Strategic bombers at Engels Air Base
Dmitry Chistoprudov writes chistoprudov: From the very beginning, the trip did not work out. Plans and activities overlapped one another and did not want to be evenly distributed. There was a feeling that you just had to abandon this venture. But damn, I really wanted to go to the air base, where heavy bombers were stationed aviation shelves! I had to sacrifice my plans and miserably squeeze them into a tight time frame ...
And it was worth it. It was my best press tour to a military base, maybe not from photographs, but according to impressions - for sure!
Together with two Sasha (russos and triptotheworld), having bought at some terrible grocery store, at the first hour of the night we left Moscow and went to Saratov. It rained for a long time. After Penza, when it became light, we had doubts that today, in general, someone would take off ...
Alternately changing rudders with russos, by 10 in the morning we had already crossed the Volga and entered Engels. Here our tests ended - there was not a single cloud in the sky, it was warm, and somewhere far away we could hear the pleasant rumbling of the most powerful turboprop engines in the world ...
1.
We were the first bloggers who came to this airbase. We, as the press, were first introduced to the commander of the aviation base, Colonel Kostyunin Dmitry Leonidovich.
- Guys, interview, ask questions, what you have.
We looked at each other, shrugged.
- Yes, we would quickly look at the aircraft ...
The commander smiled knowingly and wished us luck. Later we saw him on the Il-78 tanker - Dmitry Leonidovich also takes part in training flights.
2. The Tu-95, the mobile powerplant and the Opel Astra, on which we arrived, moved along the platform and taxiing.
3. Tu-95s - a turboprop strategic bomber-bomber, the fastest propeller aircraft, which became one of the symbols of the Cold War. The only one in the world adopted and serially produced a turboprop bomber. Designed to hit cruise missiles of important objects in the rear of the enemy at any time of day and in all weather conditions.
4. 30 July 2010 set a world record of non-stop flight for airplanes of this class, while during this time bombers flew about 30 thousands of kilometers over three oceans, having refueled four times in the air.
5. The Tu-95MS, which is the backbone of Russia's strategic aviation, is the carrier of X-55 cruise missiles.
6. Each engine has two coaxial metal four-bladed screws.
7. In the tail of the aircraft is the commander of the firing system - a double-barreled aircraft gun GSH-23. The effective range of cartridges caliber 23x115 mm - 2 km.
8.
9. In continuation of the traditions begun in the domestic aviation in the 30s, some aircraft are given their own names. Tu-160 is named in honor of the Heroes of the Soviet Union and people directly associated with Long-Range Aviation, Tu-95MS - in honor of the cities.
10. Preparation of the aircraft for departure.
11. Cabin Tu-95.
12. The crew of the 7 man is located in two pressure cabins. Ejection seats for crew members are not provided. If necessary, emergency escape of the aircraft is carried out through the access hatches.
13.
14. Tu-95 went to a series with the engines NK-12, which are still the most powerful turboprop engines in the world. Coaxial screws with variable pitch have a diameter of 5,6 meter - this is larger than the diameter of a standard single-track tunnel of the Moscow metro.
15. The high power of the engine (15000 HP) and the design of the propellers cause its unprecedented noise - the Tu-95 is one of the noisiest aircraft in the world and is even detected by submersible sonar systems, but this is not critical for nuclear missile strikes.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20. Unlike 90-s, when military aircraft flew mostly sporadically, now at the Engels air base training flights are 2 – 3 once a week.
21. We got on a flight shift, during which take-offs and landings, refueling in the air TU-160 and TU-95MS from the aircraft IL-78, and also carried out training flights on a long route over the territory of Russia.
22. The first to take off the weather reconnaissance bomber. It flies over the airfield area within 300 km.
23. Preparing for departure Tu-95. A pleasant hum of turboprop engines spreads over the airfield. Included nasal searchlights are designed to scare away frightened birds, which take two lights for the eyes of a predator.
24.
25.
26. When such a car takes off, flying tens of meters away from you, there appears such a childish and sincere delight that you want to scream and jump for joy. A photograph of this can not be transferred.
27. IL-78 is preparing for takeoff. Currently it is the only specialized type of fuel tanker aircraft in service with the Russian Air Force.
28.
29.
30. It's amazing that such a big fly flies, and it also takes on board up to 90 tons of cargo!
31.
32. The highlight of the program is a supersonic strategic bomber-bomber with a variable sweep wing Tu-160.
33.
34.
Aircraft flight characteristics:
- Maximum speed at height: 2230 km / h
- Cruising speed: 917 km / h
- Maximum flight range without refueling: 13950 km
- Combat radius: 6000 km
- Flight duration: 25 h
- Practical ceiling: 15000 m
- Rate of climb: 4400 m / min
35. The aircraft is equipped with the 4 engine NK-32 - two-circuit turbojet three-shaft engines with a common afterburner. Total afterburner power over 100 000 l. with.
36. Russian pilots have called this plane "white swan" for its reliability, beauty and grace. The Americans gave him a different name - "Black Jack" - for its invulnerability to air defense systems and the ability to deliver a sudden blow.
37. 1984 of the year produced 35 aircraft. The cost of one unit is about 7,5 billion rubles.
38. With incomplete loading, the aircraft easily takes off without a boost.
39. White Swan!
40. Tu-160 is the largest in stories military aircraft supersonic aircraft and aircraft with variable geometry of the wing, the most powerful and heaviest combat aircraft in the world, has the largest among bombers maximum take-off weight and combat load.
41.
42. After the planes took to the air and set off for training flights on a long route with dozaparvka in the air (for example, to the North Pole or distant Siberia), we went to the local canteen for refueling.
43. The best war canteen I have ever been to! Lunch costs 110 rubles.
44. After lunch we went to the Museum of Long-Range Aviation.
45.
46.
47.
48. Toward evening, the first aircraft began to return.
49.
50.
51. The normal take-off mass is comparable to the take-off mass of the 9 71-619K trams.
52. After each flight, the technical crew meets the flight crew and receives instructions for working on the aircraft. Maybe something needs to be corrected or urgently eliminated, because these planes are complex aviation systems, stuffed with radio electronics. In preparing the aircraft for departure involved up to 30 people ground specialists.
53. Sometimes air patrol flights are performed in neutral airspace. In such cases, our aircraft are often accompanied by NATO interceptor fighters. The air squadron commander Alexander Khabarov says that sometimes alien planes get too close (“lie on the wing”), then our pilots turn on the afterburner, leaving for supersound, and the bomber flies away from the fighters. NATO pilots are very upset, because their fighters have additional fuel tanks installed and they cannot go to supersonic and keep up with the White Swan.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58. Return Tu-95.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63. When the sun set over the horizon, we sat down in our Astra and on the night went back to Moscow.
64. Two photos from the air parade in Moscow in 2010 year.
65.
And it was worth it. It was my best press tour to a military base, maybe not from photographs, but according to impressions - for sure!
Together with two Sasha (russos and triptotheworld), having bought at some terrible grocery store, at the first hour of the night we left Moscow and went to Saratov. It rained for a long time. After Penza, when it became light, we had doubts that today, in general, someone would take off ...
Alternately changing rudders with russos, by 10 in the morning we had already crossed the Volga and entered Engels. Here our tests ended - there was not a single cloud in the sky, it was warm, and somewhere far away we could hear the pleasant rumbling of the most powerful turboprop engines in the world ...
1.
We were the first bloggers who came to this airbase. We, as the press, were first introduced to the commander of the aviation base, Colonel Kostyunin Dmitry Leonidovich.
- Guys, interview, ask questions, what you have.
We looked at each other, shrugged.
- Yes, we would quickly look at the aircraft ...
The commander smiled knowingly and wished us luck. Later we saw him on the Il-78 tanker - Dmitry Leonidovich also takes part in training flights.
2. The Tu-95, the mobile powerplant and the Opel Astra, on which we arrived, moved along the platform and taxiing.
3. Tu-95s - a turboprop strategic bomber-bomber, the fastest propeller aircraft, which became one of the symbols of the Cold War. The only one in the world adopted and serially produced a turboprop bomber. Designed to hit cruise missiles of important objects in the rear of the enemy at any time of day and in all weather conditions.
4. 30 July 2010 set a world record of non-stop flight for airplanes of this class, while during this time bombers flew about 30 thousands of kilometers over three oceans, having refueled four times in the air.
5. The Tu-95MS, which is the backbone of Russia's strategic aviation, is the carrier of X-55 cruise missiles.
6. Each engine has two coaxial metal four-bladed screws.
7. In the tail of the aircraft is the commander of the firing system - a double-barreled aircraft gun GSH-23. The effective range of cartridges caliber 23x115 mm - 2 km.
8.
9. In continuation of the traditions begun in the domestic aviation in the 30s, some aircraft are given their own names. Tu-160 is named in honor of the Heroes of the Soviet Union and people directly associated with Long-Range Aviation, Tu-95MS - in honor of the cities.
10. Preparation of the aircraft for departure.
11. Cabin Tu-95.
12. The crew of the 7 man is located in two pressure cabins. Ejection seats for crew members are not provided. If necessary, emergency escape of the aircraft is carried out through the access hatches.
13.
14. Tu-95 went to a series with the engines NK-12, which are still the most powerful turboprop engines in the world. Coaxial screws with variable pitch have a diameter of 5,6 meter - this is larger than the diameter of a standard single-track tunnel of the Moscow metro.
15. The high power of the engine (15000 HP) and the design of the propellers cause its unprecedented noise - the Tu-95 is one of the noisiest aircraft in the world and is even detected by submersible sonar systems, but this is not critical for nuclear missile strikes.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20. Unlike 90-s, when military aircraft flew mostly sporadically, now at the Engels air base training flights are 2 – 3 once a week.
21. We got on a flight shift, during which take-offs and landings, refueling in the air TU-160 and TU-95MS from the aircraft IL-78, and also carried out training flights on a long route over the territory of Russia.
22. The first to take off the weather reconnaissance bomber. It flies over the airfield area within 300 km.
23. Preparing for departure Tu-95. A pleasant hum of turboprop engines spreads over the airfield. Included nasal searchlights are designed to scare away frightened birds, which take two lights for the eyes of a predator.
24.
25.
26. When such a car takes off, flying tens of meters away from you, there appears such a childish and sincere delight that you want to scream and jump for joy. A photograph of this can not be transferred.
27. IL-78 is preparing for takeoff. Currently it is the only specialized type of fuel tanker aircraft in service with the Russian Air Force.
28.
29.
30. It's amazing that such a big fly flies, and it also takes on board up to 90 tons of cargo!
31.
32. The highlight of the program is a supersonic strategic bomber-bomber with a variable sweep wing Tu-160.
33.
34.
Aircraft flight characteristics:
- Maximum speed at height: 2230 km / h
- Cruising speed: 917 km / h
- Maximum flight range without refueling: 13950 km
- Combat radius: 6000 km
- Flight duration: 25 h
- Practical ceiling: 15000 m
- Rate of climb: 4400 m / min
35. The aircraft is equipped with the 4 engine NK-32 - two-circuit turbojet three-shaft engines with a common afterburner. Total afterburner power over 100 000 l. with.
36. Russian pilots have called this plane "white swan" for its reliability, beauty and grace. The Americans gave him a different name - "Black Jack" - for its invulnerability to air defense systems and the ability to deliver a sudden blow.
37. 1984 of the year produced 35 aircraft. The cost of one unit is about 7,5 billion rubles.
38. With incomplete loading, the aircraft easily takes off without a boost.
39. White Swan!
40. Tu-160 is the largest in stories military aircraft supersonic aircraft and aircraft with variable geometry of the wing, the most powerful and heaviest combat aircraft in the world, has the largest among bombers maximum take-off weight and combat load.
41.
42. After the planes took to the air and set off for training flights on a long route with dozaparvka in the air (for example, to the North Pole or distant Siberia), we went to the local canteen for refueling.
43. The best war canteen I have ever been to! Lunch costs 110 rubles.
44. After lunch we went to the Museum of Long-Range Aviation.
45.
46.
47.
48. Toward evening, the first aircraft began to return.
49.
50.
51. The normal take-off mass is comparable to the take-off mass of the 9 71-619K trams.
52. After each flight, the technical crew meets the flight crew and receives instructions for working on the aircraft. Maybe something needs to be corrected or urgently eliminated, because these planes are complex aviation systems, stuffed with radio electronics. In preparing the aircraft for departure involved up to 30 people ground specialists.
53. Sometimes air patrol flights are performed in neutral airspace. In such cases, our aircraft are often accompanied by NATO interceptor fighters. The air squadron commander Alexander Khabarov says that sometimes alien planes get too close (“lie on the wing”), then our pilots turn on the afterburner, leaving for supersound, and the bomber flies away from the fighters. NATO pilots are very upset, because their fighters have additional fuel tanks installed and they cannot go to supersonic and keep up with the White Swan.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58. Return Tu-95.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63. When the sun set over the horizon, we sat down in our Astra and on the night went back to Moscow.
64. Two photos from the air parade in Moscow in 2010 year.
65.
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