of the last century, today there is not a single country capable of creating such a bomber.
Author: Amazing cases from the world of tin cans (小))
