FD Scale Aircraft 8: The Next Generation Easy Search Thread

Yeah, well... For everyone sane it was sure from the beginning that F-16 will be chosen. When F/A-18 entered the race it was still sure that it will be US plane (and still most likely the F-16) - no matter what. At one point Swedes were willing to allow local production of Gripens in Poland, but instead our politicos decided that US offer is much better. In the end, the US industrial offset - which was supposed to be concentrated in new investments in aerospace and high-technology industries was realized mostly on paper, with US govt and Lockheed Martin successfuly pushing our govt to inculde into that supposed offset various investments totally unrelated to industries in question and even to LM Corp. - often even concluded long before the fighter contract. One of the most (in-)famous of these "hi-tech offset contracts" was an investment (that already took place much earlier) into a pig farm supplying hamburgers for McD...

(hey! it seems that there actually is meat in these hamburgers from Mac!

)

And to end the B-29/-50/C-97/B377 saga, time to post B-29's Soviet derivatives. (quite appropriately on 1st of May

)
In 1944-1945 four B-29's made emergency landings in the Soviet Union. Since the USSR was very interested in the type and even requested deliveries under Lend-Lease (which were denied), while the crews were returned to USA (very quietly, since Soviet Union was still formally neutral in regards to Japan), the planes were not, and instead were meticulously reverse-engineered by Tupolev design bureau as Tu-4 heavy bombers, entering service in 1949, with total production run of 847. They were the first carriers of Soviet A-bomb, and in first half of the 1950s 50 Tu-4's were converted to carriers of Raduga KS-1 Kometa (NATO: AS-1 Kennel) anti-ship missiles. Also some Tu-4's were used as long-range recce, ELINT, ECM and navigation training aircraft (but pictures of these are extremely rare).

Soviet Union, Tupolev Tu-4
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Soviet Union, Tupolev Tu-4 and Raduga KS-1 Kometa
Many thanks to Radome for His work on KS-1 Kometa.
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When the jet-propelled bombers begun to arrive in service, number of Tu-4's found themselves relegated to other duties. In 1955 300 of them were converted to transport aircraft of airborne forces. 28 paratroopers were transported (in rather spartan conditions) in bomb bays while additional equipment was carried in two underwing containers (that could contain either cargo or even artillery and light armored vehicles), while still retaining capability to be as bombers. Also in 1955 one Tu-4 was converted to even more capable transport, as Tu-4T, with armament deleted (except for tail turret) and capable of transporting up to 42 paratroopers plus cargo pods. Tu-4's were also adapted to be experimental aerial tankers, with four configurations being tried: grappled-line looped-hose (in USSR named: "system of crossing cables"), adaptation of the "Burlaki" project (described below), wing-to-wing and probe-and-drogue. First two configurations were quickly dismissed as too complicated for practical use, but later two were more promising and were used on number of Soviet aircraft (though wing-to-wing was discontinued after some years).

Soviet Union, Tupolev Tu-4
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Tu-4 - like it's US protoplast - served as carrier for numerous test vehicles, including engine testbeds and as carriers of experimental carriers. Actually first of these was one of the original "emergency-landed" B-29's, which was used as carrier for "346" aircraft. That in turn was German DFS-346 on which German designers hoped to break the sound barrier (even hoping for Mach 2,5 speed). Unfinished prototype was captured in 1945 by Russians which continued it's development. In 1948 "346P" simplified engine-less glider was first flown for trials of general aerodynamic characteristics, followed by "346-1" prototype with all installations except for engine (replaced by mock-up) and then by "346-3" (or "346D") finally equipped with engine. Besides very difficult handling, trials showed that German calculations were highly optimistic and the plane in fact was only capable of achieving speed around 900 km/h and the whole project was eventually cancelled.

Soviet Union, Boeing B-29 and TsAGI "346" (DFS-346)
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Like the USA, Soviet Union was interested in development of jet "parasite fighters" serving as escorts of heavy bombers (and already with pre-war experiences). One of most promising projects was "Burlaki" (plural from burlak: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlak ) - MiG-15bis fighter being towed with engine turned-off behind Tu-4, using installation loosely resembling probe-and-drogue refuelling device. Trials in 1951 showed that operation of the system is quite easy, although performance loss of Tu-4, while nominally moderate, was considered something of an issue, and most importantly, combat trials showed that unless sufficiently early warning of incoming enemy fighters was acquired, turning-on of the MiG's engine could take too much time (resulting in both connected planes being shot down).

Soviet Union, Project Burlaki - Tupolev Tu-4 and Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15bis
Many thanks to Nighthunter for His work on MiG-15.
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In 1953 Soviet Union transferred some 10 Tu-4's to People's Republic of China, according to some sources, as would-be carriers of Soviet-supplied A-bombs in case of war. Although they quickly become outdated, and eventually replaced in combat role by Chinese copies of Tu-16, Chinese Tu-4's distinguished themselves as world's largest interceptors ever to be operationally used. Around 1960 infiltration of Mainland airspace by transport and recce planes operating from Taiwan become quite an issue, and it turned out that radar-equipped MiG-17's used as night-fighters were simply too fast to successfuly intercept low-and-slow flying Taiwanese and CIA aircraft. Red Chinese initially tried to use Tu-2 bombers, but without success, until they found out that PSBN Kobalt bomb-aiming radar from Il-28/H-5 could be tuned in to give some rudimentary air-intercept capability and installed on Tu-4. Apparently a number of interceptions was made, and even a one victory was achieved!
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/i ... 929.0.html
Later, Chinese Tu-4 were re-engined with turboprops (of the same type as used on An-12/Y-8).

China, Tupolev Tu-4
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In 1969 China started a "Project 926" to build an Early Warining Aircraft. Prototype KJ-1, based on Tu-4 was built, but eventually project was halted due to turmoil of Cultural Revolution. It was restarted again some years later but by the time it was considered outdated and effort was concentrated on AEW aircraft based on An-12/Y-8.

China, Tupolev Tu-4 KJ-1 AEW
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Like with the B-29. Tu-4 was also base for transport derivatives. First of them, passenger Tu-70 (or more correctly: "Samolyet 70", also for a time being designated Tu-12) was actually built from parts of one of original B-29's (most of wings with engines, tail and nose glass panels) and first flown already in 1946 as first Soviet airliner with pressurized cabin. Military transport version, Tu-75 ("Samolyet 75", also Tu-16 - first use of designation) was flown in 1950, based on Tu-4. They were both considered excessive to the contemporary demands of Aeroflot and VVS and cancelled.

Soviet Union, Tupolev Tu-70
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Soviet Union, Tupolev Tu-75
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Tu-4 was further developed into higher-performance aircraft. Tu-80 of 1949 used significant amount of components from Tu-4, but had much improved aerodynamics, including new wing (with modified engine nacelles) and lenghtened fuselage. It was followed by even more re-designed (and larger) Tu-85 of 1951. Although it had twice the range of Tu-4, it was cancelled in favor of even more advanced and high-performance, turboprop Tu-95.

Soviet Union, Tupolev Tu-80
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Soviet Union, Tupolev Tu-85
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