Annually December 23 Russia celebrates the Day of Long-Range Aviation - a professional holiday for all military personnel directly related to long-range aviation of the Russian Air Force. This is a relatively young holiday. It was established only in 1999 by order of Anatoly Kornukov, Commander-in-Chief of the country's Air Force.

Russian Long-Range Aviation Day

The holiday date was certainly not chosen by chance, it has a historical justification. It was on December 23, 1913 that the Ilya Muromets four-engine heavy bomber made its first test flight. This is the world's first serial multi-engine bomber aircraft designer Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky. He is rightly called the "great-grandfather" of all modern strategic bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces. Only a year later, on December 23, 1914, the imperial decree of Nicholas II was issued. As a result, a resolution of the Military Council on the formation of the Ilya Muromets bomber squadron was approved in Russia. This event has become Starting point in the history of heavy bomber aviation not only in our country, but throughout the world. In 2018, Russian long-range aviation is already celebrating its 104th birthday.

World War I

During the First World War, the crews of the Ilya Muromets bomber squadron made about 400 sorties. In 1917, the squadron had 20 four-engine bombers. After the October Revolution in March 1918, the formation of the Northern Group of Aircraft (SGVK) began. Aircraft "Ilya Muromets" of this group were to be involved in polar expeditions and reconnaissance of the Northern Sea Route. However, the tense situation and fierce battles at the fonts of the civil war in Russia did not allow this project to be realized. In November 1918, the SGVK was renamed the Air Group. The air group, in turn, in 1919 received the official name - the Division of Airships.

The further development of long-range aviation in our country was associated with the adoption of the TB-3 heavy bomber in the 1930s. It was designed by the famous aircraft designer Andrey Nikolaevich Tupolev. In 1936, the Air Force of the Red Army began to receive new DB-3 bombers, as well as DB-3F, designed in the design bureau of Sergei Ilyushin.

In 1936-1938, aviation brigades and heavy bomber corps were reduced to three separate air armies for special purposes. All three armies were directly subordinated to the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR. In 1940, units and formations of heavy bombers entered the formed long-range bomber aviation of the Red Army High Command (DBA GK). To the beginning of the Great Patriotic War The DBA GK included 5 aviation corps, 3 separate aviation divisions and one separate air regiment. According to experts, on June 22, 1941, the DBA consisted of only about 1,500 aircraft and almost 1,000 trained crews who were in full combat readiness.

The Great Patriotic War

The first sorties were made by Soviet long-range bombers on June 22, 1941. During the war, long-range aviation crews took part in all major battles of the Red Army. And also carried out special tasks of the Soviet command.

Already during the war in March 1942, long-range bomber aviation was reorganized into long-range aviation, and in December 1944 - into the 18th Air Army. In 1946, the Long-Range Aviation of the USSR Armed Forces was formed on the basis of this army. In total, during the years of the Great Patriotic War, the flight crew of long-range bombers carried out about 220 thousand sorties. As a result, more than two million aerial bombs of various calibers were dropped on enemy positions and infrastructure.

Postwar years

In the 1950s, jet technology was adopted. Tu-16 long-range bombers and Tu-95 and 3M strategic bombers were put into operation. After that, there was undoubtedly a real qualitative leap in the development of long-range aviation in the Soviet Union. In the same years, long-range aircraft and crews began to explore the skies over the Arctic. Over the years from 1970 to 1980, new aviation complexes have replenished the composition of long-range aviation. Tu-22M3, Tu-95MS and Tu-160 received air-launched cruise missiles with a long range.

After a forced lull and downtime, which was associated with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the difficult economic condition of the country, the intensity of flights by long-range aviation crews began to grow again in the 2000s. So in 2001, for the first time after a ten-year break, Russian strategic bombers appeared in the area over the North Pole. In August 2007, Russian long-range aviation resumed flights in remote regions of the planet on a permanent basis. Airspace patrolling is carried out in the regions of economic activity and active navigation of Russia. Air patrol flights are carried out in the water area over the neutral waters of the Arctic, Atlantic, Black Sea, Pacific Ocean, both from base and operational airfields on the territory of our country.

After the end of the Second World War, long-range aircraft took part in the hostilities. For example, in Afghanistan in the 1980s and in the North Caucasus in the 1990s. And also, in the operation to force Georgia to peace in 2008. On November 17, 2015, Russian long-range and strategic bombers took off from airfields in Russia. They delivered massive strikes with new X-101 air-launched cruise missiles and aerial bombs against the targets of militants of the Islamic State terrorist organization (banned in Russia) in Syria. This operation was the first combat use of Russian strategists - Tu-160 and Tu-95 family aircraft. As you know, in 2015-2017, long-range aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces were repeatedly involved in air strikes on positions and targets of terrorists on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.

Our days

For 104 years of its existence, Russian long-range aviation has come a long way. A glorious path from the first squadron of four-engine biplanes "Ilya Muromets" to its modern look. Today, the long-range aviation of the Russian Air Force is armed with modern jet and turboprop aircraft. First, these are Tu-160 and Tu-160M ​​supersonic strategic missile carriers with variable sweep wing. Secondly, Tu-95MS and Tu-95MSM four-engine turboprop strategic bombers. Thirdly, these are modernized Tu-22M3 long-range bombers. And also, Il-78 tanker aircraft and other types of aviation equipment. In 2018 alone, the long-range aviation was replenished with four more upgraded Tu-95MS bombers and one Tu-160 bomber.

The main weapons of Russian long-range aviation aircraft are long-range aviation cruise missiles, operational-tactical missiles in conventional and nuclear warheads, as well as aerial bombs for various purposes and calibers.

The Big Sky of Long-Range Aviation [Soviet Long-Range Bombers in the Great Patriotic War, 1941–1945] Zhirokhov Mikhail Alexandrovich

Appendix 3. PLANES OF LONG-TERM AVIATION (1926-1945)

Appendix 3

PLANES OF LONG-TERM AVIATION (1926-1945)

"Farman" F.62 "Goliath" (FG, FG-62)

This twin-engine bomber was designed in 1918 by the designers of the French company Societe de Avions Henri e Maurice Farman. It was a large wooden biplane with fixed landing gear. After the end of the First World War, the unfinished Goliath prototype was hastily converted into a passenger car. He made his first flight in November 1919.

In September 1924, the Farman F.62 modification appeared with Lauren-Dietrich 12Db 400 hp engines. s, at least three civilian vehicles with such a power plant were built: one was equipped as an ambulance with places for 12 stretchers, a doctor and an orderly; another was converted into a bomber, the third was sold to Czechoslovakia.

In the first half of the 1920s. in Soviet Russia, planning to eventually begin production of their heavy bombers, they decided to purchase them abroad as a temporary measure. The choice of the Air Force Directorate fell on the F.62. Aircraft served for a long time as training aircraft, until they were replaced by more advanced machines.

"Junkers" YUG-1 (K.30S)

The Yug-1 bomber, created by the German company Junkers, was a military version of the G.24 passenger aircraft. It was a three-engine cantilever monoplane with corrugated skin and fixed landing gear. The G.24 first flew on 18 September 1923.

In the version of the bomber, aircraft (designated as K.ZOS) began to be built in 1925. The main components were manufactured in Germany, and the final assembly was carried out at the AB Fligindustri plant in Limhamn (Sweden). The aircraft could be operated both on wheeled and on ski and float landing gear.

After graduation civil war The USSR had far-reaching plans, including military construction. But its own industry was in ruins, so it was decided to make purchases abroad. Among other things, it was supposed to purchase 23 K.ZOS. The first of them arrived in the USSR in November 1925, but the main part of the ordered cars arrived later - in 1926-1928.

In the Red Army Air Force, the aircraft received the designation YUG-1. The first 8 bombers went into service with the new 57 squadron in Trotsk (now Gatchina).

YuG-1 took part in a number of major maneuvers of the Red Army, but were never used in actual combat. During the exercises, the aircraft conducted reconnaissance and simulated raids on a mock enemy. They also flew at night.

From May 1930, German vehicles began to be transferred from bomber squadrons to naval aviation and the civilian air fleet. How training and military transport aircraft YuG-1 were operated in the Red Army Air Force until mid-1933

After the decommissioning of the Ilya Muromets aircraft and before the appearance of the Tupolev bomber TB-1, the YuG-1 became for a short time the only type of heavy bomber in the Red Army Air Force. On it, pilots could gain experience in piloting heavy aircraft and later apply it in the development of domestic aircraft TB-1 and TB-3.

YUG-1 in the USSR

Head No. …… Date of transfer to the USSR

901 …… 11.1925

903 …… 11.1925

906 …… 11.1925

930 …… 13.3.1926

932 …… 16.6.1926

934 …… 1.8.1926

935 …… 1.8.1926

936 …… 1.8.1926

938 …… 1.8.1926

940 …… 19.8.1926

942 …… 19.8.1926

943 …… 19.8.1926

945 …… 31.8.1926

946 …… 31.8.1926

948 …… 31.8.1926

952 …… 14.1.1928

954 …… 14.1.1928

955 …… 14.1.1928

956 …… 14.1.1928

957 …… 14.1.1928

958 …… 14.1.1928

959 …… 14.1.1928

960 …… 14.1.1928

TB-1 (ANT-4)

TB-1 was the first Soviet heavy bomber. It was designed from the middle of 1924 at the TsAGI AGOS under the direction of A.N. Tupolev. Twin-engine all-metal cantilever monoplane with corrugated skin and fixed landing gear.

The first prototype with British engines Napier "Lion" took off on November 26, 1925 (pilot A.I. Tomashevsky). But they decided to conduct mass production with BMW VI engines. The second prototype, which became the standard for the series, was tested in August 1928.

Serial production of the TB-1 began in the summer of 1929 at factory No. 22 in Fili. The usual TB-1s were produced with a wheeled chassis (replaced by skis in winter) and TB1a (TB-1P) on floats. The machine was taken out of production in 1932. A total of 216 aircraft were built, including 66 TB-1a.

The TB-1 has been in service with the Red Army Air Force since 1929. To increase the flight range and the weight of the bomb load, from February 1932, additional external bomb racks were mounted on some aircraft, and then bridges. The latter received more than a third of the cars. The range of the TB-1 was relatively small, and a removable gas tank was developed for it, located in the bomb bay. Then the fuel supply was replenished by installing additional tanks in the wing. They worked on chemical and reactive (recoilless guns) weapons of the bomber, but this remained in the framework of the experiments. The TMS-36 complex was not completed either - two unmanned TB1s, controlled by radio operators from a guidance aircraft. Such flying bombs were supposed to hit large and important objects, well covered by air defense systems.

They served as TB-1 bombers until 1936, and then they were used as training and transport bombers until 1939.

The disarmed TB-1s transferred to the Civil Air Fleet (they were called G-1 there) were widely used as cargo. As transport vehicles, they operated at the front during the Great Patriotic War. The last machines flew in polar aviation until 1949.

TB-3 (ANT-6)

Since December 1925, at the TsAGI AGOS under the leadership of A.N. Tupolev, a project was developed for a transport aircraft designed to transport bulky cargo. On June 6, 1926, this machine was already considered as a heavy day and night bomber. The prototype aircraft ANT-6 (TB-3) took off for the first time on December 22, 1930 (pilot M.M. Gromov). It was a four-engine cantilever monoplane with corrugated skin and fixed landing gear.

Serial production of the TB-3 began in February 1932. Bombers of this type were produced by factories No. 22 (Moscow), No. 39 (Moscow) and No. 18 (Voronezh). The last TB-3 was built in 1938. A total of 819 vehicles were manufactured.

Motors and small arms - depending on the modification. Crew - 8-10 people. Bomb load normal - 2000 kg, maximum - up to 5000 kg.

TB-3 with BMW VI, M-17B, M-17F engines; armament - 5 machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber (on the first aircraft without twin mounts), on most of the aircraft produced - 8, on the latest series - 6 machine guns (underwing towers were removed); since 1933, a "cradle" was introduced under the forward fuselage; the most massive version - more than half of the aircraft produced;

TB-3 s. M-34 engines and modified engine nacelle caps, produced since 1933; armament - 8 machine guns (on the latter - 6 machine guns, without underwing towers);

TB-3 with M-34R engines, produced since the summer of 1934, with a lengthened fuselage, new vertical tail, aft firing mount and the absence of the first upper turret, a hatch mount (in total - 7 machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber), oil- chassis air shock absorbers (instead of rubber ones), brake rear wheels in bogies, electrified bomber armament;

TB-3 with M-34RN engines, produced from February 1936, with single wheels instead of twin bogies, modified forward fuselage, increased wingspan; armament - 4 machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber in shielded turrets;

TB-3 with M-34FRN engines, produced in 1937, had additional gas tanks in the consoles, rounded tips of the horizontal tail, developed fairings between the wing and the fuselage; armament - as in the previous version.

Four-engine giants were in service in the USSR from the spring of 1932. Soviet TB-3s were first used in support of the offensive near Lake Khasan in August 1938. At Khalkhin Gol in July-August 1939 they were used as night bombers and transport aircraft. During the campaign against Western Ukraine and Western Belarus in September of the same year, TB-3s delivered fuel, ammunition and food to the advancing troops of the Red Army. In the "winter" war with Finland, they were used as night bombers and occasionally - as day bombers for strikes on rear targets, supplied encircled units and formations, and took out the wounded. When the Baltic states and Bessarabia were annexed in 1940, large airborne assault forces were landed from these machines.

TB-3 took an active part in the Great Patriotic War. From June 1941, they were used in Belarus and Ukraine, carried out a series of raids on the border regions of Poland. In June-July, these machines were forced to use during the day, then only at night. TB-3s for a long time made up a significant part of the ADD fleet. They participated in the battle of Moscow, the defense of the Crimea, the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk. From the end of 1943 they were used only as transport and training aircraft.

The TB-3 was removed from service with the Soviet Air Force in the fall of 1946. In civil aviation, the disarmed bombers were operated under the designation G-2 as cargo. During the Great Patriotic War, G-2s were used for transportation to the front.

R-6 (ANT-7)

The R-6 is the only Soviet production aircraft designed as a "cruiser". Its main purpose was to escort heavy bombers outside the range of fighters. It could also be used as a long-range reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft was designed at TsAGI AGOS under the direction of A.N. Tupolev since October 1926,

The P-6 was a twin-engine cantilever monoplane with corrugated skin and fixed landing gear. Due to repeated changes in the requirements of the terms of reference, the work was delayed, and the prototype was built only in August 1929. Flight tests of the aircraft began in September. M.M. conducted them. Gromov. ANT-7 was put up for state tests three times and successfully passed them by October 1930.

Serial production of the R-6 was carried out from the beginning of 1931. This machine was built by plant No. 22 in Moscow, plant No. 31 in Taganrog and plant No. 126 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. A total of 406 aircraft were produced.

The following modifications were serially produced:

P-6, the first production version, wheeled chassis (replaced by skis in winter), armament - 5 machine guns (caliber 7.62 mm);

KR-6 - an improved modification with fairings between the fuselage and the wing, landing flaps, oil-air (instead of rubber) landing gear shock absorption, brake wheels; armament - 4 machine guns (retractable ventral turret removed). Such machines were produced in Moscow in 1934-1935.

Both of these options were in service with heavy bomber brigades. In addition, their respective modifications (R-6a and KR-6a) were produced for naval aviation (they were equipped with a float chassis).

Since 1932, R-6 and KR-6 aircraft were equipped with squadrons of multi-seat fighters (later renamed cruising) and long-range reconnaissance squadrons that were part of the structure of heavy bomber brigades. Never participated in hostilities. Although the aircraft quickly became obsolete, they were operated in combat units until 1937. They were widely used as training aircraft during the transition of air units to high-speed SB bombers. In flight schools and colleges, the R-6 and KR-6 were preserved until the Great Patriotic War.

At the end of the 30s. a significant number of machines were transferred to civil aviation, where they served under the designations PS-7 (wheeled) and MP-6 (float) - In departmental aviation, the last R-6s flew until the end of 1950.

Before the Great Patriotic War in the USSR, the creation of passenger aircraft was not given the same importance as the production of military vehicles. The gap in the civil theme was filled in 1936 by the purchase of a license for the production of the successful American aircraft DC-3. The first serial machine left the assembly shop of plant No. 84 in the summer of 1939. It was called PS-84 (passenger aircraft of the 84th plant) and was equipped with domestic engines.

The desire of the military to adapt any aviation innovations for military needs led to the fact that the factory designers began to convert the "air truck" into a bomber. Even during the Soviet-Finnish war, A.E. Golovanov, at that time the crew commander of the transport PS-84, tried, and not without success, to use his car as a bomber. The war that began in 1941, the heavy losses of Soviet aviation in its first months, most naturally led to the decision to mass-produce the bomber version of the PS-84.

Serial production began at the beginning of 1942, and from September of the same year the aircraft became known as the Li-2, after the name of the chief engineer of plant No. 84 B.P. Lisunova. The military modification differed from the civilian version by the presence of external bomb racks, a bomb sight mounted outside, and defensive weapons. At the same time, the machine was dual-purpose and could also perform transport functions.

The aircraft was produced at plant No. 34 in Tashkent (where the equipment of plant No. 84 was evacuated) and No. 126 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (since 1946). A total of 4863 cars were produced.

During the war, Li-2s were in service with many ADD formations. Among them: 101st and 102nd transport regiments 1st hell dd, 53rd and 62nd hell dd , 340th ap dd 54th dd dd, etc. Li-2, along with their "brothers" - S-47 aircraft, supplied to Soviet Union under Lend-Lease, - participated in almost all operations of the Air Force and ADD in the Great Patriotic War. In addition to bombing (mainly at night), they carried out transport and medical transportation, dropped landings and reconnaissance groups behind enemy lines, were used to communicate with partisans, transferring cargo to them and taking out the wounded. With the help of the Li-2, entire air units were quickly relocated.

Several regiments armed with Li-2 bombers also took part in the war on Far East in August 1945.

After the war, the need for Li-2 as a bomber disappeared, and the machines began to be used for their original passenger and transport purpose, as well as as a training aircraft.

Production of PS-84/Li-2 aircraft in 1938-1945 (58)

DB-3 (IL-4)

The all-metal bomber DB-3 (TsKB-30) was a development of the prototype TsKB-26 aircraft of mixed design. The latter was originally designed at the Central Design Bureau under the leadership of SV. Ilyushin as a high-speed short-range bomber BB-2, but then it was equipped with additional gas tanks and thus turned into a long-range bomber. It was a twin-engine cantilever monoplane with a smooth skin, closed cockpits and retractable landing gear. TsKB-30 made its first flight on March 31, 1936 (pilot V.K. Kokkinaki).

Serial production of the DB-3 was organized from January 1937. Aircraft were built by factories No. 39 (Moscow, then Irkutsk), No. 18 (Voronezh), No. 126 (Komsomolsk-on-Amur), No. 23 (Moscow). From the summer of 1942 it was called Il-4. Before the termination of production at the end of 1945, 6785 aircraft were produced.

There were the following serial modifications:

DB-3 (DB-3A) with M-85 or M-86 engines, armament - three machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber;

DB-3B with M-87 engines, detachable wing panels, modified navigator's cockpit glazing, new cockpit canopy, reinforced landing gear, crew armor protection, partial protection of gas tanks, armament - three machine guns of 7.62 mm caliber; some of the aircraft were later redesigned with the installation of new MV-2 and MV-3 ​​turrets or with the installation of an additional machine gun in the tail spinner;

DB-3f (the first series were called DB-3M, and from the summer of 1942 the aircraft became known as Il-4) with M-87 or M-88 engines, a new spindle-shaped nose, a new landing gear; armament of two (first series) or three 7.62-mm machine guns; from the beginning of 1942 it consisted of one 12.7 mm machine gun and two 7.62 mm; since 1942, a wooden frame of the navigator's cabin and a tail spinner were installed on parts of the aircraft, from April of the same year, outboard gas tanks were used; Since 1943, a reinforced landing gear and an increased sweep of the wing along the leading edge have been introduced into production. In addition, since the middle of the war for to reduce losses in night sorties, flame arresters began to be installed on the exhaust pipes of the Il-4.

The DB-3T and Il-4T torpedo bombers for naval aviation were also mass-produced. DB-3 were in service, mainly, long-range bomber aircraft of the Red Army Air Force.

In the winter of 1939/40, most of the long-range bombers were involved in raids on Finland. They acted both on targets near the front line and in the depths of the country. They flew mainly during the day, but night strikes were also made.

In June 1941, the DB-3B and DB-3f, which formed the basis of long-range aviation, were widely used during the day against the advancing enemy troops. Further, the vehicles were transferred mainly to night operations, attacking objects in the near and far rear of the Germans.

Regiments armed with DB-3 and IL-4 participated in all major operations of the Soviet army. In July 1942, IL-4 long-range aviation made a series of raids on Berlin, Budapest, Bucharest, Ploiesti, cities of East Prussia. Further, they alternated support for troops at the front with raids deep into enemy territory. Actively operated near Stalingrad (including during the day) and Kursk. In February 1944, Il-4s were involved in massive raids on Helsinki, in the spring of that year they supported operations in the Baltic and Crimea. In June, most of the forces were concentrated to prepare an offensive in Belarus. IL-4s ended the war flying from Polish airfields to targets in Germany. They actively participated in the Berlin operation. In August 1945, Il-4s were used in a short campaign in the Far East against the Japanese Kwantung Army.

As bombers, these aircraft served until 1949, as training machines - they survived until the beginning of the 50s.

Er-2 (DB-240)

The aircraft was designed in OKB-240 under the direction of VT. Ermolaeva. The bomber became the development of the passenger aircraft "Stal-7", designed at the Research Institute of the Civil Air Fleet by the talented aircraft designer R.L. Bartini. The experimental DB-240 first flew on May 14, 1940. Serial production began in October 1940.

Er-2 was produced at factories No. 18 in Voronezh and No. 125 (39) in Irkutsk. Production was interrupted in September 1941 and resumed in 1944. A total of 462 examples were built.

Er-2 was produced in two main versions:

With an asymmetric cabin, M-105R engines and machine guns: 1 x 12.7 mm and 2 x 7.62 mm;

With a symmetrical double cabin, ACH-ZOB diesels and armament: 1 cannon 20 mm and 2 machine guns 1.2.7 mm.

Increasing requirements for flight range and bomb load forced designers to look for a way out by trying one or another new engine. Diesels seemed to be the most promising in terms of specific fuel consumption, but their lack of knowledge prevented their mass introduction. Most of the Er-2 fleet in active units were aircraft with M-105 engines.

The bomber was in service with the Red Army Air Force from May 1941 to May 1946. From the beginning of the war, it was in service with two long-range bomber regiments (420th and 421st tbap). Yer-2 was used as a day and night bomber. In August 1941 and later, he took part in raids on Berlin and other German cities. Issue resumed in 1944.

Heavy four-engine bomber, monoplane with retractable landing gear. It was created at the TsAGI AGOS under the direction of V.M. Petlyakova. An experimental machine (ANT-42) made its first flight on December 27, 1936 (crew of M.M. Gromov). Serial production began in June 1940. It was built at factories No. 22 in Moscow and No. 124 in Kazan. Discontinued in 1944. A total of 93 examples were built.

It has been in service with the Red Army Air Force since the spring of 1941. As part of long-range aviation regiments, the Pe-8 took part in many operations of the Great Patriotic War, striking both at targets near the front line and deep behind enemy lines. The bomber was the only carrier of the largest Soviet air bomb - caliber 5000 kg. In August 1941, several ADD crews bombed Berlin on it. On the same plane, the Soviet delegation headed by V.M. Molotov in 1942 flew to the USA.

The aircraft was constantly improved, the mass of the bomb load increased. A thorough modernization was carried out in 1943. Pe-8 had different versions of power plants: AM-34FRNV (on the prototype), AM-35A, diesel engines ACH-30B and M-30, on later modifications - ASh-82. On some machines, flame arresters were installed on the exhaust pipes of the engines.

From June 1944, the crews of the 45th Air Division carried out mainly training flights on these aircraft. In August, the last sorties were made. The Pe-8 was taken out of service by the Air Force in 1946.

B-25 Mitchell

Medium bomber, twin-engine all-metal monoplane with two tail tails. Designed in the design bureau of the American company North American. The prototype aircraft made its first flight in January 1939. Of the 5815 copies produced, 862 were delivered to the USSR. The first aircraft reached the Soviet Union in April 1942, mass delivery (mainly through Alaska along the Alsib highway) began in 1943.

At first, the V-25 (in Soviet documents it was designated as the B-25) was assigned to front-line aviation, but it was soon recognized as more appropriate to use it as a long-range bomber as part of the ADD. Crew - 5-6 people.

The Mitchell was very popular with Soviet pilots. Powerful engines, comfortable seats for the crew, excellent defensive weapons, rich navigation and sighting equipment for those times allowed the crews to carry out tasks effectively. It happened that even when the engine failed on takeoff, on one working engine, the pilots reached the target, dropped bombs and returned back. The aircraft was constantly modernized taking into account combat operation. North American even took into account the recommendations of the Soviet flight crew. For example, according to the memoirs of veterans of the 4th Air Corps, after the submission of certain proposals, already in three months it was possible to observe their implementation on serial aircraft received from the United States.

B-25 bombers were in service with many ADD regiments, most of which distinguished themselves in combat operations and received various honorary titles: Sevastopolsky, Roslavlsky, etc. In addition to bombing missions, they performed reconnaissance and transport functions.

At the end of 1943, several machines were used in the 113th air regiment as night blockers-hunters. To do this, they were equipped with a battery of two UBT machine guns (12.7 mm) and two ShVAK guns (20 mm). Bombers were used on almost all fronts of the Great Patriotic War until its very end.

Under the terms of lend-lease, at the end of the war, all B-25 aircraft were to be returned to the United States, but this did not happen, and the Mitchells were in service with the USSR Air Force until 1953. Since the aircraft had a landing gear with a nose strut (unlike most domestic bombers that had a tail support), it was used in long-range aviation regiments as a transitional one when retraining for Tu-4 heavy bombers.

Several modifications of the aircraft were delivered to the USSR:

V-25S - with R-2600-13 engines, autopilot and armament: 6 machine guns 12.7 mm;

B-25D - similar to the B-25C, but with a slightly modified layout, armament: 9 12.7 mm machine guns; From the author's book

Annex 5. Aircraft deployed to Malta by aircraft carriers in 1940-42. (1) As part of Operation Pedestal (2) In addition, several Swordfish and Fulmars of the Illustries were operating from Malta when the carrier received heavy

From the author's book

Annex No. 2. The performance of consumer air regiments of naval aviation in 1941-1945 (37) Regiment ...... Affiliation / Number of victories / Number of sorties 3 Gviap (5 IAP) ...... KBF / 507 / More than 200004 Gviap (13 IAP 1st form.) …… KBF / 431 / More than 220002 Gviap (72 SAP) …… SF / 408 / No exact data11

From the author's book

Appendix No. 3. The best aces of fighter aviation of the Red Army Air Force 1936-1945. The list below contains the names of pilots who shot down at least 40 enemy aircraft, and is compiled in descending order. Accepted abbreviations: * - Hero of the Soviet Union, ** - twice Hero of the Soviet

From the author's book

Application Aces of transport aviation On September 1, 1939, Adolf Hitler, in addition to the traditional Iron Cross, first and second class, established a new highest award in the German army - the Knight's Cross (RK). Then on July 3, 1940, the Knight's Cross with oak

From the author's book

Appendix 3 Tactical and technical data of the aircraft of the German naval aviation of the Second World War Cit. Quoted from: Richards D., Saunders X. The British Air Force in World War II. 1939–1945 - M .: Military Publishing House, 1963; Lavrentiev H. M. and others. Aviation of the Navy in the Great

From the author's book

Appendix 4. BRIEF INFORMATION ON SOME LONG-TERM AVIATION REGIMENTS 200th Long-Range Bomber Aviation Regiment 5 squadrons - formed according to the state 15/807-B, numbering 570 people. By the beginning of the war in service

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David S. Easby Luftwaffe Triumph: The Failure of the Allied Bomber Operation 1944-1945 It Happens That Something That Might Have Been More True Than The Truth Itself William Faulkner. "Absalom, Absalom" For five months, from October 1943 to March 1944

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Appendix No. 4 Members of the crew of the S-13 submarine - participants in the campaign 11.01–15.02.1945 and their awarding by order of the commander of the KBF No. 30 dated 13.03.1945 7 people were awarded the Order of the Red Banner: 1. Submarine Commander Captain 3rd Rank Marinesko Alexander Ivanovich2. Assistant Commander

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Annex 10. List of losses of naval officers of the Azov flotilla in 1769–1774 (1926) Military rank and name ... Year and reason for retirementMichman P. Musin-Pushkin ... 1769 retirement by deathMichman M. Sumarokov ... 1770 retirement by deathGeneral- Kriegs Commissioner I.M. Selivanov ... 1771 departure according to

From the author's book

DIRECTORY Guards units and formations of Soviet aviation 1941-1945. Boris RYCHILO Miroslav MOROZOVMoscowBy order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR of December 12, 1941, the first six aviation regiments, which distinguished themselves mainly in defensive battles on the outskirts

This section presents long-range aircraft, which formed its basis from its inception, formation and development to the present. From the first aircraft to modern models that are in service with the Long-Range Aviation of Russia.
From "Ilya Muromets" - to the Tu-160 "White Swan".

B-25 "Mitchell" Medium bomber, twin-engine all-metal monoplane with two tail tails. Designed in the design bureau of the American company "North American". The prototype aircraft made its first flight in January 1939. Of the 5815 copies produced, 862 were delivered to the USSR in accordance with the Allied military assistance agreement (Lend-Lease). The first aircraft in the Soviet Union came in April 1942, the mass delivery (mainly through Alaska along the Alsib highway) began in 1943. At first, the V-25 (in Soviet documents it was designated as the "B-25") was assigned to Frontal Aviation, however it was soon recognized as more appropriate to use it as a long-range bomber as part of the ADD. Crew - 5-6 people.

The Tu-4 aircraft was created in the design bureau of A.N. Tupolev on the basis of the American long-range bomber B-29 "Superfortress" and originally had the designation B-4.

Since the B-29 had already "proven itself in action" over Japan, Stalin at the end of 1945 ordered Tupolev to make a copy. The creation of the bomber was given state importance. The aircraft was preparing for the deadline for completing work on the first Soviet atomic bomb. By the spring of 1947, the first experimental car was built in Kazan at plant number 22.

The heavy strategic bomber M-4 (3M) was created in the design bureau of V.M. Myasishchev. The cooling in relations between the former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition, which began immediately after the end of the war, became more and more tense. The demonstration by the Americans of atomic weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki forced the Soviet side to speed up the pace of creating their own atomic bomb. The bomb soon appeared in the USSR, but this was not enough - it was also necessary to create its carrier, capable of carrying the "load" to America - the main enemy in the confrontation that was gaining momentum.

The Tu-16 aircraft is the first Soviet long-range swept-wing jet bomber. The machine was equipped with two engines designed by Mikulin RD-3M. On April 27, 1952, the first flight on it was made by a test pilot of the Tupolev company N.S. Rybko. Despite the fact that the cars did not reach the given range (the first jet engines were distinguished by their “gluttony”), Stalin ordered the aircraft to be put into production.

The Tu-16 was serially produced from 1953 to 1963 at three factories - No. 22 in Kazan, No. 64 in Voronezh and No. 18 in Kuibyshev. A total of 1507 vehicles were built.

Strategic bomber and missile carrier, the only aircraft of this type in the world with turboprop engines. The characteristics of the first carriers of atomic weapons Tu-4 and Tu-16 were very modest in terms of the scale dictated by the Cold War. We needed strategic intercontinental bombers. The task for such a machine OKB A.N. Tupolev received in the spring of 1950. The aircraft was created in the brigade of B.M. Kondorsky.

From the beginning of the 1950s the capabilities of anti-aircraft missiles grew rapidly. It was necessary to create an attack aircraft capable of overcoming the air defense system of a potential enemy at supersonic speed. The Tu-22 long-range supersonic missile carrier was created in the design bureau of A.N. Tupolev. The experimental machine was called "105". Work on it was carried out by the chief designer D.S. Markov. The aircraft had a swept wing and a narrow fuselage. The engines were located on top of the rear fuselage.

Supersonic long-range bomber-missile carrier. It began to be developed as a complex in the OKB A.N. Tupolev (chief designer - D.S. Markov) in 1965 to replace the Tu-22 bomber. The aircraft had a variable wing geometry and could overcome the air defense system of a potential enemy at low altitude. The new strike complex also included the new Kh-22 missile. The aircraft was intended to arm the regiments of long-range and naval aviation.

To reduce the cost of maintaining the proper level of flight training for Long-Range Aviation crews, it was decided to use cheaper aircraft, but with a full set of equipment similar to that on bombers. The Tu-134 aircraft was recognized as optimal. The government decree on the creation of the liner was issued on August 1, 1960, and on July 29, 1963, the aircraft took to the air for the first time (pilot A.D. Kalina). From August 1967, the aircraft began to operate regular flights to the Civil Air Fleet.

Strategic supersonic bomber and missile carrier. Designed to destroy objects in continental theaters with nuclear and conventional weapons. Created in the Design Bureau. A.N. Tupolev.

The rapid development of missiles in the west in the 1950s and 1970s left little chance for the Tu-95 and 3M subsonic bombers to reach their target. Therefore, aircraft designers were tasked with creating new strike systems capable of overcoming enemy air defenses at low altitude and at supersonic speeds.

IL-78

The Il-78 specialized tanker aircraft was created on the basis of the Il-76 military transport aircraft. The machine began to be designed in the OKB S.V. Ilyushin in accordance with the government decree of March 10, 1982 on the basis of the Il-76M. At the same time, the aft defensive weapons were dismantled. The task provided for the possibility of both air and ground refueling, day and night.

The first flight of the Il-78 took place on June 26, 1983. The aircraft was lifted into the air by the crew of V.S. Belousov. Refueling in the air was carried out by the crew of S.G. Bliznyuk.

Unlike the leading countries of the world, in the post-war years the Soviet Union was forced to develop long-range aviation in two directions - for operations in the Euro-Asian direction and at intercontinental distances. The long-range bomber as a type was formed in the USSR in the 1930s. The concept of aircraft for this purpose has not changed much compared to the period of the Second World War, and the Tu-85 became its "climax". But time dictated its conditions.

The use of new technologies and equipment in aircraft construction, turbojet engines, combined with the results of research in various fields of science and technology, made it possible to significantly improve the flight characteristics of aircraft. By a June 1950 resolution of the Council of Ministers, the MAP was tasked with creating a long-range jet bomber. At the same time, all the ideas of the designers were associated primarily with the TR-3A (AL-5) and AM-TRD-02 engines. The task was given to OKB-240 C. V. Ilyushin and OKB-156 A. N. Tupolev.

By order of the MAP of June 14, OKB-156 was given the construction of a machine with engines of A. M. Lyulka AL-5. At the same time, the maximum speed at an altitude of 5000 meters should be 900-1000 km / h, and the range with two tons of bombs (maximum 6000 kg) should not be lower than 6000-7000 km. Practical ceiling - 11,000–12,000 meters. Defensive armament was also discussed: two 23 mm cannons on mobile mounts in the stern, on and under the fuselage, as well as one fixed gun for firing forward. The same document provided for the installation of promising AMRD-03 engines with a thrust of 8000 kgf each.

The first "duel" with OKB-156 was won by the design team headed by S. V. Ilyushin. To reduce the time and reduce the risk, the layout of the successful Il-28 aircraft was put at the basis of the Il-46 long-range bomber in OKB-240. State tests of the Il-46, which ended on July 31, 1952, showed its almost complete compliance with the government document. Moreover, its version with a swept wing was developed. All this gave OKB-240 a chance to take a leading position when adopting a long-range bomber. But time judged in its own way.

By that time, OKB-156 had experience in creating a front-line bomber "82", with a swept wing, and it is not surprising that the designers carried out all their research in this direction. As usual, the Design Bureau considered various layouts of aircraft in relation to the most real engines. In 1952, the advantages of the 88 project over the IL-46 became obvious. Suffice it to say that the maximum speed of the future Tu-16 turned out to be almost 100 km / h more, the ceiling exceeded 1500 meters, and the load capacity - 3000 kg.

The appearance of the Tu-16 bomber (aircraft "88") was preceded by the development of the "86" machine of a similar class with AM-TRD-02 engines. Despite the completion of the preliminary design "86", as, indeed, the project "87" that followed it, did not satisfy the customer, mainly in terms of flight range. The bet was made on a twin-engine car. Therefore, only the appearance of the AM-3 turbojet engine with a very high thrust, the decision to install which was made by the Council of Ministers of the USSR in August 1951, made it possible to create a bomber that met the requirements of the Air Force to a greater extent.

The desire to minimize the drag coefficient of the aircraft and the possibility of foreign objects entering the air intakes forced a new look at the layout of the machine. Moreover, the huge AM-3 turbojet engines (diameter - 1.47 m) simply did not fit under the wing of a bomber. The most attractive was the placement of the turbojet engines near the fuselage, partially hiding them in the wing. However, the interference of gas jets and the fuselage, especially with blisters in the aft and horizontal tail, forced the engines to turn at an angle to the plane of symmetry of the machine. In turn, this led to the suspension of the turbojet engine not to the power ribs of the center section, but to the fuselage frames. Thus, specific dents were formed in its sides with curved air intake channels.

Looking ahead, I note that in one of the flights, during state tests, one of the blisters sucked. This, apparently, was the result of the interference of the jets of the turbojet engine and the fuselage. You will learn more about this a little later, but for now I will note that everything happened on that flight without human casualties.

Often, the appearance of a fitted fuselage was presented by representatives of the company as a brilliant foresight of the area rule formulated later by the American aerodynamicist Whitcomb. In fact, there was no foresight, because every more or less thinking aerodynamicist will say that in order to achieve minimal aerodynamic drag, it is desirable to give the body a streamlined shape with a smooth change in its cross-sectional area. Whitcomb only formulated this rule, and did not discover any law of aerodynamics.

The layout of the 88 aircraft was approved in April 1951, and four months later, by another government decree, OKB-156 was obliged to install AM-3 engines on the bomber. The first experimental vehicle, which received the designation Tu-16 after being put into service, was built in March of the following year, and on April 27, the crew of the factory test pilot N. S. Rybko lifted the bomber into the air. For the first flight, the maximum takeoff weight was limited to 68,000 kg with a normal 48,800 kg (in the draft design, 64,500 and 46,950 kg, respectively). In December 1952, even before the end of factory tests, a decision was made to start mass production of the Tu-16.

Factory tests went well, but on October 3, less than a month before they were completed, the first accident occurred. While taxiing in a crosswind, after installing an additional shimmy damper on the front landing gear, N. S. Rybko lost control of the heavy machine, and it rolled onto the ground. As a result, the aircraft, having broken the right "leg" of the landing gear, lay down on the wing.

At the stage of factory testing, 46 flights were performed, after which on November 15, 1953, the bomber was transferred to the Air Force Research Institute for state tests. The test team was headed by engineer B. A. Neverov, and the aircraft was led by pilots V. M. Shulgin and A. K. Starikov, co-pilots Gorbachev and Rybkin, navigator I. N. Imfimovsky and navigator-operator R. N. Semovskikh, gunner-radio operator R. Kh. Abdeev and air gunner V. P. Petrikov.

During the state tests, which ended on May 30, 1953, 79 flights were performed on the machine. Despite the fact that the aircraft demonstrated high flight performance, it never passed the test. There were many reasons for such a harsh assessment, and above all, the Tu-16 in the form presented could not solve the tasks assigned to it. Due to the unfinished radar sight "Rubidium MM-2" it was impossible to carry out not only targeted bombing in adverse weather conditions and at night, but also to reach the target area with sufficient accuracy. Experimental cannon turrets and sighting stations PS-48MM worked unreliably. The poor performance of the Argon small-arms radar sight did not provide reliable protection against enemy fighters. The operation of the fuel equipment, which reduced the throttle response of the engines, also left much to be desired. Moreover, due to the restrictions set by the chief designer in flight with a maximum weight, the pilot did not have the necessary speed margin during climb and in level flight at altitudes below 9500 meters.

There was also a discrepancy between some flight data given by a government decree. So, the length of the takeoff exceeded the task by at least 520 meters. The maximum technical range at full fuel consumption was 400 km lower, and the ceiling above the target did not exceed 12,200 instead of 13,000 meters. As a result, the aircraft was returned to OKB-156 to eliminate the identified defects and shortcomings.

The experimental machine turned out to be overweight, for which in March 1953, by order of the Minister, A.N. Tupolev and the lead designer D.V. Markov were fined. The ceiling and range were lower than specified. In this regard, OKB-156 began searching for weight reserves, the bill went to kilograms.

The second machine, also built at Pilot Plant No. 156, was lightened by reducing the weight of the structure by 3900 kg, and, based on strength conditions, the fuel supply was reduced by 1970 kg. As a result, the maximum takeoff weight was reduced from 77,430 to 71,560 kg. For the same reason, refueling was limited to 36,200 liters with a normal bomb load of 3,000 kg. At the same time, additional fuel tanks were installed in the detachable parts of the wing, which increased the capacity of the fuel system from 38,200 to 43,900 liters.

The lengthening of the bow by 200 mm increased the comfort of the crew and added the necessary volumes to accommodate additional equipment. Installed (missing on the experimental machine) upper DT-V7, lower DT-N7S and aft DK-7 mobile gun mounts, sighting stations PS-48M, radar sights RBP-4 "Rubidium-MM-2" and radar sight RPS-1 " Argon" for stern guns. By the way, the average capture range of the MiG-17P fighter by Argon reached 2500, and escort - 1600 meters.

The optical sight OPB-10S was replaced by the vector-synchronous OPB-11R, coupled with the RBP-4, and the KP-16 oxygen devices were replaced by the KP-24. The spars belt assemblies were improved, increasing the reliability of their connections, and the engine nacelles were expanded, which simplified the installation and dismantling of the turbojet engine. At the same time, they introduced a blocking of the steering machine of the elevator when opening the bomb bay doors to reduce the pitching moment and much more.

In this form, the second Tu-16 passed from April 2 to September 15, 1953, factory and in April 1954 state control tests. However, despite significant improvements to the machine, additional defects were revealed at this stage. First of all, this is the surge of the AM-3 engines, and in January they had to expand the nozzle devices of the first stage of the turbine. The AP-5-2M autopilot did not cope with its duties.

In the conclusion of the act, based on the results of state tests, it was noted that the flight performance data of the second copy of the Tu-16 practically correspond to the government decree of July 10, 1952, with the exception of the range, and the bomber is suitable for adoption by the Air Force, provided that the noted shortcomings are eliminated. It also said there:

“The Tu-16 defensive armament system (PS-48M aiming stations, Argon radar sight, cannon turrets) significantly limits the ability of the aircraft to defend against attacks by enemy fighters for the following reasons:

- fundamental and design flaws<…>PS-48M;

- unsatisfactory work "Argon";

- delays in firing on the upper tower ... ".

According to the unanimous opinion of test pilots, the second copy of the Tu-16 in terms of piloting technique practically did not differ from the first machine and was available to pilots of medium qualification. The placement of flight and navigation equipment in the cockpit compared to the first copy was much better and provided piloting at all altitudes day and night in any weather conditions.

At the same time, great effort remained on the pedals from the rudder and on the steering wheel from the elevator when extending the flaps and opening the bomb bays. With a centering of 32.3% of the mean aerodynamic chord (MAC) at an altitude of 10,000 meters, the efforts from the elevator to create a unit of overload were small. At speeds corresponding to the numbers М=0.88–0.9, there was a rollback reaction from the rudder, and on the run with the front support lowered, a strong vibration of the entire aircraft occurred.

Despite the noted defects, the first serial bombers left the assembly shop of plant No. 22, and the Design Bureau urgently began to fine-tune the combat vehicle. The first production aircraft was lifted into the air by test pilots A. G. Vasilchenko and N. N. Arzhakov, the chief engineer was I. A. Burov.

Factory tests were not without casualties. So, on February 15, 1955, when testing the right AM-3 engine, one of the compressor disks collapsed. As a result, aircraft No. 4200804 almost completely burned down, but there were no casualties.

On January 18, 1956, during a flight from Kazan to Vladimirovka (now the city of Akhtubinsk), aircraft No. 6202917 crashed during factory tests for bombing. The reason could not be established, but the test pilots expressed their dissenting opinion - a fire in the air.

Taxpayers and foreign guests of the USSR first saw the Tu-16 on May 1, 1954 in the Moscow sky. On that day, nine military vehicles flew over Red Square, which received the NATO code designation Type 39 "Badger". According to foreign experts, the wing of the aircraft had a span of about 30.5 meters and a sweep along the leading edge of about 40 degrees. Two large turbojet engines supposedly developed a total thrust of about 13,600 kgf. At the same time, it was believed that the bomber had a high subsonic speed and a range of about 4800 km. It was expected to have a maximum bomb load of 9,000 kg and its takeoff weight of 70–80 tons.

As you can see, having correctly assessed the bomb load and the maximum take-off weight, the foreigners made a mistake in the main thing - in the magnitude of the engine thrust. Apparently, they could not even imagine that Soviet designers would be able to make a turbojet engine with a thrust of about 9000 kgf so quickly, because there was nothing like it in the West. Hence the reduced range.

By a government decree of May 28, 1954, the flight performance data for serial Tu-16s was approved. In particular, the maximum speed with normal flight weight and maximum engine thrust was set at no less than 992 km / h at an altitude of 6250 meters, the technical range with maximum flight weight and a bomb load of 3000 kg was 5760 km, and the takeoff run and mileage were within 1900 and 1655 meters.

During the tests of the Tu-16 in June 1956, the General Staff of the Soviet Army decided to check the country's air defense and, in particular, the cover of Moscow. To this end, they decided to raise the Tu-16 to the maximum possible height and simulate a raid on Moscow.

As you know, the practical ceiling obtained during the tests of the Tu-16 did not exceed 13,200 meters. This was not enough, since the country's air defense system knew the flight altitudes of our aircraft, it was necessary to raise the ceiling. Therefore, everything that could be dispensed with in this flight was removed from the bomber, even the radio operator and the stern gunner. Refueling is minimal.

The chief designer of the RD-3M Zubets engines (A. A. Mikulin was removed from this position) allowed to work in combat mode continuously, with a gradual increase in thrust from 30 minutes to one hour, and then continue the flight for an hour and a half. Test flights were also carried out during the day in Chkalovskaya near Moscow, and in one of them they reached a height of 15,768 meters.

The first "raid" on Moscow with the state identification system turned off and radio silence observed took place on the night of August 21. Before Ryazan, the altimeter showed 16,300 meters, which was three thousand meters higher than the practical ceiling of the aircraft. Air defense did not react to this in any way.

The Tu-16 was the only aircraft that made it possible to perform parachute jumps from the stratosphere. In preparation for them, the car, piloted by the crew of the test pilot of the Air Force Research Institute V. Bobrikov, rose to a height of 16,000 meters. It ended with the fact that on August 2, 1957, test paratrooper N. Nikitin left the cargo compartment of a converted bomber at an altitude of 15,383 meters. These were not only record flights, they tested the means of emergency rescue of the crews of combat aircraft flying at high altitudes.

Without interrupting the story related to the state tests of the Tu-16 at the Air Force Research Institute, I note that in 1956 the crew consisting of the commander of the ship A. F. Mitroshin, co-pilot N. Ya. Yakovlev and navigator N. S. Zatsepy investigated the possibility of a non-motorized landing heavy aircraft.

I must say that the Tu-16 gliding landing technique with the engines turned off later came in handy. An example of this is the incident that happened to test pilot N. Sattarov. I can’t just say where it happened, in the combat unit or already at the Air Force Research Institute.

Less than twenty kilometers remained before the airfield, when both engines were switched off one by one on the bomber. Despite the order of the flight director to eject, the commander decided to land a heavy car. But suddenly, some buildings and a high-voltage line appeared right on the course. It was not possible to jump over it and the only thing left was to “dive” under the wires. Landing on an unprepared ground area ended successfully.

Following the Kazan aircraft manufacturers, mass production of the Tu-16 was mastered at plant No. 1 in Kuibyshev. But the tests of the first machine No. 1880001, assembled from the units of plant No. 22, began with adventures. In the thirteenth flight (left pilot A.I. Kazakov and co-pilot, he is also commander - G.S. Molchanov), before handing over the car to the customer at an altitude of 9000 meters and an indicated speed of 550–560 km / h, they violated the task by performing a turn with an overload of 3 ,2g. After that, the roll of the bomber increased to 60 degrees, and, having entered the spiral, it began to quickly lose altitude and accelerate. The pilots could not bring him to a normal position, and at the command of the commander, the crew began to hastily leave the car.

Molchanov and the shooter Serezhniki were the first to eject, but death lay in wait for them in the air. Only the radio operator Kalachev landed safely. The rest of the crew hesitated a little, and the co-pilot, taking control into his own hands, brought the car out of a deep spiral, landing it safely at his airfield. So, at the cost of the lives of two testers, it was possible to identify a serious defect in the aircraft - a tendency to be drawn into a deep spiral.

In the act of the emergency commission dated October 3, 1954, it was noted that in that flight the aircraft developed supersonic speed, and the overload reached 4g. I doubt it very much. Looking ahead, I’ll tell you that soon after that, at the Air Force Research Institute, the crew of test pilot S. G. Dedukh conducted research on achieving super-maximum speed of the Tu-16. In several flights with a successive increase in the dive angle, it was not possible to approach the speed of sound. Moreover, in the last run, the situation that had previously arisen with the pilot Kazakov was partly repeated. When leaving the dive from a large overload, the carts of the main landing gear fell off their locks, but the flight ended safely.

This official version incidents. But in the memoirs of test pilot I. I. Shelest, with reference to Kazakov, this case is described differently.

September 28, - Shelest wrote, - the senior pilot of the plant, Molchanov, was given the task of performing a test flight to achieve maximum overload. He considered it possible to combine the task with testing the piloting technique of the young pilot Kazakov. Due to the latter circumstance, Molchanov, as the commander of the ship and the inspector, did not take the usual left seat, but sat in the place of the right pilot. Kazakov, on the other hand, ended up at the left wheel of the car.

They scored 9000 meters, and Molchanov ordered Kazakov to begin the task.

Creating an overload at the exit from the peak, Kazakov pulled the steering wheel, the car went up the hill. The accelerometer showed 3.2. On assignment, it was necessary to get 3.47. Kazakov leaned heavily on the steering wheel in order to pull the stubborn accelerometer needle up to the cherished numbers, and then he suddenly felt that the steering wheel itself went to him ... Kazakov quickly glanced at the commander:

- Why are you pulling?

- I do not pull, - he was surprised.

At this moment, the car began to shake violently and went up steeply on its own. The horizon immediately disappeared under their feet, and only the bottomless blue of the sky was visible through the lantern.

Now both pilots were trying with all their might to give the helm away from themselves, but he pressed himself against their stomachs and seemed to be petrified ... The plane, being in convulsions, fell on its wing, entered a deep spiral and, gradually accelerating, continued on its own. bend“ a monstrous overload. Here Kazakov heard the first phrase from the commander:

- Crew, get ready to leave the car!

Kazakov replied:

- Wait, don't rush...

But then the executive command followed:

- Everyone get off the plane!

Further events developed even more lively. Kazakov managed to notice with peripheral vision how Molchanov<…>grabbed the hatch lever above his head and tore it off. At that moment, Kazakov was taken aback by the decompression. The commander, in a hurry, did not depressurize the cabin gradually. Due to the almost instantaneous drop in pressure, it was filled with the smallest snow dust like fog. For a second, nothing was visible either in the cockpit or outside it. The plane, apparently, roared terribly with the hatch open, but Kazakov heard almost nothing: eardrums seemed to burst from decompression in his ears.

When Kazakov came to his senses and violent turbulences in the cockpit dispersed snow dust in the corners, he saw that the commander was not next to him, and his chair was not. There was a gaping square hole above the place where he had just been sitting…

In addition to Molchanov, immediately on his command, two more guys ejected from the aft cockpit. One of them is a radio operator ( according to the staff list, gunner-radio operator. - Approx. auth.) went down quite safely. Another - again, the haste is to blame here - suffered due to an absurd accident ... They ejected almost simultaneously, which could not have been done ...»

"Navigator, - Kazakov said, - in front of me - I saw perfectly - I tried to drop the emergency hatch, but it rose a little and jammed on the skew. Then it turned out that the navigator did not first fix his ejection seat, and therefore the hatch locks did not work.

I look at the crevice between the hatch and the contour of the fuselage - it is perfectly visible in front of my glass - I myself am already holding, as if by force of inertia, the lever of the ejection seat and I think, I understand: “This one is now definitely left in the car to the end!”

Several seconds passed. I look, he is squeezing with his parachute to me in the cockpit, where instead of the right chair there was only one floor, and a hole gaped above it. It squeezes through, and on my face I read a plea: “Do not leave!”

However, it squeezes through and reaches for the hatch ... I roughly hold it with my hand, realizing that at such a speed that we have increased by this moment, the flow will tear it to shreds.

He sat down on the floor and waited. Here I finally decided not to touch the red handle of the chair, but to try, albeit in vain, to bend the steering wheel and put pressure on the rudder pedal.

The car kept spiraling with the same deep roll... While the sun was shining above us, there were still clouds below us, but in the nightmarish spiral the car had already developed a tremendous speed...

I tried my best to overpower, move the steering wheel and I could not believe my eyes: the arrow of the speed indicator crept up to the index of 1000 km / h!

“This is with an airspeed limit of seven hundred?! - I was surprised. I still don’t understand how the car didn’t crumble to dust? More than once I recalled Tupolev with a kind word, since his strength engineers overweighted the wing, made it stronger than they themselves expected. This is what saved us. I looked at the accelerometer - you are my mother, mommy! .. The arrow is on the numbers 4.2! .. In this mess and tension of all my strength, I did not notice how this continuous fourfold overload oppresses me! .. "

Helped me get out of this terrible spiral such a moment. Only, it means that I truncated this very overload of 4.2 on the accelerometer, suddenly I hear a metallic crunch somewhere under the right plane ... "Well, - a thought flashed, - now Khan!"

The whole car shuddered, and the roar, whistle and itching in the cabin began to be felt somehow differently. I must have cringed all over, maybe I screwed up my eyes - I don't know. Like a mouse in front of a cat. And in my head: “Now ... Now let’s undress! ..”

I just had time to think like that, when I hear exactly the same crunch from the left side ... But what is it - the car is not falling apart, it is flying! True, everything is in the same deep spiral and flies to the ground. And yet I feel that something has happened ... Somehow it makes noise differently.

I threw a glance at the dashboard and at first noticed: the speed has dropped significantly. I didn't immediately understand why. And then it dawned on me that I didn’t see the light of the red lights of the chassis ... The red lights were off, the red lights were not lit against the board “Chassis retracted”. "That's it! - smikitil. “So, that crunch was in the chassis locks ... The ears could not withstand the overload, broke off, and the racks with wheels fell out of their streamlined niches!”

Yes, now the car slowed down noticeably, the speed continued to fall. In a word, there came a moment when, to my inexpressible joy, I felt that the steering wheel, the pedals had acquired some elasticity, pliability. Here, naturally, my strength came from somewhere! I fell into control. I don’t know what barbell I then squeezed out! Not less than a hundred kilograms, I'm sure it was!

And now I see, little by little, the wing began to straighten out of the roll. A few more seconds passed, I applied more force to the steering wheel, and the car leveled off completely ... ".

In one of the MAP documents, we managed to read that the incident that happened with the Tu-16 in Kuibyshev testified to the good controllability of the bomber in all flight modes. Moreover, in 1955, the crew of the test pilot of the Air Force Research Institute A. Starikov had a flight to determine the minimum allowable speed on the machine No. 4201002. weighing 61,200 kg, the heavy machine fell on its wing, but the pilot brought the Tu-16 out of the dangerous mode. Subsequently, test pilots Shulgin (NII VVS), Kovalev and Alasheev (OKB-156) had similar cases. They also ended happily. In reality, as you saw, everything was different, and the plane required further refinement.

The first modification of the aircraft was the Tu-16A - the carrier of an atomic weapon differed from a conventional bomber, mainly in a thermostatically controlled bomb bay and the installation of additional equipment to ensure the functioning of a nuclear weapon and control it. In accordance with a government decree of August 9, 1956, the thin lower skin was replaced on aircraft with a more heat-resistant one. At the same time, the bottom was painted with white paint to increase reflectivity during the light flash of a nuclear explosion.

On November 22, 1956, the first Soviet thermonuclear charge RDS-27 with a capacity of 1.7 Mt was dropped from one of the Tu-16A prototypes at the Novaya Zemlya test site.

In September of the same year, factory tests of the Tu-16B bomber with M16-15 (RD-3P) engines with a take-off thrust of 11,000 kgf were completed. In connection with the increased air consumption by the engines, the shape of the air intake device was changed and, by expanding the engine nacelles, the area of ​​​​its cross section was increased. They removed the nose cannon, the PKI sight and the S-13 camera gun. The seat of the navigator-navigator was equipped with a mechanism for forced rotation when rolling back to the ejection position.

With a flight weight of 72,000 kg, the maximum speed of the Tu-16B increased to 1004 km / h at an altitude of 6250 meters, and the practical ceiling - by 990 meters. The aircraft was not mass-produced, and all previously produced and new machines began to be equipped with RD-3M-500 engines with an emergency thrust mode (up to 10,500 kgf on takeoff for 3-5 minutes, while the duration of continuous operation was allowed up to three hours with subsequent removal TRD for bulkheads in the factory).

One of the ways to reach remote targets scheduled for bombing, long years it was considered the basing of aircraft on advanced airfields near the borders or front lines. In the 1950s, they even tried to operate Tu-16 bombers from ice airfields near the North Pole, which made it possible to reach the United States. But this was clearly not enough.

In 1955, tests began on the Tu-16Z tanker aircraft (factory designation Tu-16Yu) with a wing-mounted in-flight refueling system similar to that installed on Tu-4 bombers. In addition to fuel equipment, a fuel tank in the bomb bay and a hose guide, lights were installed on the tanker in the right chassis nacelle and on the leading edge of the right wingtip, as well as three lamps and a manual searchlight at the stern gunner. Additional lighting equipment was needed for guaranteed refueling of bombers in adverse weather conditions and at night. The fuel tank in the cargo hold could be removed, turning the car into a conventional bomber.

On refueling Tu-16ZA (“ZA”) aircraft equipped with a refueling device, in addition to the flippers on the left end of the console (later on both consoles) and the hitch mechanism, two hand searchlights were installed at the navigator and commander of the firing systems, headlights in front of the left engine nacelle, in the left undercarriage fairing and at the wingtip.

The development of the refueling system for Tu-16 aircraft in long-range aviation began in 1956 after the completion of state tests. In the same year, it was possible to make 48 refueling flights with a flight time of 408 hours and an overflow of 10,600 liters of fuel. At the same time, two crews of tankers and refueling vehicles were prepared, and on August 13, the first non-stop flight of 7,200 km was completed with one refueling.

The development of the wing refueling system in combat units was very difficult. In addition, in October there was a disaster. Being in a coupled state, the fuel hose hit the wing of the refueling machine and pinched the aileron, violating the lateral controllability. After this tragedy, refueling flights were stopped, and the Air Force Research Institute and the LII were instructed to clarify the zones of possible maneuvering and clarify the technique of piloting aircraft in the refueling formation. Looking ahead, I note that this was not the only tragedy of its kind. In June 1961, the refueling system was checked by the crews of plant No. 22. The commander of the tanker was Amir Karimov, and the commander of the tanker was Anvar Karimov (namesake). After repeated and unsuccessful attempts at contact, Anvar Karimov laid the wing on the hose too abruptly, and its end swept over the wing, pinching the aileron. Only co-pilot V. A. Sviridov was able to eject, but unsuccessfully ...

In 1957, Long-Range Aviation had 57 tankers and 75 refueling aircraft. On this occasion, in a letter to D. F. Ustinov on February 3, 1958, the Air Force Commander-in-Chief K. A. Vershinin reported:

“From May 13 to July 11, 1957, 2,409 flights were made with the transfer of 5,439 thousand liters of fuel in the air. Total flight time Tu-16–4110 hours. 43 refueling crews and 53 refueling crews have been trained, of which five are refueling crews and refueling crews for night flights.

Experience of military tests<…>showed that she refueling system. - Approx. ed.) has a number of significant shortcomings that led to two crashes of refueling Tu-16s ... A fundamental drawback of the refueling system<…>is the difficulty for the refueling crew to perform complex maneuvering in the air - to attach to the tanker, to couple and maintain the refueling system at extremely short distances<…>, which can be done only by highly qualified pilots and only with systematic training ... Only the training of one crew requires up to 50 hours of flight time, of which up to 30 during the day ... "

OKB-156, at the request of the Air Force, worked out a different refueling scheme on one pair of Tu-16 aircraft, replacing the seats of the tanker and the refueling aircraft in the refueling formation so that the tanker crew could maneuver, and in January 1958 presented them for testing. In October 1957, the first 10 Tu-16s were equipped with the Vstrecha equipment. The main external difference that caught the eye was the fins on both wingtips.

I can’t say, because Tupolev’s ASTC was never able to explain to the author, but it seems that similar endings that reduce the inductive component of drag have been used since the late 1990s on Tu-154M airliners. As a result, impressive fuel economy has been achieved.

Since 1963, part of the bombers, which received the designation Tu-16N, have been converted for in-flight refueling of Tu-22 supersonic aircraft according to the “cone” scheme. A refueling unit borrowed from the 3MS aircraft was installed in the cargo compartment, and the commander of the firing installations performed the operator's duties.

The victorious end of the war and the transfer of the country "on a peaceful track" allowed aircraft manufacturers to move from wooden structures to all-metal ones. This is how the last piston fighters of the USSR appeared - the La-9 killer of the Flying Fortresses equipped with four 23-mm cannons and the La-11 escort fighter, which had a huge range, which happened to shoot down American reconnaissance aircraft that violated the Soviet border, and fight in the skies of China and Korea.

In this book you will find comprehensive information about the latest propeller-driven fighters, which became the crowning achievement of the development of piston aviation in the USSR. Collector's edition on top quality coated paper illustrated with hundreds of exclusive drawings and photographs.

This book is the most complete creative biography of Sergei Vladimirovich Ilyushin, restoring the history of all the projects of his illustrious design bureau, both military and civilian, from the first prototypes of the 1930s to the present. to modern airliners.

Few of the designers manage to create more than one truly legendary aircraft worthy of entering the "major league" of world aviation. The Ilyushin Design Bureau has more than a dozen such masterpieces. The unsurpassed Il-2 is rightfully considered the best attack aircraft of the Second World War, the Il-4 is an outstanding bomber, the Il-28 is the “pride of the Soviet aviation industry”, and the military transport Il-76 has been in service for 40 years! No less impressive are the triumphs of the well-deserved Design Bureau in the civil aircraft industry - the Ils successfully competed with the best foreign airliners, four aircraft bearing the name of S.V. Ilyushin was chosen by the Soviet leaders, and the Il-96 is still the "board number 1" of Russian presidents.

Having received a baptism of fire in the summer of 1944, the new Yak immediately became the favorite aircraft of the Stalinist Falcons, who for the first time received an aircraft that surpassed the Messers and Fokkers in all respects. According to our pilots: “Yak-3 is a masterpiece! I would have it over the Kursk Bulge and the Dnieper - I would have arranged this for the Germans! ”,“ A miracle machine! A pilot’s dream!”, “Our Yak-3 overtook the Messer in the climb, overtook it on a turn, overtook it in a dive, and hit everywhere with terrible force and for sure!” The new Yak was highly appreciated by the German aces, who considered it a more dangerous enemy than the vaunted British Spitfires and American Mustangs.

This book pays tribute to the legendary fighter, which became the pinnacle of the Soviet aircraft industry of the Great Patriotic War and one of the symbols of the Victory. The deluxe edition is illustrated with hundreds of exclusive drawings and photographs.

Alexey Zakvasin

On December 23, Russia celebrates the Day of Long-Range Aviation, which is one of the components of the nuclear triad. The structure of the Russian Aerospace Forces includes attack aircraft Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3 and Tu-160. Air cruisers can hit large ground targets and enemy ships, including non-nuclear weapons. Currently, long-range aviation of the Russian Federation is at the stage of modernization. Until 2023, Russia should receive 50 Tu-160M2. In the future, the VKS will receive a new generation of vehicles PAK DA. About the role and importance of long-range aviation in the structure of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation - in the material RT.

• Bombers Tu-22M3 VKS RF
• RIA News

December 23 is considered the birthday of long-range aviation (DA) in Russia, because on this day in 1914 Nicholas II signed a decree on the creation of a squadron of Ilya Muromets aircraft - the world's first formation of heavy four-engine bombers.

DA began to acquire its modern look during the Cold War. The 1950s-1970s became a period of rapid development of Soviet long-range aviation.

The first original strategic jet bomber of the USSR was the Tu-16 "Badger", which made its first flight on April 27, 1952. Six months later, a Tu-95 "Bear" turboprop took off into the sky. In 1969, the USSR acquired the Tu-22 supersonic bomber (according to NATO codification - Blinder).

The pinnacle of the development of Soviet design thought was (according to NATO codification - Blackjack), which has been in operation since 1987. Currently, the Aerospace Forces are armed with deeply modernized versions of Soviet vehicles: Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 (including Tu-160M1). In addition, Tu-22MR reconnaissance aircraft and Il-78 tankers are classified as DA.

Data on the number of long-range aircraft possessed by the Russian Aerospace Forces differ greatly. According to domestic media, the fleet of the Russian Federation has 30 Tu-95, 12 Tu-22M3 and 16 Tu-160 aircraft. That is a total of 58 cars.

According to the calculations of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), as part of the Russian DA: 62 Tu-22M3, 50 T-95MS, 11 Tu-160, five Tu-160M1 and one Tu-22MR (total 139 vehicles). The Aerospace Forces deployed four Tu-22M3 squadrons, three Tu-95MS squadrons and one Tu-160 squadron.

Alexei Leonkov, commercial director of the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, told RT that IISS analysts most likely take into account the aircraft currently in storage. According to him, the most realistic figure is given by Russian sources, and it does not exceed 60-65 vehicles.

Out of reach

Long-range aviation of Russia is the air component of the Strategic Nuclear Forces (SNF) of the Russian Federation. All DA aircraft in service with the RF Armed Forces are capable of delivering strikes with both nuclear and non-nuclear weapons. The tasks of YES include the destruction of strategically important objects deep behind enemy lines. In addition, domestic aircraft can hit large surface targets.

On December 22, 2017, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that over the past five years, long-range aviation had carried out 178 flights as part of air patrols. Since the fall of 2015, the Tu-95MS, Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 have been actively used for. Long-range aviation tested both single and group sorties.

In the operation in the Arab Republic, the White Swans received their baptism of fire. In particular, the Tu-160 successfully used the X-101 and X-55 ultra-long-range cruise missiles. Both missiles have their own variants in the nuclear version - X-102 and X-555, respectively.

“Tu-22M3 operates at tactical depth. The radius of its combat action is somewhat lower than the Tu-95 and Tu-160. The aircraft demonstrated its effectiveness in defeating well-fortified enemy targets in Afghanistan and Syria. Tu-22M3 is also called "aircraft carrier killer". This machine can successfully destroy large surface forces, ”Leonkov noted.

• Long-range bomber Tu-22M3 delivers an air strike on terrorist targets in the province of Deir ez-Zor in Syria
• RIA News

According to the expert, one should not write off the oldest DA Tu-95MS bomber, which is the only turboprop aircraft in the world capable of reaching speeds of over 900 km/h. The upgraded version of the Tu-95 can use the Kh-101/102 air-to-ground strategic cruise missile with a range of 6,000–9,000 km.

Tu-160 has no analogues in the world. The bomber is capable of overcoming enemy air defenses, developing a supersonic speed of 2,500 km/h. The White Swan, if necessary, rises to a height of up to 22,000 meters, thus being out of range of enemy fighters.

“The Tu-160 is a truly incredible machine. It's almost impossible to catch her. An anti-aircraft missile and the most modern fighter will not have time for our plane. For example, the Tu-160 can keep supersonic speed in afterburner for 45 minutes, and the potential “hunter” for it F / A-18 - 10 minutes, ”Leonkov said.

Bet on stealth

In 2015, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation decided to build 50 Tu-160M2 aircraft by 2023. Experts believe that from that moment began the most important stage in the entire modern history of the Russian Federation in the modernization of long-range aviation. In mid-November 2017, the first Tu-160 in nine years was assembled, called "Vitaly Kopylov".

On December 22, in an interview with Krasnaya Zvezda, the commander of long-range aviation, Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash, said that the combat effectiveness of the Tu-160M2 would be two and a half times higher than its Soviet predecessor.

• Bomber-missile carrier Tu-160
• RIA News

“Efficient engines with wider resource capabilities will increase the flight range, which, together with the declared power-to-weight ratio, will keep the Tu-160 strategic missile carrier in the lead among strategic strike systems,” Kobylash explained.

The Tu-160M2 will be fitted with improved avionics and weapons control systems. On the modernized "White Swan" the concept of a "glass cockpit" (replacement of mechanical indicators with displays) and an "open side" (a simplified scheme for integrating equipment components from different manufacturers) should be implemented.

First of all, the Tu-160M2 are intended to replace the Tu-95MS, which are expected to be withdrawn from service in 2025. "White swans" will form the backbone of the air component of the strategic nuclear forces of Russia until the mass receipt of the PAK DA (Promising Aviation Complex for Long-Range Aviation), which is designed to become a universal combat vehicle.

PAK DA will be manufactured according to the "flying wing" scheme. It was originally planned that the promising aircraft would be supersonic. However, in 2016, the media reported that the Ministry of Defense had settled on a subsonic version. The main requirements of the PAK DA are to be equipped with all types of strike weapons, including hypersonic ones, and low visibility.

• Computer image of the possible appearance PAK YES
• Joseph Gatial

The bomber will use the latest technologies to reduce radar visibility. It is known that radar-absorbing materials will be used in the design of the aircraft. In this case, all weapons must be placed inside the hull. The first flight of the PAK DA is expected in 2025.

“PAK DA decided to sacrifice high speeds in favor of improved stealth characteristics. If it is possible to strike at targets from a long distance, high speed is not required from a bomber, but the ability to reach the missile launch distance unnoticed by the enemy is needed, ”Vadim Kozyulin, professor at the Academy of Military Sciences, explained the situation in an interview with RT.

According to the expert, in the future all long-range bombers will be included in the common reconnaissance and information field of inter-troop cooperation. Taking into account the development of means of delivery and destruction of the aviation component of the strategic nuclear forces, the country's celestial nuclear shield can be considered a reliable deterrent for potential external aggressors, summed up Kozyulin.