Tupolev Tu-28
Tu-28/Tu-128 | |
---|---|
Tu-128 at the Central Air Force Museum at Monino, Russia | |
Role | Interceptor |
Manufacturer | Voronezh Aircraft Production Association |
Design group | Tupolev |
First flight | 18 March 1961 |
Introduction | 1964[1] (or 1966[2]) |
Retired | 1990 |
Primary user | Soviet Air Defence Forces |
Number built | 198[1] (including 10 trainers) |
Developed from | Tupolev Tu-98 |
The Tupolev Tu-28 (NATO reporting name Fiddler) was a long-range interceptor aircraft introduced by the Soviet Union in the 1960s. The official designation was Tu-128,[2] but this designation was less commonly used in the West. It was the largest and heaviest fighter[nb 1] ever in service.[2][3]
Background
In the 1950s, the
Design and development
Iosif Nezval[2][5] of Tupolev Design Bureau led development of the new interceptor aircraft. The work began in 1958, based on an existing single prototype of the unsuccessful Tu-98 supersonic bomber. The military designation of the interceptor was at first Tu-28, but it was changed in 1963 to Tu-128, identical to the designation used by the OKB.[1][2][5]
The Tu-128 had a broad, low/mid-mounted swept wing carrying the main landing gear in wing-mounted pods, and slab tailplanes. Two Lyulka AL-7F-2 turbojet engines[1][2] were mounted in the fuselage. The two-man crew of pilot and navigator were seated in tandem.
The Tu-128, with its maximum weight of 43
smaller aircraft.The interceptor made its initial public appearance in the 1961
Armament of the Tu-128 was four
Production of the Tu-128 ended in 1970 with a total of 198 aircraft having been built.[1][9]
Development of various projects designated Tu-28A, Tu-28-80, Tu-28-100, Tu-138, and Tu-148 were proposed by the Tupolev Design Bureau but all were abandoned.[1]
Operational history
The Tu-128's only publicly reported combat operation was the destruction of NATO
Variants
- Prototype of Tu-28 ('Fiddler-A')
- Development test aircraft, one built. OKB designation was 128.[1][2][3] In the West, Fiddler-A was used for all the aircraft with twin ventral fins[2] — these included a prototype and a few of initial production (perhaps two[1] planes).
- Tu-128 (also known as Tu-28; 'Fiddler-B')
- Main version, first deployed operationally in 1964[1] (or 1966[2][5] – sources differ). The military designation was at first Tu-28,[2][5] but the existing aircraft were renamed in 1963.[1][11] The entire weapon complex (aircraft, radar, missiles) was designated Tu-128S-4.[1][2] In the Western sources, but not in Soviet, often the more precise, but erroneous, designation of this version[3][4][9] is mentioned as either Tu-28P or Tu-128P.
- Tu-128UT (also known as Tu-28UT)
- Training version with an additional cockpit forward of the normal one, in place of a radar. Ten built and four converted from standard interceptors.[1][11]
- Tu-128M
- A 1979 modernization of almost all[1] existing aircraft for better interception at low altitude. Development originated in 1970.[2] Engines and airframe were not altered.[1] The full designation of the entire weapons complex was Tu-128S-4M.[1][2][11] It contained a new RP-SM Smerch-M radar, and new missile set: R-4RM plus R-4TM.[1][11]
Abandoned
- Tu-28A
- New development, abandoned.[1][11]
- Tu-28-80
- Development designation, abandoned.[1][11]
- Tu-28-100
- Development designation, abandoned.[1][11]
- Tu-138
- New development, abandoned.[1][11]
- Tu-148
- New development, variable geometry wings, abandoned.[1][11]
Operators
- Soviet Air Defence Forces (never exported)[11]
Specifications (Tu-128)
Data from Tupolev: The Man and His Aircraft[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 30.06 m (98 ft 7 in)
- Wingspan: 17.53 m (57 ft 6 in)
- Height: 7.15 m (23 ft 5 in)
- Wing area: 96.94 m2 (1,043.5 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 24,500 kg (54,013 lb)
- Gross weight: 40,000 kg (88,185 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 43,000–43,700 kg (94,799–96,342 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 13,600 kg (29,983 lb) maximum (estimated)
- Powerplant: 2 × afterburning turbojetengines, 72.8 kN (16,400 lbf) thrust each dry, 99.1 kN (22,300 lbf) with afterburner
Performance
- Maximum speed: 1,665 km/h (1,035 mph, 899 kn) / M1.5 armed
- 1,929 km/h (1,199 mph; 1,042 kn) un-armed
- Range: 1,560 km (970 mi, 840 nmi)
- Endurance: >3 hours
- Service ceiling: 15,600 m (51,200 ft)
- Absolute ceiling: 20,000 m (66,000 ft)
- g limits: +2.5
Armament
- Hardpoints: 4
- Missiles: 4 × Bisnovat R-4 air-to-air missiles(usually 2 × radar-guided R-4R and 2 × infrared-homing R-4T); other armament or tanks not used
See also
- North American A-5 Vigilante[12]
- Boeing B-47 Stratojet
- Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
- Convair B-58 Hustler
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Yakovlev Yak-28
- Sukhoi Su-15
- Avro CF-105 Arrow
- Convair F-106 Delta Dart
- Lavochkin La-250
- McDonnell F-101B Voodoo
- North American XF-108 Rapier
Related lists
Notes
- ^ air superiority battle). For an even heavier interceptor design, which did not enter service, see Lockheed YF-12.
- ^ The geographical distance between Murmansk and Anadyr is 4,911 km.
- ^ For example, in 1972, a mere six air bases provided the sole interceptor cover for almost a half of the Soviet Union's interior. These bases employed most of the Tu-128 force.[2]: 140 [4]: 259–262
- ^ Some sources provide the radar's designation as RP-5 instead of RP-S, possibly a mistake.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa "Tu-128" (in Russian). Airwar.ru. Archived from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-56091-899-8. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
- ^ ]
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4379-2131-1. Archivedfrom the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Tupolev Tu-28". Russiafile.com. Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
- ISBN 978-0-85733-421-3. Archived(PDF) from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Mladenov, Alexander (20 April 2017). "Soviet Cold War Fighters". Fonthill Media. Retrieved 29 January 2019 – via Google Books.
- ^ "AviationsMilitaires.net — Kotlas-Savatiya (Russie)". www.aviationsmilitaires.net. Archived from the original on 26 January 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-57607-345-2. Archivedfrom the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
- ^ Roblin, Sebastien (1 April 2017). "Russia's Super-Sized Tu-128 Fighter: The Supersonic B-52 Killer". The National Interest. Archived from the original on 28 January 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "WWW.AVIATION.RU". Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
- ^ Colon, Raul. "Tupolev TU-128 Fiddler". Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
External links
- Media related to Tupolev Tu-128 at Wikimedia Commons