TU-22M3 and TU-160's

[ShaunTheSheep]

It's rare to hear of these aircraft in use (which is a good thing!) but they look so impressive.

http://theaviationist.com/2015/11/17/russian-mod-v...

[Jimbo.]

0:33 and 0:47 in the YouTube video. Just. fking. Wow.

[BrettMRC]

Some good shots there - will always have a soft spot for the heavies

[Blaster72]

I'd never heard of the TU-160 until a few weeks back but its an amazing bit of kit.

Capable of carrying 15 Nuclear Cruise missiles while travelling supersonic and having a normal range of over 12,000km. It really is a masterpiece.

There are clearly some very far sighted people in the Russian military, saving these during the bad times and bringing them back operational again.

site said:

Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said in July 2015 the Long Range Aviation planes theoretically may have a service life of up to 100 years with regular modernization phases with replacement of engines and avionics. "As for the Tu-160, it has record characteristics, so it may have a very long and happy destiny. I think that we are modernizing the Tu-160 not just to close this problem for the next 5-10 years, because if we restore the aircraft production, its service life will be at least 40 years," Borisov said during a visit to the Kazan-based Gorbunov Aviation Plant (a Tupolev branch).

Amazing stuff.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/russia/tu-...

[V8LM]

How similar is this to the B-1A?

[Eric Mc]

Similar in concept but quite a bit bigger.

Of course, the operational B-1B is a lower performance aircraft to the original B-1A.

[williamp]

Impressive, but there is only about 20 around. And with their budget cuts, probably 5-6 available to fly at any one time.

[davepoth]

williamp said:

Impressive, but there is only about 20 around. And with their budget cuts, probably 5-6 available to fly at any one time.

You could say something similar about the B-2. And this one can rain a lot more death down onto Daesh.

[Condi]

The Bear will be flying for 100 years as well so they think. The fact it can be heard from many many miles away doesnt seem to be a problem. Probably okay against Iraqis with no air defence capability, but not sure how useful they would be against any country with an airforce.

[Mojocvh]

Kh-101 low-observable cruise missile wreckage....but why isn’t in a lot more pieces??

I think its run out of fuel...

[Mojocvh]

davepoth said:

williamp said:

Impressive, but there is only about 20 around. And with their budget cuts, probably 5-6 available to fly at any one time.

You could say something similar about the B-2. And this one can rain a lot more death down onto Daesh.

Kinetic weapons

[aeropilot]

Condi said:

The Bear will be flying for 100 years as well so they think. The fact it can be heard from many many miles away doesnt seem to be a problem. Probably okay against Iraqis with no air defence capability, but not sure how useful they would be against any country with an airforce.

Interesting photo taken last week of a cruise missile carrying Bear enroute to Syria (or returning from?) being escorted by Iranian AF F-14 Tomcats.

[Halmyre]

aeropilot said:

Condi said:

The Bear will be flying for 100 years as well so they think. The fact it can be heard from many many miles away doesnt seem to be a problem. Probably okay against Iraqis with no air defence capability, but not sure how useful they would be against any country with an airforce.

Interesting photo taken last week of a cruise missile carrying Bear enroute to Syria (or returning from?) being escorted by Iranian AF F-14 Tomcats.

Interesting right enough - an Iranian F-14 actually flying. Not bad for a 40-year-old aircraft with no main dealer support!

[aeropilot]

Halmyre said:

Interesting right enough - an Iranian F-14 actually flying.

There were actually two of them escorting the Bears.

[Mojocvh]

RT released video showing an Iranian F-4 at one point. Taken from a cruise missile carrier, the F4 was stodging about behind and below when they had the bomb bay doors open-footage from INSIDE the bomb bay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ascSnBbxfaU#t=86

@01:16

Those Crazy Persians!!

Edited by Mojocvh on Monday 23 November 21:12

[S3_Graham]

For those that enjoy russian aircraft. There are a series of brilliant documentaries on Youtube.

Search 'wings of russia' There is one episode all about the TU160.

[ShaunTheSheep]

S3_Graham said:

For those that enjoy russian aircraft. There are a series of brilliant documentaries on Youtube.

Search 'wings of russia' There is one episode all about the TU160.

Wings Of Russia: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlgs-bz3H7FN...

Good find! Thanks for that.

Does anyone know where I can find a good 3 view of a tu-22m3 (the one with the square intakes)? I fancy having a bash at making a model in sketch up and maybe even building it to fly.

[maffski]

ShaunTheSheep said:

Does anyone know where I can find a good 3 view of a tu-22m3 (the one with the square intakes)? I fancy having a bash at making a model in sketch up and maybe even building it to fly.

This any help? - http://www.the-blueprints.com/blueprints/modernpla...

[Yertis]

Mojocvh said:

RT released video showing an Iranian F-4 at one point. Taken from a cruise missile carrier, the F4 was stodging about behind and below when they had the bomb bay doors open-footage from INSIDE the bomb bay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ascSnBbxfaU#t=86

@01:16

Those Crazy Persians!!

Edited by Mojocvh on Monday 23 November 21:12

I watched that twice and couldn't see any F4s

[hidetheelephants]

Blaster72 said:

I'd never heard of the TU-160 until a few weeks back but its an amazing bit of kit.

Capable of carrying 15 Nuclear Cruise missiles while travelling supersonic and having a normal range of over 12,000km. It really is a masterpiece.

The B1 has very similar performance; at those ranges it's non-tactical, flying at high altitude and low power settings. The only remarkable thing is that they bothered to build them at all; it doesn't offer any major abilities over the Backfire and the cost to build and operate has been crippling.