Choice of concept

Testing and production

Exploitation

Modernization plans

Current situation

Modification projects

Design

General design features

Power point

Hydraulic system

Fuel system

Electricity supply

Armament

Instances

Specifications

Flight characteristics

In service

Literature

In art

(factory designation: product 70, according to NATO codification: Blackjack- Russian black Jack) is a supersonic strategic missile-carrying bomber with a variable-sweep wing, developed at the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1980s.

It has been in service since 1987. At the beginning of 2013, the Russian Air Force has 16 Tu-160 aircraft.

It is the largest supersonic aircraft and aircraft with variable wing geometry in the history of military aviation, as well as the heaviest combat aircraft in the world, having the highest maximum take-off weight among bombers. Among pilots he received the nickname “White Swan”.

Story

Choice of concept

In the 1960s, the Soviet Union developed strategic missiles, while the United States relied on strategic aviation. The policy pursued by N. S. Khrushchev, led to the fact that by the beginning of the 1970s the USSR had a powerful nuclear missile deterrent system, but strategic aviation had at its disposal only subsonic Tu-95 and M-4 bombers, which were no longer capable of overcoming the air defense (air defense) of the countries NATO.

It is believed that the impetus for the development of the new Soviet bomber was the US decision to develop, within the framework of the AMSA (Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft) project, the latest strategic bomber - the future B-1. In 1967, the USSR Council of Ministers decided to begin work on a new multi-mode strategic intercontinental aircraft.

The following basic requirements were presented to the future aircraft:

• flight range at a speed of 2200-2500 km/h at an altitude of 18,000 meters - within 11-13 thousand km;
• flight range in subsonic mode at altitude and near the ground - 16-18 and 11-13 thousand kilometers, respectively;
• the aircraft had to approach the target at subsonic cruising speed, and overcome enemy air defenses in supersonic high-altitude mode or at cruising speed near the ground;
• the total mass of the combat load is up to 45 tons.

Projects

The Sukhoi Design Bureau and the Myasishchev Design Bureau began work on the new bomber. Due to the heavy workload, the Tupolev Design Bureau was not involved.

By the early 1970s, both design bureaus had prepared their projects - a four-engine aircraft with variable wing geometry. At the same time, despite some similarities, they used different schemes.

The Sukhoi Design Bureau worked on the T-4MS (“product 200”) project, which maintained a certain continuity with the previous development - the T-4 (“product 100”). Many layout options were worked out, but in the end the designers settled on an integrated circuit of the “flying wing” type with rotating consoles of a relatively small area.

Myasishchev Design Bureau also, after conducting numerous studies, came up with a variant with variable wing geometry. The M-18 project used a traditional aerodynamic design. The M-20 project, built using a canard aerodynamic design, was also being worked on.

After the Air Force presented new tactical and technical requirements for a promising multi-mode strategic aircraft in 1969, the Tupolev Design Bureau also began development. Here there was a wealth of experience in solving the problems of supersonic flight, gained in the process of developing and manufacturing the world's first supersonic passenger aircraft Tu-144, including experience in designing structures with a long service life in supersonic flight conditions, developing thermal protection for the airframe, etc.

The Tupolev team initially rejected the option with variable geometry, since the weight of the wing rotation mechanisms completely eliminated all the advantages of such a design, and took the civilian supersonic aircraft Tu-144 as a basis.

In 1972, the commission reviewed the projects of the Sukhoi Design Bureau (“product 200”) and the Myasishchev Design Bureau (M-18) submitted to the competition. A non-competition project from the Tupolev Design Bureau was also considered. The members of the competition commission most liked the Myasishchev Design Bureau project, which to a greater extent met the stated requirements of the Air Force. The aircraft, due to its versatility, could be used to solve various types of problems, had a wide range of speeds and a long flight range. However, taking into account the experience of the Tupolev Design Bureau in creating such complex supersonic aircraft as the Tu-22M and Tu-144, the development of the strategic carrier aircraft was entrusted to the Tupolev team. It was decided to transfer all materials for further work to the Tupolev Design Bureau.

Although the Myasishchev Design Bureau project largely replicated the American B-1 aircraft, V.I. Bliznyuk and other developers did not have complete confidence in it, so the design of the aircraft began “from scratch,” without directly using Myasishchev Design Bureau materials.

Testing and production

The first flight of the prototype (under the designation “70-01”) took place on December 18, 1981 at the Ramenskoye airfield. The flight was carried out by a crew led by test pilot Boris Veremey. The second copy of the aircraft (product “70-02”) was used for static tests and did not fly. Later, a second flight aircraft under the designation “70-03” joined the tests. Aircraft "70-01", "70-02" and "70-03" were produced at MMZ "Experience".

In 1984, the Tu-160 was put into serial production at the Kazan Aviation Plant. The first production vehicle (No. 1-01) took off on October 10, 1984, the second production vehicle (No. 1-02) on March 16, 1985, the third (No. 2-01) on December 25, 1985, the fourth (No. 2-02) ) - August 15, 1986.

In January 1992, Boris Yeltsin decided to possibly suspend the ongoing serial production of the Tu-160 if the United States stopped serial production of the B-2 aircraft. By this time, 35 aircraft had been produced. By 1994, KAPO transferred six Tu-160 bombers to the Russian Air Force. They were stationed at the Engels airfield in the Saratov region.

In May 2000, the new Tu-160 (w/n “07” “Alexander Molodchiy”) entered service with the Air Force.

The Tu-160 complex was put into service in 2005. On April 12, 2006, it was announced that state tests of the modernized NK-32 engines for the Tu-160 had been completed. New engines are distinguished by significantly increased service life and increased reliability.

On April 22, 2008, Air Force Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Alexander Zelin told reporters that another Tu-160 strategic bomber would enter service with the Russian Air Force in April 2008.

On April 29, 2008, a ceremony took place in Kazan to transfer the new aircraft into service with the Air Force of the Russian Federation. The new aircraft was named “Vitaly Kopylov” (in honor of the former director of KAPO Vitaly Kopylov) and was included in the 121st Guards Aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Heavy Bomber Regiment, based in Engels. It was planned that in 2008 three combat Tu-160s would be modernized.

Exploitation

The first two Tu-160 aircraft (No. 1-01 and No. 1-02) entered the 184th Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment in Priluki (Ukrainian SSR) in April 1987. At the same time, the aircraft were transferred to the combat unit before the completion of state tests, which was due to the rapid pace of introduction of American B-1 bombers into service.

By 1991, 19 aircraft arrived in Priluki, of which two squadrons were formed. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, they all remained on the territory of Ukraine.

In 1992, Russia unilaterally stopped flights of its strategic aviation to remote regions.

In 1998, Ukraine began dismantling its strategic bombers using funds allocated by the United States under the Nunn-Lugar program.

In 1999-2000 an agreement was reached under which Ukraine transferred eight Tu-160s and three Tu-95s to Russia in exchange for writing off part of the gas purchase debt. The remaining Tu-160s in Ukraine were disposed of, except for one vehicle, which was rendered unfit for combat and is located in the Poltava Long-Range Aviation Museum.

By the beginning of 2001, in accordance with the SALT-2 Treaty, Russia had 15 Tu-160 aircraft in combat service, of which 6 missile carriers were officially armed with strategic cruise missiles.

In 2002, the Ministry of Defense entered into an agreement with KAPO to modernize all 15 Tu-160 aircraft.

On September 18, 2003, during a test flight after engine repair, a disaster occurred; the plane with tail number “01” crashed in the Sovetsky district of the Saratov region during landing. The Tu-160 crashed into a deserted place 40 km from the home airfield. There were four crew members on board the vehicle: commander Yuri Deineko, co-pilot Oleg Fedusenko, as well as Grigory Kolchin and Sergei Sukhorukov. They all died.

On April 22, 2006, the Commander-in-Chief of Long-Range Aviation of the Russian Air Force, Lieutenant General Khvorov, said that during the exercise, a group of modernized Tu-160 aircraft penetrated US airspace and went unnoticed. However, this information does not have any objective confirmation.

On July 5, 2006, the modernized Tu-160 was adopted by the Russian Air Force, which became the 15th aircraft of this type (w/n “19” “Valentin Bliznyuk”). The Tu-160, which was transferred to combat service, was built in 1986, belonged to the Tupolev Design Bureau and was used for testing.

As of the beginning of 2007, according to the Memorandum of Understanding, the strategic nuclear forces included 14 Tu-160 strategic bombers (one bomber was not declared in the START data (b/n “19” “Valentin Bliznyuk”)).

On August 17, 2007, Russia resumed strategic aviation flights in remote regions on a permanent basis.

In July 2008, reports appeared about the possible deployment of Il-78 refueling tankers at airfields in Cuba, Venezuela and Algeria, as well as the possible use of airfields as backup for Tu-160 and Tu-95MS.

On September 10, 2008, two Tu-160 bombers (“Alexander Molodchiy” with identification number 07 and “Vasily Senko” with identification number 11) flew from their home base in Engels to the Libertador airfield in Venezuela, using the Olenegorsk airfield as a jumping off airfield. Murmansk region. Part of the way through Russian territory, the missile-carrying bombers were accompanied (for cover purposes) by Su-27 fighters of the St. Petersburg Air Force and Air Defense Association; while flying over the Norwegian Sea, Russian bombers intercepted two F-16 fighters of the Norwegian Air Force, and two F- fighters near Iceland. 15 US Air Force. The flight from the stopover site in Olenegorsk to Venezuela took 13 hours. There are no nuclear weapons on board the aircraft, but there are training missiles with the help of which combat use is practiced. This is the first time in the history of the Russian Federation that Long-Range Aviation aircraft have used an airfield located on the territory of a foreign state. In Venezuela, the aircraft carried out training flights over neutral waters in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. On September 18, 2008, at 10:00 Moscow time (UTC+4), both aircraft took off from the Maiquetia airfield in Caracas, and over the Norwegian Sea, for the first time in recent years, made night refueling in the air from an Il-78 tanker. At 01:16 (Moscow time) on September 19, they landed at the base airfield in Engels, setting a record for flight duration on the Tu-160.

June 10, 2010 - The maximum range flight record was set by two Tu-160 strategic bombers, official representative of the press service and information department of the Russian Ministry of Defense Vladimir Drik told Interfax-AVN on Thursday.

The flight duration of the missile carriers exceeded last year's figure by two hours, amounting to 24 hours 24 minutes, while the flight range was 18 thousand kilometers. The maximum volume of fuel during refueling was 50 tons, whereas previously it was 43 tons.

Modernization plans

According to the commander of Russian long-range aviation, Igor Khvorov, the modernized aircraft will be able, in addition to cruise missiles, to hit targets using aerial bombs, will be able to use communications through space satellites and will have improved targeted fire characteristics. The Tu-160M ​​is planned to be equipped with a new weapons system that will allow the use of advanced cruise missiles and bomb weapons. Electronic and aviation equipment will also undergo complete modernization.

Current situation

In February 2004, it was reported that it was planned to build three new aircraft, the aircraft were on the plant's stocks, and delivery dates to the Air Force had not been determined.

Modification projects

• Tu-160V (Tu-161)- a project for an aircraft with a power plant running on liquid hydrogen. It also differed from the base model in the size of the fuselage, designed to accommodate tanks with liquid hydrogen. See also Tu-155.
• Tu-160 NK-74- with more economical NK-74 engines (increased flight range).
• - a project for a heavy escort fighter armed with long- and medium-range air-to-air missiles.
• - the electronic warfare aircraft was brought to the stage of manufacturing a full-scale mock-up, and the composition of the equipment was completely determined.
• - preliminary design of the Krechet combat aircraft and missile system. Development began in 1983, Yuzhnoye SDO released it in December 1984. It was planned to deploy 2 two-stage ballistic missiles (1st stage - solid fuel, 2nd - liquid), weighing 24.4 tons, on a carrier aircraft. The total range of the complex was assumed to be more than 10,000 km. Warhead: 6 MIRV IN or monoblock warhead with a set of means to overcome missile defense. KVO - 600 m. Development was stopped in the mid-80s.
• - carrier aircraft of the aerospace liquid three-stage Burlak system weighing 20 tons. It was assumed that the mass of the payload launched into orbit could reach from 600 to 1100 kg, and the cost of delivery would be 2-2.5 times lower than ground-launched rockets of similar payload capacity. The rocket launch was to be carried out at altitudes from 9 to 14 km at a carrier flight speed of 850-1600 km/h. In terms of its characteristics, the Burlak complex was supposed to surpass the American subsonic launch complex, created on the basis of the Boeing B-52 carrier aircraft and the Pegasus launch vehicle. The main purpose is to replenish the constellation of satellites in conditions of mass destruction of cosmodromes. Development of the complex began in 1991, commissioning was planned in 1998-2000. The complex was to include a command and measurement station based on the Il-76SK and a ground support complex. The flight range of the carrier aircraft to the ILV launch zone is 5000 km. On January 19, 2000, in Samara, the State Research and Production Space Center "TsSKB-Progress" and the Aerospace Corporation "Air Launch" signed a cooperation agreement on the creation of an aviation and space missile complex (ARKKN) "Air Launch".
• - Tu-160 modernization project, which provides for the installation of new radio-electronic equipment and weapons. Capable of carrying conventional weapons, for example, 90 OFAB-500U, weighing about 500 kg and a continuous destruction radius of 70-100 m.

Design

General design features

When creating the aircraft, proven solutions were widely used for the machines already created at the design bureau: Tu-144, Tu-22M and Tu-142MS, and some of the systems and some components and assemblies were transferred to the Tu-160 without changes. Aluminum alloys AK-4 and V-95, stainless steel, titanium alloys OT-4 and VT-6, and composites are widely used in the design.

The Tu-160 aircraft is designed according to the integral low-wing design with a variable-sweep wing, a tricycle landing gear, an all-moving stabilizer and a fin. The wing mechanization includes slats, double-slotted flaps, and spoilers and flaperons are used for roll control. Four NK-32 engines are installed in pairs in engine nacelles in the lower part of the fuselage. The TA-12 APU is used as an autonomous power unit.

Fuselage

Integrated circuit planner. Technologically, it consists of six main parts, from F-1 to F-6. In the forward unsealed part, a radar antenna is installed in a radio-transparent radome, followed by an unsealed radio equipment compartment. The central integral part of the aircraft, 47.368 m long, includes the fuselage itself with a cockpit and two cargo compartments (weapons compartments), between which there is a center section caisson compartment and a fixed part of the wing; engine nacelles and the rear fuselage with a keel superstructure. The cockpit is a single pressurized compartment, which, in addition to the crew’s workplaces, houses various electronic equipment of the aircraft.

Wing

The wing on a variable sweep aircraft. The wingspan with minimum sweep is 57.7 meters. The rotary assembly and control system are generally similar to the Tu-22M, but accordingly recalculated and strengthened. The rotating part of the wing can be adjusted along the leading edge from 20 to 65 degrees. The wing is of a coffered design, made mainly of aluminum alloys. Four-section slats are installed along the leading edge, and three-section double-slit flaps are installed along the rear edge. The root part of the flap section on the rotating part is also a ridge designed to smoothly mate the wing with the center section with minimal sweep. For roll control, six-section spoilers and flapperons are installed. The internal cavities of the wing serve as fuel tanks.

On the ground, moving the wing at large angles is prohibited (without special devices), since due to the centering shift the plane falls “on its tail.”

Chassis

The plane has a three-wheel landing gear with a front and a pair of main struts. The front strut is located in the forward part of the fuselage, in an unpressurized niche under the technical compartment and is retracted back downstream. The front pillar has two 1080x400 mm wheels with an aerodynamic deflector that protects against foreign particles (debris) from the wheels getting into the engine air intakes. Through the niche of the front leg, along the ground ladder, the entrance to the cockpit is made. The main racks have three-axle bogies with six wheels 1260x485 mm each. They are retracted into gondolas, back in flight, while being shortened, which requires less internal volume of the compartments. When released, the racks extend, simultaneously moving outward by 60 cm, increasing the track (which has a positive effect on stability when steering). The compartments of the main racks themselves are also technical compartments for placing various equipment. Chassis track - 5400 mm, chassis base - 17880 mm. There is a two-chamber gas-oil shock absorber on the front strut, and three-chamber shock absorbers on the main struts. The wheels of the front strut are rotating, controlled by the track control pedals in the cockpit.

Power point

The aircraft is equipped with four NK-32 engines, which are a further development of the NK-144, NK-22 and NK-25 line.

Structurally, the NK-32 is a three-shaft dual-circuit engine with mixing of output flows and a common afterburner with an adjustable nozzle. The axial three-stage compressor has fifteen stages and consists of three units: a three-stage low-pressure compressor, a five-stage medium-pressure compressor and a seven-stage high-pressure compressor. The division of the air flow along the contours is carried out behind the low pressure compressor, the selection of air for aircraft needs occurs behind the high pressure compressor. The combustion chamber is an annular type, multi-nozzle with two starting igniters. In the afterburner, flows are mixed and fuel is burned in afterburner mode. The drive box is equipped with a hydraulic pump, a DC generator and a three-phase alternating current drive-generator. The engine spins up when starting - from an air starter.

The engines are placed in pairs in nacelles under the fuselage. Rectangular air intakes with a vertically positioned adjustable wedge and six air supply flaps.

The TA-12 APU provides the aircraft with electricity and compressed air on the ground, and can also be used as an emergency power source in the air at altitudes up to 7 km.

Hydraulic system

The aircraft uses four parallel operating high-pressure hydraulic systems with a discharge pressure of 280 kg/cm2; IP-50 oil is used as the working fluid. The hydraulic drive is used to move control surfaces, takeoff and landing mechanization and landing gear. Hydraulic pumps are installed one on each engine; APU turbopump units are used as a reserve.

Fuel system

The filling capacity of the fuel tanks is 171,000 kg. Each engine is powered from its own supply tank. Part of the fuel is used for alignment. A retractable in-flight fuel receiver boom for air refueling is installed in the nose.

Electricity supply

The aircraft is equipped with four non-contact DC generators and four AC drive generators on the engines. TA-12 APU generators are used as a backup source on the ground and in flight.

Armament

Initially, the aircraft was planned exclusively as a missile carrier - a carrier of long-range cruise missiles with nuclear warheads intended for attacks on area targets. In the future, it was planned to modernize and expand the range of transportable ammunition.

The Kh-55SM strategic cruise missiles in service with the Tu-160 are designed to hit stationary targets with predetermined programmed coordinates, which are entered into the missile’s memory before the bomber takes off. The missiles are placed on two MKU-6-5U drum launchers, six each, in two cargo compartments of the aircraft. To hit targets at shorter ranges, the weapons may include Kh-15S aeroballistic hypersonic missiles (24 missiles, 12 on each MKU).

The aircraft can also be equipped with free-falling bombs (up to 40,000 kg) of various calibers, including nuclear ones, disposable cluster bombs, sea mines and other weapons.

In the future, the bomber's armament is planned to be significantly strengthened due to the introduction of high-precision cruise missiles of the new generation X-555 and X-101, which have an increased range and are designed to destroy both strategic and tactical ground and sea targets of almost all classes.

Flight navigation, instrumentation and radio-electronic equipment

The aircraft is equipped with a fly-by-wire automatic on-board control system with fourfold redundancy and redundant mechanical wiring. The aircraft has dual controls; there are not steering wheels, as is customary on heavy aircraft, but handles (RUS). In pitch, the aircraft is controlled using an all-moving stabilizer, in roll - by flaperons and spoilers, and in heading - by an all-moving fin. Two-channel astroinertial navigation system - K-042K. The Obzor-K sighting and navigation system will include a forward-looking radar and an OPB-15T optical television sight. The Baikal onboard defense complex has radio and infrared threat detection equipment, radio countermeasures systems and fireable decoy cartridges. A separate system (SURO) is used to work with missile weapons. Most of the aircraft's equipment is integrated, depending on the solution to the current task.

The crew instrument panels are equipped with traditional dial instruments (mostly similar to those used on the Tu-22M); there are no multifunctional liquid crystal indicators on the aircraft. At the same time, a lot of work has been done to improve the ergonomics of workplaces and reduce the number of instruments and indicators, in comparison with the workplaces of the Tu-22M3 crew.

The following instruments and indicators are installed on the ship's commander's instrument panel:

• radio altimeter indicator A-034
• reserve attitude indicator AGR-74
• radiomagnetic indicator RMI-2B
• position indicator IP-51
• indicator of vertical parameters IVP-1
• combined device DA-200
• barometric altimeter VM-15
• speed indicator ISP-1
• combined speed indicator KUS-2500 or KUS-3 (depending on the year of manufacture of the aircraft)
• radar warning system indicator

The following indicators and instruments are installed on the co-pilot's instrument panel:

• vertical parameters indicator IVP-1 or light signaling unit (depending on the year of manufacture of the aircraft)
• speed indicator ISP-1
• combined speed indicator KUS-2500 or KUS-3 (depending on the year of manufacture of the aircraft)
• flight command device PKP-72
• planning navigation device PNP-72
• combined device DA-200
• altimeter indicator UV-2Ts or UVO-M1
• radio altimeter indicator A-034.

Instances

Most of the Tu-160 strategic missile carriers have their own names. The tail numbers of aircraft in service with the Air Force are highlighted in bold.

Also, according to the annual accounting reports of KAPO for 2011, the following Tu-160 serial numbers underwent major repairs and control and restoration maintenance:

5-03 Completed a major overhaul at KAPO in 2009.

5-04 Completed a major overhaul at KAPO in 2011.

5-05 It is undergoing a major overhaul at KAPO and is scheduled for delivery to the Russian Ministry of Defense in 2012.

6-01 Passed inspection and restoration maintenance at KAPO in 2008.

6-05 It is undergoing a major overhaul at KAPO and is scheduled for delivery to the Russian Ministry of Defense in 2013.

Performance characteristics

Specifications

• Crew: 4 people
• Length: 54.1 m
• Wingspan: 55.7/50.7/35.6 m
• Height: 13.1 m
• Wing area: 232 m²
• Empty weight: 110000 kg
• Normal take-off weight: 267600 kg
• Maximum take-off weight: 275000 kg
• Engines: 4 × NK-32 turbofan engines
• Maximum thrust: 4 × 18000 kgf
• Afterburner thrust: 4 × 25000 kgf
• Fuel mass, kg 148000

Flight characteristics

• Maximum speed at altitude: 2230 km/h (1.87M)
• Cruising speed: 917 km/h (0.77 M)
• Maximum range without refueling: 13950 km
• Practical range without refueling: 12300 km
• Combat radius: 6000 km
• Flight duration: 25 h
• Practical ceiling: 15000 m
• Rate of climb: 4400 m/min
• Run/run length: 900/2000 m
• 1185 kg/m²
• 1150 kg/m²
• Thrust-to-weight ratio:
• at maximum take-off weight: 0,37
• at normal take-off weight: 0,36

In service

In service

• Russian Air Force - 16 Tu-160s are in service with the 121st Guards TBA of the 22nd Guards TBA of the 37th Air Army of the Supreme High Command (Engels-2 airfield), as of 2012. By 2015, all Tu-160s in service with the Russian Air Force will be modernized and repaired, and the fleet will also be replenished with new types of strategic bombers by 2020.

Was in service USSR

• USSR Air Force - Tu-160 was in service until the collapse of the country in 1991

• Ukrainian Air Force - 19 Tu-160s in service with the 184th Guards Tank Battalion at Priluki Air Base, as of 1993. 10 Tu-160s were disposed of, one Tu-160 was transferred to a museum, the remaining 8 were transferred to Russia.

On November 16, 1998, Ukraine began dismantling the Tu-160 under the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program. In the presence of American senators Richard Lugar and Carl Levin, a Tu-160 with tail number 24, produced in 1989 and having 466 flight hours, was cut down. The second to be scrapped was the Tu-160 with tail number 13, built in 1991 and with less than 100 flight hours.

On September 8, 1999, in Yalta, an intergovernmental agreement was signed between Ukraine and Russia on the exchange of 8 Tu-160, 3 Tu-95MS, about 600 cruise missiles and airfield equipment in payment of the Ukrainian debt for supplied natural gas in the amount of $285 million.

On November 5, 1999, the Tu-160 with tail number 10 became the first to fly to Russia, to the Engels-2 airbase.

On February 21, 2000, the last 2 Tu-160s sold to Russia took off for the Engels-2 airbase.

On March 30, 2000, a Ukrainian Air Force Tu-160 with tail number 26 flew to the Poltava Long-Range Aviation Museum. Subsequently, the bomber was rendered unfit for combat. This is the only Tu-160 that remains on the territory of Ukraine.

On February 2, 2001, the tenth Tu-160 was cut down, the last of the strategic bombers of the Ukrainian Air Force, which were to be disposed of in accordance with an agreement with the United States and the Russian Federation.

Literature

• Gordon E. Tu-160. - M.: Polygon-Press, 2003. P. 184. ISBN 5-94384-019-2

In art

• Documentary film from the series “Special Correspondent” “White Swan (TU-160)”
• Documentary film from the series “Strike Force” Film 15, “Air Terminator (Tu-160)”
• Feature film “07 changes course”
• Television series "Special Forces". Series: Runway (aircraft number 342 is used to deliver a GRU special forces group from St. Petersburg to Afghanistan). Series: Breath of the Prophet (Tu-160 with b/n 342, taking off from the Russian Air Force air base in Pskov, launches a missile attack on the Taliban’s secret laboratory in Afghanistan)
• In the computer game Rise of Nations, the Asian strategic bomber model is based on it.

The newest best military aircraft of the Russian Air Force and the world photos, pictures, videos about the value of a fighter aircraft as a combat weapon capable of ensuring “superiority in the air” was recognized by the military circles of all states by the spring of 1916. This required the creation of a special combat aircraft superior to all others in speed, maneuverability, altitude and the use of offensive small arms. In November 1915, Nieuport II Webe biplanes arrived at the front. This was the first aircraft built in France that was intended for air combat.

The most modern domestic military aircraft in Russia and the world owe their appearance to the popularization and development of aviation in Russia, which was facilitated by the flights of Russian pilots M. Efimov, N. Popov, G. Alekhnovich, A. Shiukov, B. Rossiysky, S. Utochkin. The first domestic cars of designers J. Gakkel, I. Sikorsky, D. Grigorovich, V. Slesarev, I. Steglau began to appear. In 1913, the Russian Knight heavy aircraft made its first flight. But one cannot help but recall the first creator of the aircraft in the world - Captain 1st Rank Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky.

Soviet military aircraft of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War sought to hit enemy troops, their communications and other targets in the rear with air strikes, which led to the creation of bomber aircraft capable of carrying a large bomb load over considerable distances. The variety of combat missions to bomb enemy forces in the tactical and operational depth of the fronts led to the understanding of the fact that their implementation must be commensurate with the tactical and technical capabilities of a particular aircraft. Therefore, the design teams had to resolve the issue of specialization of bomber aircraft, which led to the emergence of several classes of these machines.

Types and classification, latest models of military aircraft in Russia and the world. It was obvious that it would take time to create a specialized fighter aircraft, so the first step in this direction was an attempt to arm existing aircraft with small offensive weapons. Mobile machine gun mounts, which began to be equipped with aircraft, required excessive efforts from pilots, since controlling the machine in maneuverable combat and simultaneously firing from unstable weapons reduced the effectiveness of shooting. The use of a two-seater aircraft as a fighter, where one of the crew members served as a gunner, also created certain problems, because the increase in weight and drag of the machine led to a decrease in its flight qualities.

What types of planes are there? In our years, aviation has made a big qualitative leap, expressed in a significant increase in flight speed. This was facilitated by progress in the field of aerodynamics, the creation of new, more powerful engines, structural materials, and electronic equipment. computerization of calculation methods, etc. Supersonic speeds have become the main flight modes of fighter aircraft. However, the race for speed also had its negative sides - the takeoff and landing characteristics and maneuverability of the aircraft sharply deteriorated. During these years, the level of aircraft construction reached such a level that it became possible to begin creating aircraft with variable sweep wings.

For Russian combat aircraft, in order to further increase the flight speeds of jet fighters exceeding the speed of sound, it was necessary to increase their power supply, increase the specific characteristics of turbojet engines, and also improve the aerodynamic shape of the aircraft. For this purpose, engines with an axial compressor were developed, which had smaller frontal dimensions, higher efficiency and better weight characteristics. To significantly increase thrust, and therefore flight speed, afterburners were introduced into the engine design. Improving the aerodynamic shapes of aircraft consisted of using wings and tail surfaces with large sweep angles (in the transition to thin delta wings), as well as supersonic air intakes.

In the 60s of the last century, the Soviet Union focused on the development of missile weapons, and strategic aviation, represented by Tu-95 and M-4 with subsonic speeds, was considered unable to overcome the air defense of NATO countries.

The US decision to create a new strategic supersonic bomber B-1 prompted the USSR leadership to take adequate response measures. The Council of Ministers decided to begin preparing a project for a modern intercontinental strategic supersonic aircraft, which later received the designation TU-160, and among the pilots it had the affectionate name “White Swan”.

History of the project to create the Tu 160 aircraft

The creation of a project for a new bomber was entrusted to the Sukhoi Design Bureau and the Myasishchev Design Bureau. By the beginning of the 70s, projects were submitted for consideration. Both projects turned out to be similar - it is a supersonic vehicle with four engines and a wing with variable sweep, but the designs were still different.

In 1969, the Tupolev Design Bureau, with experience in creating a supersonic passenger aircraft, joined the project. Tu-144. Having considered the projects of the Sukhoi and Myasishchev Design Bureaus and the out-of-competition project of the Tupolev Design Bureau, it was decided to give work on the project to the Tupolev team, as they have extensive experience in creating supersonic machines.

In addition to the Tupolev Design Bureau, enterprises of the military-industrial complex, the Air Force Research Institute, and TsAGI were involved; in total, since 1972, more than 800 organizations have participated.
The first prototype (designation 70-01) took off from the ground in December 1981 with a crew led by test pilot B. Veremey from the Ramenskoye airfield. The second sample was intended for static tests. The first four samples were manufactured at the Opyt enterprise.

Tu 160 diagram

Serial aircraft were manufactured at the Kazan Aviation Plant. In 1984, on October 10, the series was given a ticket to the sky.

Description of the Tu 160 aircraft

The design of the vehicle is based on an integral aerodynamic layout with a low-mounted wing with sweep that changes in flight. The sweep can be changed from 200 to 650.
The wing is equipped with rich mechanization - there are slats along the entire length on each console, and flaps at the rear. In front of the flaps, a flaperon and an interceptor were built into the console design.

The radio-transparent antenna radome hides the on-board radar for viewing the front sphere inside. In the space between the cockpit and the surveillance locator blocks there is a Sopka radar, designed for low-altitude flights around the terrain.

The crew cabin is designed for four members - two pilots and two navigators, who sit side by side. The first navigator is responsible for aircraft navigation, the other for the use of weapons. The seats are equipped with a catapult.

Under the influx of the wing in front there are multi-mode air intakes that regulate the incoming air flow and supply it to the engines. The cross-section of the intake channels changes, from rectangular to round. The power plant consists of four NK-32 turbofan engines, two located on each side of the fuselage.

The fin of the Tu-160 is made of two sections, the fuselage body is rigidly connected to the lower part, and the upper trapezoidal section serves as a rudder. The rotation mechanism and the rotation stabilizer itself are attached to the fixed part of the keel.

The landing gear of the aircraft is made according to a three-legged design, the main landing gear on each leg has six wheels that retract into a niche in the center section between the air intakes and the weapons compartment. The nose landing gear is two-wheeled and, in the retracted position, is located between the weapons compartment and the cockpit.

The design of the aircraft allows 171 tons of fuel to be placed in 13 caisson tanks, which at cruising speed with a sweep of 350 makes it possible to cover a distance of 14 thousand km. In-flight refueling is also provided - the fuel receiver in the form of a retractable boom is located in the bow, in front of the cockpit.

Tu 160 in the air

To fulfill its purpose - to break through enemy air defenses and strike important strategic targets, it is equipped with the Baikal airborne defense complex. This complex includes stations for detecting threats from aviation and air defense systems, electronic warfare stations and automatic devices for shooting decoys and decoys.

At the bottom of the nose of the aircraft there is an OPB-15T optical-electronic sight for precise bombing and a television camera in the front lower sphere. An inertial navigation system, a celestial navigation system and satellite tracking system equipment allow for high-precision flights with the aircraft's location displayed on the navigator's indicators.

Tactical and technical data of the Tu 160 bomber

Tu 160 "White Swan"

Flight characteristics of Tu 160

• Maximum speed at an altitude of 12 thousand. m – 2200 km/h.
• The maximum speed at the ground is 1030 km/h.
• Cruising speed – 850-920 km/h.
• Rate of climb – 70 m/sec.
• Practical range without refueling is 14 thousand km.
• Ceiling – 15600 m.
• Combat radius - 7300 km.
• Flight duration is 14.5 hours.

Power plant of the Tu 160 aircraft

• Four NK-32 turbofan engines with cruising thrust of 137.2 kN.
  afterburner - 245.7 kN.

Dimensions of the Tu 160 aircraft

• The length of the aircraft is 54.10 m.
• The height of the aircraft is 13.10 m.
• Wing span, sweep 200 - 55.7 m.
• Wing span, sweep 350 - 50.7 m.
• Wing span, sweep 650 - 35.6 m.

Weight of the Tu 160 aircraft

• Empty, equipped aircraft - 117 tons.
• Take-off maximum – 225 tons.

Armament of the Tu 160 aircraft

• On a drum-type installation - 6 Kh-55SM/101/102 anti-aircraft missile launchers.
• Kh-15 short-range missiles – 12 pcs.

Interesting information about the Tu 160 strategic bomber

Forty-four world records are registered on the account of the White Swan.

Each board is named after an outstanding designer or famous pilot.

Tu 160 "Valentin Bliznyuk"

Only this strategic bomber can boast its own kitchen and bathroom; before it, military aircraft were not equipped with such amenities.

NATO called it “Dubinka”, and Russian pilots affectionately called it “White Swan”.

In the world, this is perhaps the largest aircraft with a variable sweep wing.

While on a visit to Russia, Frank Carpucci, the then US Secretary of Defense, inspected the pilot's cockpit and hit his head on an electrical panel. Since then, pilots have nicknamed it “Carpucci’s shield.”

Video: p launching cruise missiles at terrorist targets in Syria from a Tu 160

The TU-160 strategic bomber, the so-called “White Swan” or Blackjack (baton) in NATO terminology, is a unique aircraft. This is the personification of the power of modern Russia. The TU-160 has excellent technical characteristics: it is the most formidable bomber in the world, capable of carrying cruise missiles as well. the largest and most aesthetically pleasing supersonic aircraft in the world. It was developed in the 1970-1980s at the Tupolev Design Bureau and is equipped with a variable sweep wing. The TU-160 has been in service since 1987.

The TU-160 bomber was a response to the US AMSA (Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft) program, within which the notorious B-1 Lancer was created. The TU-160 missile carrier was significantly ahead of its main competitors, including the notorious Lancer, in almost all characteristics. The speed of the TU-160 is 1.5 times higher, the maximum flight range and combat radius are just as large, and the engine thrust is almost twice as powerful. For the sake of the stealth aircraft, the creators of the B-2 Spirit sacrificed everything they could, including range, flight stability and the vehicle’s carrying capacity.

Quantity and cost of TU-160 “White Swan”

The long-range missile carrier TU-160 is a “piecemeal” and expensive product with unique technical characteristics. In total, only 35 of these aircraft were built, and far fewer of them remain airworthy today. Nevertheless, the TU-160 remains a threat to enemies and the pride of Russia. This aircraft is the only product that received its own name. The planes bear the names of sports champions (“Ivan Yarygin”), designers (“Vitaly Kopylov”), heroes (“Ilya Muromets”) and, of course, pilots (“Pavel Taran”, “Valery Chkalov” and others).

After the collapse of the USSR, 19 bombers of this type remained in Ukraine, at the base in Priluki. However, these vehicles were too expensive to operate for this country, and the new Ukrainian army simply did not need them. Ukraine offered to exchange these 19 TU-160s to Russia for Il-76s (in a ratio of 1 to 2) or to write off the gas debt. But for Russia this turned out to be unacceptable. In addition, the United States influenced Ukraine, which actually forced it to destroy 11 Ukrainian TU-160s. But 8 aircraft were nevertheless transferred to Russia for partial write-off of the gas debt.

As of 2013, the Air Force operated 16 Tu-160 bombers. For Russia this is an prohibitively small number, but the construction of new ones would cost a huge amount. Therefore, it was decided to modernize 10 of the existing bombers to the Tu-160M ​​standard. Long-range aviation should receive 6 modernized TU-160s in 2019. However, in modern conditions, even modernization of existing TU-160s will not help solve defense problems. Therefore, plans emerged to build new missile carriers. The resumption of production of aircraft of the Tu-160M ​​/ Tu-160M2 classification is expected no earlier than 2023

In 2019, Kazan decided to consider the possibility of starting production of the new TU-160 at KAZ facilities. These plans were formed as a result of the current international situation. This is a complex, but solvable task: over the years, some technologies and personnel have been lost. The cost of one TU-160 missile carrier is about 250 million dollars.

History of the creation of TU-160

The task for designing a missile carrier was formulated back in 1967 by the Council of Ministers of the USSR. The design bureaus of Myasishchev and Sukhoi were involved in the work, and a few years later they proposed their own options. These were projects of bombers capable of reaching supersonic speed to overcome air defense systems. The Tupolev design bureau, which had experience in developing Tu-22 and Tu-95 bombers, as well as the Tu-144 supersonic aircraft, did not participate in the competition. In the end, the Myasishchev Design Bureau project was recognized as the winner, but the designers did not even have time to really celebrate the victory: the government soon decided to close the project at the Myasishchev Design Bureau. All documentation on the M-18 was transferred to the Tupolev Design Bureau, which joined the competition with Izdeliye-70 (the future TU-160 aircraft).

The following requirements were imposed on the future bomber:

• flight range at an altitude of 18,000 meters at a speed of 2300-2500 km/h - within 13 thousand km;
• the aircraft must approach the target at subsonic cruising speed, overcome enemy air defenses - at cruising speed near the ground and in supersonic high-altitude mode.
• the total mass of the combat load should be 45 tons.

The first flight of the prototype (Izdeliye "70-01") was carried out at the Ramenskoye airfield in December 1981. Product “70-01” was piloted by test pilot Boris Veremeev and his crew. The second copy (product "70-02") did not fly, it was used for static tests. Later, a second aircraft (product “70-03”) joined the tests. The supersonic missile carrier TU-160 was put into serial production in 1984 at the Kazan Aviation Plant. In October 1984, the first production vehicle took off.

Technical characteristics of TU-160

• Crew: 4 people
• Length 54.1 m
• Wingspan 55.7/50.7/35.6 m
• Height 13.1 m
• Wing area 232 m²
• Empty weight 110,000 kg
• Normal take-off weight 267,600 kg
• Maximum take-off weight 275,000 kg
• Engine type 4×TRDDF NK-32
• Maximum thrust 4×18,000 kgf
• Afterburner thrust 4×25,000 kgf
• Fuel weight 148,000 kg
• Maximum speed at an altitude of 2230 km/h
• Cruising speed 917 km/h
• Maximum range without refueling 13,950 km
• Practical range without refueling is 12,300 km.
• Combat radius 6000 km
• Flight duration 25 hours
• Service ceiling 21,000 m
• Climbing rate 4400 m/min
• Take-off/run length 900/2000 m
• Wing load at normal take-off weight 1150 kg/m²
• Wing load at maximum take-off weight 1185 kg/m²
• Thrust-to-weight ratio at normal take-off weight 0.36
• Thrust-to-weight ratio at maximum take-off weight 0.37.

Design features of TU-160

1. The White Swan aircraft was created with extensive use of proven solutions for aircraft already built at the design bureau: Tu-142MS, Tu-22M and Tu-144, and some components, assemblies and some systems were transferred to the aircraft without changes. Composites, stainless steel, aluminum alloys V-95 and AK-4, titanium alloys VT-6 and OT-4 are widely used in the design of the White Swan.
2. The White Swan aircraft is an integral low-wing aircraft with a variable-sweep wing, an all-moving fin and stabilizer, and a tricycle landing gear. The wing mechanization includes double-slotted flaps, slats, and flaperons and spoilers are used for roll control. Four NK-32 engines are mounted in the lower part of the fuselage in pairs in engine nacelles. The TA-12 APU is used as an autonomous power unit.
3. The airframe has an integrated circuit. Technologically, it is composed of six main parts. In the unsealed nose section, a radar antenna is installed in a radio-transparent fairing; behind it there is an unsealed radio equipment compartment. The one-piece central part of the bomber, 47.368 m long, includes the fuselage, which includes the cockpit and two cargo compartments. Between them there is a fixed part of the wing and a caisson-compartment of the center section, the rear part of the fuselage and the engine nacelles. The cockpit consists of a single pressurized compartment, where, in addition to the crew’s workplaces, the aircraft’s electronic equipment is located.
4. The wing on a variable-sweep bomber. With a minimum sweep, it has a span of 57.7 m. The control system and rotary assembly are generally similar to the Tu-22M, but they are reinforced. The wing is of coffered structure, mainly made of aluminum alloys. The rotating part of the wing moves from 20 to 65 degrees along the leading edge. Three-section double-slit flaps are installed along the trailing edge, and four-section slats are installed along the leading edge. For roll control there are six-section spoilers, as well as flapperons. The inner cavity of the wing is used as fuel tanks.
5. The aircraft has an automatic fly-by-wire onboard control system with redundant mechanical wiring and fourfold redundancy. The controls are dual, with handles installed rather than steering wheels. The aircraft is controlled in pitch using an all-moving stabilizer, in heading - by an all-moving fin, and in roll - by spoilers and flaperons. Navigation system – two-channel K-042K.
6. The White Swan is one of the most comfortable combat aircraft. During the 14-hour flight, pilots have the opportunity to stand up and stretch. There is a kitchen on board with a cupboard for heating food. There is also a toilet, which was not previously available on strategic bombers. It was around the bathroom during the transfer of the plane to the military that a real war took place: the pilots did not want to accept the car, since the design of the bathroom was imperfect.

Armament of the TU-160 "White Swan"

Initially, the TU-160 was built as a carrier of long-range cruise missiles with nuclear warheads, designed to deliver massive attacks on areas. In the future, it was planned to expand and modernize the range of transportable ammunition, as evidenced by stencils on the doors of the cargo compartments with options for hanging a huge range of cargo.

The TU-160 is armed with Kh-55SM strategic cruise missiles, which are used to destroy stationary targets having given coordinates; they are entered into the missile’s memory before the bomber takes off. The missiles are located six at a time on two MKU-6-5U drum launchers in the cargo compartments of the aircraft. The weaponry for short-range engagement may include hypersonic aeroballistic missiles Kh-15S (12 for each MKU).

After appropriate conversion, the bomber can be equipped with free-fall bombs of various calibers (up to 40,000 kg), including disposable cluster bombs, nuclear bombs, sea mines and other weapons. In the future, the bomber's armament is planned to be significantly expanded through the use of high-precision cruise missiles of the latest generation, the X-101 and X-555, which have an increased range.

Video about Tu-160

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Now in Russia, work is simultaneously underway to modernize all 16 Tu-160 strategic missile carriers in service and create an almost new machine - the Tu-160M2, the adviser to the first deputy general director of Radio-Electronic Technologies (KRET) explained to Gazeta.Ru.

“We, as a concern, are fully involved in both activities. As part of the resumption of production of the Tu-160 aircraft, four KRET enterprises presented their technological solutions - Elektroavtomatika named after P.A. Efimova”, “Tehpribor” and the “Signal” radio plant,” says Mikheev.

Tu-160 is a supersonic strategic missile-carrying bomber with a variable-sweep wing, developed at the Tupolev Design Bureau in 1970-1980. This machine remains the largest and heaviest supersonic combat aircraft in the world.

The take-off weight of the Tu-160 is 275 tons, the maximum speed is 2500 km/h, and the bomb load is up to 45 tons.

The plane was named “Blackjack”; among domestic aviation pilots it is known as the “White Swan”.

According to Mikheev, KRET enterprises are developing the “filling” of the new Tu-160M2: on-board computer systems and control equipment, as well as fuel metering, flow metering and weapon control systems.

The new Tu-160M2 will be significantly different from both the old Tu-160 and the vehicles that have already undergone modernization, Mikheev assures. “We can say this: in the old building there will be a fundamentally new aircraft. He will increase his combat capabilities several times. The range of weapons there will be significantly expanded. The accuracy characteristics have been greatly increased,” said the Deputy General Director of KRET.

The supersonic strategic bomber will be equipped with a new radar, a new flight system with all the latest navigation aids (including the most modern laser gyroscopes), as well as communication systems, sensors, fuel instruments and display systems.

The plane will also have a new weapon control system - more accurate navigation. “For strategic aviation aircraft, an exceptional characteristic is its precise location determination. Where is it located at a very specific moment in time, at what point will it be necessary to “unhook the product,” as the pilots say, explains Mikheev. “The distances to the targets will already be measured in many thousands of kilometers. Therefore, the more accurately the product is “unhooked”, the more accurately it will be delivered to the target. It is very important. A strategic aviation aircraft must send ammunition to its intended destination and with high accuracy from anywhere on the planet.”

Not only the White Swan’s combat capabilities will increase, but also the vehicle’s ability to protect itself. “Based on our most modern developments, we are creating a fundamentally new airborne self-defense complex or electronic warfare complex. Taking into account the groundwork that we have for the PAK FA (a promising aviation complex for front-line aviation or T-50, a fifth-generation Russian fighter - Gazeta.Ru), and other means of protection, we are making sure that this aircraft is protected across all physical fields, both from the ground, from anti-aircraft missile systems, and from all types of promising aircraft weapons. For certain reasons, we cannot name the specified characteristics of the Tu-160M2 self-defense complex. But, believe me, it will be able to provide almost 100 percent protection for this aircraft.”

All equipment for the Tu-160M2 must be prepared next year, a KRET representative clarifies.

Then there will be the installation process. Then tests. “So far everything is going according to the schedule approved by the Ministry of Defense,” Mikheev emphasized.

KRET also faces the task of eliminating all the problems that have accumulated over a long time on the existing Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3: replacing elements of on-board equipment whose service life has already expired.

First of all, the products of Ukrainian enterprises, which back in Soviet times participated in the cooperation of co-executors, are being replaced, Mikheev clarifies.

“And repair of this equipment is impossible, and the documentation is practically lost. We remove Ukrainian blocks and put in their place completely new ones of our own design. This is not just an extension of the resource, these are completely new characteristics. There is no point in repeating things that were done thirty years ago, so we are installing modern equipment that takes this aircraft to a whole new level. All sixteen Tu-160s that are in the program will be modernized,” the specialist emphasizes.

Similar work is underway on the Tu-95 and Tu-22M3. “He wants to bring all long-range aircraft to one specific look. In former times, long-range aircraft (LA) were produced over a long period of time. Each of the machines was designed to perform specific tasks. For example, striking naval radar-contrasting targets, nuclear strikes with strategic cruise missiles, bombing with free-falling bombs. Now the task is to upgrade all DA vehicles to a certain universal appearance, which includes all the components of possible combat use,” says Mikheev.

Previously, either missile control units or bomb control units were installed separately on each aircraft. “Now, in their place, small digital blocks are being installed, which themselves determine the type of weapon that is suspended in the bomb bays - is it a rocket, or a bomb, or some other means of destruction. Depending on this, combat use is planned accordingly. All this will be done automatically. We hang up the ammunition, the system identifies it, compares it with the assigned task, and corrects it if necessary. In reality, everything is naturally much more complicated. But the principle itself looks something like this,” said Mikheev.

Modernized strategic bombers are already in service, but the main industry efforts are focused on creating the Tu-160M2.

The Minister of Defense announced the resumption of production of modernized Tu-160s with new weapons, on-board electronics, communications and electronic warfare systems in 2015. The transfer of these machines to the Armed Forces is planned for 2023, writes Valery Solozobov, Deputy General Director of Tupolev PJSC for design, research and development, in his article for the journal Radioelectronic Technologies.

According to him, the task of strengthening the aviation component of Russia's strategic nuclear forces was personally set by the President of Russia. He also gave instructions to intensify work on the promising long-range aviation complex (PAK DA) and the modernization of the existing Tu-160 and Tu-95MS missile carriers.

In the context of “anti-Russian activity of the United States and NATO,” long-range aviation is becoming increasingly important, the representative of Tupolev PJSC himself believes.

The main efforts of specialists are now aimed at creating the Tu-160M2. The car will retain only its appearance, flight characteristics and aerodynamic properties from its predecessor, but the inside will be completely new, Solozobov confirms.

Preserving the airframe will dramatically reduce the time and money spent on long-term flight tests. The process is complicated by the working, design and technological documentation for the Tu-160, preserved on outdated paper media. Creating a modern aircraft using this design technology is unacceptable, continues Solobozov. The same applies to the manufacture of airframe parts.

“Until the beginning of the 2000s, the fuselage and wings of the Il-76 and An-124 aircraft were stamped on a press that was bought in the USA in 1938, installed at a plant in Khimki, then in Tashkent, in order to produce the DC-3 (American short-haul aircraft) under license transport aircraft Douglas DC-3. - “Gazeta.Ru”),” writes the deputy general director of Tupolev PJSC.

The most pressing problems in creating the Tu-160 were the creation of digital technological and design documentation and the training of workers and engineering personnel. Over the past decades, Russia has lost a cadre of highly qualified workers, Solobozov recalls.

To create a new missile carrier, it is also necessary to re-equip other enterprises that produce components with modern equipment: engines, chassis, pneumatic and hydraulic units, other instruments and electronics.

Tupolev is working on organizing and digitizing technical documentation together with PJSC TANTK named after G.M. Beriev" in the "virtual design bureau" mode. “For the first time in the domestic aviation industry, the leading design schools of Tupolev, Yakovlev, Beriev, Sukhoi, Mikoyan, and Ilyushin are successfully interacting in one team,” emphasizes Solobozov.

Now designers “in all time zones of Russia” are working on digitizing different parts of the Tu-160 airframe.

About half a million drawings and design documentation are created in 3D format using modern software. The lack of uniform domestic software in different organizations included in the “virtual design bureau” seriously complicated the work. We had to create the software anew, with the involvement of Russian IT specialists. In such conditions, only “from the fourth revision” it was possible to create the final and complete version of the project documents.

With such a foundation, Tupolev designers now expect to more quickly organize the production of components and parts of the Tu-160. However, it is impossible to produce the aircraft without serious modernization of mechanical engineering, Solozobov states. He hopes that the tasks set for the creation of the Tu-160M2 will become a powerful incentive for the entire Russian industry.