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.
Controlling combat aircraft capable of overcoming long and extra-long distances. Each modern strategic air vehicle is a whole complex of weapons equipped with bombs and missiles, capable of performing any task anywhere in the world. This is not just a "flying fortress" - each individual aircraft is a unique autonomous system that, being continuously in the air for dozens of hours, can keep its area of responsibility under control. Long-range aviation is one of the powerful components of the nuclear deterrence of the Russian Aerospace Forces. If we go back to history, we can recall that the world's first strategic bomber, the Ilya Muromets, was designed with the participation of the outstanding aircraft designer Igor Sikorsky at the Russian-Baltic Carriage Plant (aircraft production did not exist then ). The first time an aircraft took to the skies in 1913, on the eve of the First World War, during which, on December 23, 1914, the Ilya Muromets machines were brought together into a single squadron - the world's first formation of combat aircraft. 
That is why on December 23 Russia celebrates the day of long-range aviation of the Russian Air Force. In 1999, by order of the Air Force Commander-in-Chief Anatoly Kornukov, it was approved as an official holiday.
“In military aviation, there is no such understanding as “elite” in relation to belonging to one or another type of use of aircraft, and the pilots themselves do not divide themselves according to the degree of importance depending on whether they fly fighters or bombers,” says the military expert. Yuri Gavrilov. - And in this aviation system, our "strategists" occupy an equal place among those who pilot modern fighters, attack aircraft, helicopters or military transport aircraft. In this environment, it is not customary to compare wings, especially since each aviation component has something to be proud of. Long-range aviation, with its more than a century of history, occupies a worthy place in the general ranks, which has been repeatedly proven since its inception. Its pilots beat world records for the range of flights in the 30s, they bombed Berlin in the very first days after the attack of fascist Germany on our Motherland. Now in Syria, largely thanks to their precision strikes, they managed to defeat the global threat in the face of Islamic terrorism. Dalniks are hourly on duty around the perimeter of Russia's borders, ensuring the security of our country, and by their mere presence in the sky they make it clear to any potential adversary that any jokes are inappropriate.
There were difficult times in the history of long-range aviation, and this was not due to participation in hostilities, where pilots showed their best qualities. In the early 90s of the last century, strategic bombers were “tied to the ground” due to the imposed US disarmament policy. The sky of Russia then seemed to become bloodless - power and pride were gathering dust and rusting at the airfields. Fortunately, long-range aviation managed to take to the skies and take to the wings. And now it is the pride not only of the Russian Aerospace Forces, but of the whole country, which knows and sees its perfection and effectiveness.
At present, long-range aviation is armed with modernized long-range bombers Tu-22M3, strategic missile carriers Tu-160, Tu-95MS, tanker aircraft Il-78 and aircraft of other types. They, as they say, are known by sight - from the frames of television reports, numerous photographs, and most importantly, by the combat missions they carry out. 
And not only in Syria, where.” Long-range aviation maintains a constant watch - air patrols in the waters of the Black, Baltic, Caspian, Barents Seas, the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. “Long-range aviation is a component of Russia's nuclear triad,” continues expert Yuri Gavrilov. - In the same way as strategic missilemen, submariners on nuclear submarines, pilots perform their tasks to ensure the country's security around the clock. It is incredibly difficult - dozens of hours to "hang" in the sky, when you have to refuel in the air, eat there, and, sorry, take care of natural needs. But everything is provided!Not a business class and no flight attendants, but the most comfortable mode for long flights has been created for pilots. Therefore, strategic bombers are capable of loitering over a given area for hours. In each specific case, when any foreign aircraft approaches a strategic bomber, a duty pair of Russian fighter-interceptors is called. But the "strategists" rarely press the "red button" - they do not see the threat. And this is also a high status, when the Americans, having established visual contact, prefer to stay away from the Russian aircraft.
- well, go around part of the mainland and already carry out the necessary maneuvers there. Russian long-range aviation has more than a dozen such "corners" in its route lists. Having risen into the sky, he is not going to leave it.
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 the 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 lead 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 test 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 is the official version of the incident. 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 grown 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).
For many years, one of the ways to reach remote targets planned for a bombing strike was considered to be basing aircraft on forward airfields near the borders or front line. 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.
The Supreme High Command uses it to solve operational and strategic tasks in intercontinental and maritime military conflicts.
The history of the creation of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation
The history of long-range aviation in Russia dates back to December 23, 1914, when Emperor Nicholas II issued a decree on the creation of the world's first squadron of four-engine aircraft, called "Ilya Muromets". It was the world's first attempt to unite heavy bombers. The squadron commander was M. V. Shidlovsky, who came to aviation from the naval department. At that time, he was the current chairman of the Russian-Baltic Carriage Works, where the Ilya Muromets air cars were produced.
During the First World War, these long-range aircraft of Russia performed more than 400 combat missions, including the bombing of important enemy strategic targets and reconnaissance of the location of strike ground groups. In 1917, the squadron consisted of four military detachments and consisted of more than twenty vehicles. During the entire period of combat operations, only one aircraft was lost.
Development of long-range aviation in the USSR
In September 1917, the bomber squadron was destroyed. The planes were simply burned so that they would not go to the enemy. Long-range aviation in Russia began to revive after the October Revolution. On March 22, 1918, a decree of the Council of People's Commissars was issued, which spoke of the creation of the Northern Group of Ilya Muromets air liners, numbering 3 combat units.
The next qualitative stage in the development of this direction of aviation occurred in the thirties of the twentieth century. During this period, the young Russian army was armed with the latest aircraft designers Tupolev and Ilyushin. From the first days of the Second World War, long-range aviation of Russia successfully carried out combat missions deep behind enemy lines, which made an invaluable contribution to the great victory over the enemy.
In the postwar years, the development of strategic aeronautics entered a new stage. Modern aircraft "Tu" and "Il" began to enter service, which currently form the basis of the fleet of modern long-range aviation of the Russian Federation.
"Ilya Muromets" - the world's first strategic bomber
The world's first strategic bomber was designed with the participation of an outstanding aircraft builder. The place of production of Ilya Muromets is the Russian-Baltic Carriage Works. It took to the skies for the first time on 12/10/1913. Until 1918, the aircraft was mass-produced in various modifications. During the First World War, on December 23, 1914, the Ilya Muromets aircraft were consolidated into a single squadron - the world's first formation of combat aircraft. That is why on December 23 Russia celebrates the Day of Far Russia.
Aircraft "Ilya Muromets" were used as bombers, attack aircraft or reconnaissance aircraft. Bomb shells could be placed both inside and outside, vertically along the fuselage. For the first time, an electronic trigger was developed and used to drop shells, and eight machine guns were installed for defense against enemy aircraft. At the end of the Civil War, the surviving aircraft were used to organize postal and passenger transportation on the route Moscow - Orel - Kharkov. Aircraft "Ilya Muromets" could reach a maximum speed of up to 130 km / h. Their high-altitude ceiling reached 3200 m, flight range - up to 560 km, and the maximum travel time was about 4.4 hours.
Aircraft "TB-3" - the first long-range bomber of the USSR
The development of the first long-range bomber in the USSR began in 1925. Already in 1930, his prototype, which had the secret marking "ANT-6", took to the skies. The first serial aircraft "TB-3" made its flight in 1932. These aircraft were used as bombers, military transport or landing craft.
The TB-3 strategic vehicles have proven themselves well during military conflicts in various countries. At the end of 1930, in connection with the development of air defense and fighter aircraft, the machines became obsolete, and in 1938 their mass production ceased. Despite this, the TB-3 strategic aircraft performed combat missions during the Second World War.
Over the entire period of production, more than 800 liners of various modifications were produced. Such a machine had improved technical characteristics: its maximum speed reached 380 km / h, the flight altitude could be up to 7000 m with its range of about 3 thousand km. The TB-3 aircraft was capable of holding up to 2 tons of bomb charges.
"IL-4" - the basis of long-range aviation during the Great Patriotic War
The long-range bomber, codenamed "TsKB-26", began to be developed at the Design Bureau of S.V. Ilyushin in the early 1930s. The first prototype took to the air in 1935. It was made of a solid metal structure with cantilevered duralumin wings. The fuselage had a streamlined shape and had an oval section. The flight range of the prototype was up to 3 thousand km. The crew of the vehicle consisted of three pilots, and its defensive armament was represented by three machine guns. The demonstration of the sample took place in 1936, and mass production was mastered in 1938. Such machines received new engines that allow speeds up to 445 km / h. The bomb load was 2.5 tons, and the defensive properties of the aircraft were also improved. Long-range aircraft of Russia "Il-4" in terms of speed and range of flights were the best in the world at one time.
Also for the Air Force of the Navy, on the basis of such a machine, the DB-3T torpedo bomber was created, intended to destroy naval targets and mine fairways. The DB-3T aircraft became the first mass-produced Russian model that could perform certain functions in the water area.
During the Second World War, the Il-4 aircraft became the basis of Russian long-range aviation, carrying out raids on the deep rear of the enemy, military echelons of equipment and airfields. Over the entire period of production, more than 7 thousand different modifications of this legendary bomber were produced.
"Tu-4" - Russia's first air carrier of nuclear weapons
Immediately after the end of the Second World War, Russian long-range aviation was left without the necessary machines. By that time, the IL-4 twin-engine aircraft had exhausted their technological resource of possibilities. The issue of creating a new type of strategic bomber became topical. Such an aircraft was the Tu-4, a piston machine, which was an adapted copy of the American B-29 combat aircraft.
This bomber first took to the skies in 1947, and began to enter aviation in 1949. Mastering the production of such a machine gave the country a modern aircraft of a new type and brought the USSR to the forefront of strategic aviation. "Tu-4" had a maximum speed of 558 km / h, its flight altitude was up to 11,200 m with a range of up to 6200 m. Such a machine was armed in a new way. Over 11 tons of combat load could be taken on board by this aircraft of the Russian Air Force. Long-range aviation was replenished with a unique representative that has the ability to carry nuclear weapons of the RDS-3 type on its board.
"Tu-16" - the first long-range jet aircraft of the Russian Federation
The Tu-16 is Russia's first long-range strategic aircraft with a jet engine. The purpose of this machine is to solve various strategic problems. Engineers of the Tupolev Design Bureau began to work on the creation of the aircraft in 1950, and already on April 27, 1952, the first prototype took to the skies. At the end of the year, this aircraft was launched into mass production. Tu-16s first joined the strategic aviation ranks in 1954.
The design of this aircraft was distinguished by the presence of a swept mid-wing and plumage of the same shape. The fuselage of the aircraft consisted of five compartments and had a circular cross section. The bomber's cabin was distinguished by increased tightness, was divided into two compartments and reinforced with armored glass and protective plates. The crew of the aircraft consisted of six pilots. The main engines of the machine were two turbojet installations of various modifications. The bomber could carry up to 9 tons of bombs, which were placed in one compartment. Also, the Tu-16 could be armed with two guided missiles of the KS-1 cruise type.
The Tu-16 model turned out to be so successful that on its basis they began to produce Tu-16R reconnaissance aircraft, Tu-163 tanker liners and the first Tu-16K-10 aviation missile system in Russia. Also, this bomber became the prototype for the Tu-104 jet passenger airliner, which began to be produced in 1964. Russia's first strategic jet aircraft "Tu-16" is rightfully considered a long-liver of domestic and foreign aviation. It was withdrawn from service only in 1994.
"Tu-95MS" - the basis of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation
"Tu-95MS" is a strategic aircraft of Russian long-range aviation, designed to deliver missile and bomb strikes on stationary targets at any time of the day, regardless of weather conditions. Work on the design of the basic model of the Tu-95 ship began in the early 1950s. In 1956, the first production vehicles entered service with the long-range aviation unit.
In connection with the rapid re-equipment of the US strategic aeronautics, the Russian government decided to create the latest aircraft that could compete with American aviation. In 1981, the modernized Tu-95MS aircraft joined the ranks of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation.
Today, the main machine of long-range aviation of the Russian Air Force is a high-wing aircraft with four turboprop engines, which are located on swept wings. The vessel is equipped with differential gearboxes, with the help of which two twin four-bladed propellers rotate in different directions. The cockpit is located in the forward part of the fuselage, it is completely sealed. There is also a galley and toilet.
The missile carrier is equipped with a modern Obzor radar installation, an onboard defense system that includes the most modern developments of Russian military engineers, as well as offensive and defensive weapons. Currently, the Russian Air Force has 60 Tu-95MS aircraft of various modifications.
"Tu-160" - "White Swan" of Russian long-range aviation
Tu-160 aircraft are modern supersonic missile carriers. Their design is based on a modified wing geometry. These representatives of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation can hit important enemy targets with nuclear weapons even deep behind enemy lines in continental military conflicts.
Work on the creation of such a combat vehicle began in 1975. Tupolev Design Bureau engineers designed a supersonic strategic missile carrier. As a result, the Tu-160 was created - a cantilever monoplane with a larger elongation wing, on which there were four power plants. The design of the aircraft made it possible to place all missile and bomb weapons inside in the same compartments. The crew of the aircraft - four pilots, for which a pressurized cabin is provided in the bow of the bomber.
The first test flights began in 1981, and in the late 1980s, serial vehicles began to enter service. To date, the Tu-160 aircraft has the best flight characteristics in comparison with world analogues. The maximum speed of the car at altitude is up to 2000 km / h, near the ground - 1030 km / h. The practical high-altitude ceiling can reach 16 km, the flight range is up to 13200 m. Today, 15 aircraft are in service with Russian long-range aviation. They are called "White Swan".
In 2014, the country celebrated a significant date - 100 years of Russian long-range aviation. More about this is written below.
Russian Air Force Long-Range Aviation Day
December 23 is a holiday date for long-range aviation pilots of the Russian Federation. In 1999, by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force Anatoly Kornukov, the day of Russian long-range aviation was determined. The date of December 23 was not chosen by chance. It was on this day in 1914 that the first air squadron "Ilya Muromets" was formed.
2014 became an anniversary year - 100 years of long-range aviation in Russia. In connection with this, many festive events were held. An important event in the celebration of the centenary was the opening of several monuments and monuments dedicated to the main strike force of the Air Force. The Council of Long-Range Aviation Veterans of Russia also took part in this process.
Conclusion
At the moment, Russian long-range aviation, thanks to its services to the Fatherland, has every right to be called the main strike force of the Russian Air Force. This unit is an important strategic reserve of the Supreme High Command. The air detachment that can solve military tasks, regardless of the geographical location of the strategic object, is precisely the long-range aviation of Russia. 2014 was an anniversary year for this Air Force unit. After all, it was then that the country celebrated 100 years since the founding of long-range aviation.
Aircraft Long-Range Aviation: Tu-95MS, Tu-160 and Tu-22M3. Photo by N. Kapelkin
December 23 marks the Day of Russian Long-Range Aviation. Long-range aviation is the main striking force of the Air Force, the aviation component of Russia's strategic nuclear forces and the strategic reserve of the Supreme High Command.
Long-range aviation originates from the squadron of airships "Ilya Muromets" - the world's first formation of heavy four-engine bombers. The decision to create a squadron on December 10 (23), 1914 was approved by Emperor Nicholas II. Shidlovsky M.V. became the head of the squadron. Former naval officer, chairman of the board of shareholders of the Russian-Baltic Carriage Works, which built the Ilya Muromets airships.
During the years of the First World War, the crews of the squadron carried out about 400 sorties for reconnaissance and bombardment of enemy targets. In air battles, 12 enemy fighters were destroyed by fire from onboard machine guns. During the entire war, fighters managed to shoot down only one Muromets. In April 1917, the squadron included four combat detachments, two dozen bombers.
The February revolution turned into a complete collapse of the Russian army. In September 1917, German troops approached Vinnitsa, where a squadron of airships was stationed at that time. The planes were burned so that they would not get to the enemy.
The revival of DA began a few months after the October Revolution. The Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of March 22, 1918 ordered the formation of the Northern Group of Ilya Muromets airships, consisting of three combat units.
A qualitatively new stage in the development of DA is associated with the adoption of the TB-3 bomber, designed under the direction of A.N. Tupolev. Airplanes of the Tu brand were and are the main striking force of YES. The TB-3 bombers were built in a large series, which made it possible in 1933 to form the world's first heavy bomber aviation corps. In January 1936, the first aviation army of the VGK reserve (Special Purpose Army - GA) was formed. It was in our country that strategic aviation was created for the first time in the world in the 1930s.
The next milestone machine was S.V. Ilyushin, designed at the design bureau. twin-engine long-range bomber DB-3. After modernization, it received the designation DB-ZF (IL-4). Aircraft DB-3 began to enter the troops in 1936.
In parallel with the development of aviation technology, the organizational structure of the DA was improved. In 1936-1938. air brigades and heavy bomber corps were consolidated into three special air armies. The armies were directly subordinate to the People's Commissar of Defense. In 1940, the GA departments were disbanded. Their formations and units entered the long-range bomber aviation of the Red Army High Command (DBA GK), which consisted of heavy bomber aviation corps. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the DBA GK included five air corps, three separate air divisions and one separate air regiment. This is about 1,500 aircraft (13.5% of the total aircraft fleet of the KA Air Force) and almost 1,000 combat-ready crews.
The first sorties in the Great Patriotic War were carried out by the DBA crews on June 22, 1941. Aircraft bombarded concentrations of enemy troops in the Suwalki and Przemysl regions. On the second day of the war, long-range bombers, together with naval aviation, bombed Danzig, Koenigsberg, Warsaw, Krakow, Bucharest. On the night of August 10-11, 1941, Soviet bombers of the naval aviation of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet and the 81st heavy bomber air division of the DBA GK attacked Berlin.
By a decree of the State Defense Committee of March 5, 1942, long-range bomber aviation was transformed into long-range aviation (ADD) with direct subordination to the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. General Golovanov A.E. was appointed commander of the ADD. The main combat aircraft of the ADD was the Il-4 aircraft. In total, in the spring of 1942, eight divisions of long-range bombers were transferred to the ADD - 341 aircraft, 367 crews.
During the war, DA took part in all major operations of the Red Army, performing special tasks. During the war years, DA crews carried out about 220,000 sorties, dropping 2,276,000 bombs of various calibers. For military merit, four air corps, 12 divisions, 43 long-range regiments were transformed into guards, seven divisions and 38 regiments were awarded orders, eight corps, 20 divisions and 46 air regiments were given honorary titles. About 25 thousand soldiers and officers of the DA were awarded state awards, 269 became Heroes of the Soviet Union, six - twice Heroes.
By the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of April 3, 1946, Long-Range Aviation of the Armed Forces was created on the basis of the 18th Air Army. Which included air armies with offices in Smolensk, Vinnitsa and Khabarovsk.
After the end of the Great Patriotic War, DA was practically left without a modern aircraft fleet. There were only a few full-fledged four-engine bombers. The twin-engine Il-4 aircraft ran out of service, the Tu-2 (like the Il-4) was not a full-fledged heavy bomber, and there were few of them in the troops. Under these conditions, at the highest level, it was decided to copy the American B-29 Superfortress aircraft. In the Tupolev Design Bureau, a huge amount of work was done in the shortest possible time to adapt the machine to domestic requirements and launch it into mass production. The entry of Tu-4 into the troops began in 1947, and in 1951 Tu-4 bombers became carriers of nuclear weapons.
Tu-16K with KSR-2 missile. Photo from the archive of V. Pushkarev
Until the mid-1950s, for objective reasons, the Soviet DA was inferior to the US Strategic Air Command. A qualitative leap in the development of the USSR AA is associated with the adoption of jet technology - long-range bombers Tu-16, strategic Tu-95 and ZM. DA crews have begun to explore the Arctic. They started the famous flights "around the corner" - to the Atlantic along the route from the deep regions of the Soviet Union around Scandinavia.
Strategic bomber 3M. Photo from the collection of S. Tsvetkov
In 1961, the DA was transferred from the army to the corps organization. The basis was made up of three separate heavy bomber corps with headquarters in Smolensk, Vinnitsa and Blagoveshchensk. In the same year, Tu-22 supersonic long-range bombers and Tu-16K and Tu-95K missile carriers entered service.
Tu-22RD. Photo from the collection of S. Tsvetkov
The next reform of the DA was carried out in 1980. On the basis of the corps, three air armies of the Supreme High Command were formed - the 46th (Smolensk), 24th (Vinnitsa) and 30th (Irkutsk), and the Long-Range Aviation Command was abolished. Four divisions armed with strategic bombers became part of the 37th Air Army of the Supreme High Command (strategic purpose), whose headquarters was located in Moscow.
Tu-95MS. Photo by A. Zinchuk
In the 70-80s, DA was replenished with Tu-22MZ, Tu-95MS and Tu-160 aviation systems. Armed with long-range cruise missiles, airships are capable of delivering strikes against assigned targets anywhere in the world without resorting directly to military action.
Long-range bomber Tu-22M3. Photo by V. Kitaev
As a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union, DA lost a regiment of Tu-160 strategic missile carriers and a regiment of Il-78 tanker aircraft that had departed to Ukraine. I had to leave well-equipped air bases.
According to the military reform plans, in April 1998, the DA was transformed into the 37th Air Army of the Supreme High Command (Strategic Purpose). After the forced lull, the intensity of DA aircraft flights also increased. In 2001, for the first time after a 10-year break, strategic missile carriers appeared over the North Pole. Flights for the search and reconnaissance of aircraft carrier strike groups, flights "around the corner" resumed. Command-staff exercises with the relocation of missile carriers to operational airfields (including the airfields of the Republic of Belarus) began to be carried out on a regular basis. Air refueling of Tu-160 strategic missile carriers was mastered. In May 2003, two Tu-160s and four Tu-95MS performed a unique flight to the Indian Ocean, which passed through the airspace of foreign states. Previously, domestic Long-Range Aviation did not perform such flights. A series of command and staff exercises were also held in 2004, the year of the 90th anniversary of the DA. In August 2007, DA resumed flights to remote regions on a full-time basis. Patrolling is carried out in the regions of active shipping and economic activity in Russia. Flights for air patrols in the waters over the neutral waters of the Arctic, Atlantic, Black Sea, Pacific Ocean are carried out both from base and from operational airfields.
Tu-160. Photo by A. Zinchuk
In September of this year, two Tu-160s from Engels flew to Venezuela. The crews of the bombers "Vasily Senko", which was piloted by the Deputy Commander of the Long-Range Aviation of the Russian Air Force, Major General Alexander Afinogentov, and "Alexander Molodchiy", under the command of the pilot of the first class, Lieutenant Colonel Andrey Senchurov, made two sorties lasting 6 hours each. The first passed over the Caribbean Sea towards Panama. The second - in the direction of Brazil over neutral waters at a distance from the coastline.
The structure of the modern 37th VA VGK (SN) includes formations of heavy bombers - the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division of the Donbass Red Banner and the 326th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division of the Ternopil Order of Kutuzov II degree, the 43rd Center for Combat Training and Retraining of Flight Personnel , a separate guards Oryol aviation regiment of tanker aircraft, air command posts of operational airfields and support units.
The 22 tbads include the Guards Aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Heavy Bomber Regiment, the Aviation Heavy Bomber Regiment (Engels), the 840th Aviation Red Banner Heavy Bomber Regiment (Soltsy) and the 52nd Guards Aviation Heavy Bomber Regiment (Shaikovka).
The 326 tbad includes the 79th Aviation Order of the Red Star Heavy Bomber Regiment, the 182nd Guards Aviation Sevastopol-Berlin Red Banner Heavy Bomber Regiment, the 200th Guards Aviation Brest Red Banner Heavy Bomber Regiment and the 444th Aviation Berlin Order of Kutuzov III degree and Alexander Nevsky Heavy Bomber Regiment.
Long-Range Aviation is now going through difficult times. But despite the difficulties, the DA personnel are fulfilling the tasks assigned to them to maintain combat readiness at a high level. From the bottom of our hearts we congratulate all those involved in this holiday on the Day of Long-Range Aviation: veterans, flight and engineering staff, and wish them clear skies!
