Tupolev Tu-28
Encyclopedia
The Tupolev Tu-28 (NATO reporting name
Fiddler) was a long-range interceptor aircraft
introduced by the Soviet Union
in the 1960s. The official designation was Tu-128, but this designation was less commonly used in the West. It was the largest and heaviest fighter ever in service.
sought the means to defend against the nuclear-armed American bombers possibly penetrating its borders (especially its long and vulnerable northern border). Contemporary interceptors, even the Yakovlev Yak-28P, were able to cover a radius of a few hundred kilometers; the newly-developed surface-to-air missile
s had even shorter range. Considering both, the sheer numbers required to defend a 5,000 km air frontThe geographical distance
between Murmansk
and Anadyr (town)
is 4,911 km. were economically impossible to maintain. This left Soviet Union able to provide a modern air defense only for selected valuable areas. The PVO
decided to cover entire territory, but with a more loose defense. In 1955
it placed a requirement for a large area-defense interceptor, that would achieve it with sparseFor example in 1972
, mere six air bases provided the sole interceptor cover for almost a half of the Soviet Union (the interior between Novaya Zemlya
and Mongolian
border). These bases employed most of Tu-128 force (cf. B. Leonard, pp. 259-262; cf. Duffy p. 140). airbases. The PVO requirement called for a supersonic
aircraft with enormous fuel tanks for both a good patrol time
and a long range, a capable radar
, and the most powerful air-to-air missile
s possible. The first attempt, although an unsuccessful one, was a 30-tonne Lavochkin La-250 prototype, the last of the Lavochkin design bureau's aircraft.
Iosif Nezval of Tupolev Design Bureau
led development of the required aircraft based on the single prototype of unsuccessful Tu-98 supersonic bomber. The work began in 1958. The military designation was at first Tu-28, but it had been changed in 1963 to Tu-128, identical to the designation used by the OKB
.
The Tu-128 had a broad, low/mid-mounted swept wing
carrying the main landing gear
in wing-mounted pods, and slab tailplane
s. Two Lyulka AL-7
F-2 turbojet engines were mounted in the fuselage. The two-man crew of pilot and navigator were seated in tandem.
The Tu-128, with its maximum weight of 43 tonne
s, was the heaviest fighter ever to enter service. It was a pure patrol interceptor, and with its high wing loading
, unsophisticated but reliable avionics
, and poor visibility, was doubtlessly not an agile aircraft. It was intended to only combat NATO bombers like the B-52
, not to dogfight with smaller aircraft.
The Bureau managed to make the initial public appearance on the 1961 Tushino air parade. Western experts, being unaware that the bulge on the belly carried various testing instruments, suspected the existence of a large ventral radar for a mixed interceptor/AWACS role. The production version lacked the bulge and had a large nose radome
housing a radar, known as RP-SSome sources provide radar's designation as RP-5 instead of RP-S, possibly a mistake. Smerch ('Tornado'; NATO reporting name
'Big Nose'), with a detection range of about 50 km (31 mi) and a lock-on range of about 40 km (25 mi).
Armament of the Tu-128 was four Bisnovat R-4
air-to-air missile
s (known as K-80 during development; NATO reporting name
AA-5 'Ash'). Usually two of them were R-4R with semi-active radar homing
and two were R-4T infrared-homing missile, with the former on the outer pylons and the latter on the inner underwing pylons. There was no internal weapons bay.
Production of the Tu-128 ended in 1970
with total 198 aircraft built.
Development of various projects designated Tu-28A, Tu-28-80, Tu-28-100, Tu-138, and Tu-148 were attempted by the Tupolev Design Bureau but finally abandoned.
. Through 1980s, the units armed with Tu-128 were being converted to Mikoyan MiG-31
.
Tu-128 (also known as Tu-28; 'Fiddler-B')
Tu-128UT (also known as Tu-28UT)
Tu-128M
Tu-28-80
Tu-28-100
Tu-138
Tu-148
|related=
|similar aircraft=
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}}
NATO reporting name
NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...
Fiddler) was a long-range interceptor aircraft
Interceptor aircraft
An interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent missions of enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Interceptors generally rely on high speed and powerful armament in order to complete their mission as quickly as possible and set up...
introduced by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in the 1960s. The official designation was Tu-128, but this designation was less commonly used in the West. It was the largest and heaviest fighter ever in service.
Background
In 1950s Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
sought the means to defend against the nuclear-armed American bombers possibly penetrating its borders (especially its long and vulnerable northern border). Contemporary interceptors, even the Yakovlev Yak-28P, were able to cover a radius of a few hundred kilometers; the newly-developed surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
s had even shorter range. Considering both, the sheer numbers required to defend a 5,000 km air frontThe geographical distance
Geographical distance
Geographical distance is the distance measured along the surface of the earth. The formulae in this article calculate distances between points which are defined by geographical coordinates in terms of latitude and longitude.-An abstraction:...
between Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
and Anadyr (town)
Anadyr (town)
Anadyr is a port town and the administrative centre of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, the extreme north-eastern region of Russia. It is at the mouth of the Anadyr River, on the tip of the southern promontory that sticks out into Anadyrskiy Liman...
is 4,911 km. were economically impossible to maintain. This left Soviet Union able to provide a modern air defense only for selected valuable areas. The PVO
Soviet Anti-Air Defense
The Soviet Air Defence Forces was the air defense branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. It continued being a service branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation from 1991 to 1998. Unlike Western air defense forces, V-PVO was a branch of the military unto itself, separate from the Soviet...
decided to cover entire territory, but with a more loose defense. In 1955
1955 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1955:- Events :* The United Kingdoms first atomic bomber unit, the Royal Air Forces No. 138 Squadron, becomes operational, flying Vickers Valiants.-January:...
it placed a requirement for a large area-defense interceptor, that would achieve it with sparseFor example in 1972
1972 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1972:- Events :* Early in the year, the United States introduces the Walleye II optically guided glide bomb into service, employing it in the Vietnam War. It becomes known as the "Fat Albert."-January:...
, mere six air bases provided the sole interceptor cover for almost a half of the Soviet Union (the interior between Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya
Novaya Zemlya , also known in Dutch as Nova Zembla and in Norwegian as , is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean in the north of Russia and the extreme northeast of Europe, the easternmost point of Europe lying at Cape Flissingsky on the northern island...
and Mongolian
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
border). These bases employed most of Tu-128 force (cf. B. Leonard, pp. 259-262; cf. Duffy p. 140). airbases. The PVO requirement called for a supersonic
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
aircraft with enormous fuel tanks for both a good patrol time
Endurance (aircraft)
In aviation, Endurance is the maximum length of time that an aircraft can spend in cruising flight. Endurance is sometimes erroneously equated with range. The two concepts are distinctly different: range is a measure of distance flown while endurance is a measure of time spent in the air...
and a long range, a capable radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, and the most powerful air-to-air missile
Air-to-air missile
An air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...
s possible. The first attempt, although an unsuccessful one, was a 30-tonne Lavochkin La-250 prototype, the last of the Lavochkin design bureau's aircraft.
Design and development
Tupolev
Tupolev is a Russian aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Basmanny District, Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow. Known officially as Public Stock Company Tupolev, it is the successor of the Tupolev OKB or Tupolev Design Bureau headed by the Soviet aerospace engineer A.N. Tupolev...
led development of the required aircraft based on the single prototype of unsuccessful Tu-98 supersonic bomber. The work began in 1958. The military designation was at first Tu-28, but it had been changed in 1963 to Tu-128, identical to the designation used by the OKB
OKB
OKB is a transliteration of the Russian acronym for "Опытное конструкторское бюро" - Opytnoe Konstructorskoe Byuro, meaning Experimental Design Bureau...
.
The Tu-128 had a broad, low/mid-mounted swept wing
Swept wing
A swept wing is a wing planform favored for high subsonic jet speeds first investigated by Germany during the Second World War. Since the introduction of the MiG-15 and North American F-86 which demonstrated a decisive superiority over the slower first generation of straight-wing jet fighters...
carrying the main landing gear
Landing Gear
Landing Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...
in wing-mounted pods, and slab tailplane
Tailplane
A tailplane, also known as horizontal stabilizer , is a small lifting surface located on the tail behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplanes...
s. Two Lyulka AL-7
Lyulka AL-7
|-Specifications :-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:...
F-2 turbojet engines were mounted in the fuselage. The two-man crew of pilot and navigator were seated in tandem.
The Tu-128, with its maximum weight of 43 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s, was the heaviest fighter ever to enter service. It was a pure patrol interceptor, and with its high wing loading
Wing loading
In aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing. The faster an aircraft flies, the more lift is produced by each unit area of wing, so a smaller wing can carry the same weight in level flight, operating at a higher wing loading. Correspondingly,...
, unsophisticated but reliable avionics
Avionics
Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
, and poor visibility, was doubtlessly not an agile aircraft. It was intended to only combat NATO bombers like the B-52
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
, not to dogfight with smaller aircraft.
The Bureau managed to make the initial public appearance on the 1961 Tushino air parade. Western experts, being unaware that the bulge on the belly carried various testing instruments, suspected the existence of a large ventral radar for a mixed interceptor/AWACS role. The production version lacked the bulge and had a large nose radome
Radome
A radome is a structural, weatherproof enclosure that protects a microwave or radar antenna. The radome is constructed of material that minimally attenuates the electromagnetic signal transmitted or received by the antenna. In other words, the radome is transparent to radar or radio waves...
housing a radar, known as RP-SSome sources provide radar's designation as RP-5 instead of RP-S, possibly a mistake. Smerch ('Tornado'; NATO reporting name
NATO reporting name
NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...
'Big Nose'), with a detection range of about 50 km (31 mi) and a lock-on range of about 40 km (25 mi).
Armament of the Tu-128 was four Bisnovat R-4
Bisnovat R-4
The Bisnovat R-4 was an early Soviet long-range air-to-air missile. It was used primarily as the sole weapon of the Tupolev Tu-128 interceptor, matching its RP-S Smerch radar .-History:Development of the R-4 began in 1959,...
air-to-air missile
Air-to-air missile
An air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...
s (known as K-80 during development; NATO reporting name
NATO reporting name
NATO reporting names are classified code names for military equipment of the Eastern Bloc...
AA-5 'Ash'). Usually two of them were R-4R with semi-active radar homing
Semi-active radar homing
Semi-active radar homing, or SARH, is a common type of missile guidance system, perhaps the most common type for longer-range air-to-air and surface-to-air missile systems. The name refers to the fact that the missile itself is only a passive detector of a radar signal – provided by an external ...
and two were R-4T infrared-homing missile, with the former on the outer pylons and the latter on the inner underwing pylons. There was no internal weapons bay.
Production of the Tu-128 ended in 1970
1970 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1970:-January:* January 1 – Nord-Aviation, Sud-Aviation, and SEREB merge to form SNIAS .* January 31 – Mikhail Mil dies, aged 61-February:...
with total 198 aircraft built.
Development of various projects designated Tu-28A, Tu-28-80, Tu-28-100, Tu-138, and Tu-148 were attempted by the Tupolev Design Bureau but finally abandoned.
Operational history
The Tu-128's only publicly reported combat operation was destruction of NATO reconnaissance balloons. The aircraft was long-lived, remaining in service until 19901990 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1990:- Events :*Pan American World Airways and Trans World Airlines, both in financial difficulty, transfer their coveted landing rights at London Heathrow Airport to American Airlines and United Airlines.-January:...
. Through 1980s, the units armed with Tu-128 were being converted to Mikoyan MiG-31
Mikoyan MiG-31
The Mikoyan MiG-31 is a supersonic interceptor aircraft developed to replace the MiG-25 "Foxbat". The MiG-31 was designed by the Mikoyan design bureau based on the MiG-25.-Development:...
.
Variants
Prototype of Tu-28 ('Fiddler-A')- Development test aircraft, one built. Sources differ whether its OKB designation was 98, or 128, or Tu-102. In the West, Fiddler-A was used for all the aircraft with twin ventral fins — these included a prototype and a few of initial production (perhaps two planes).
Tu-128 (also known as Tu-28; 'Fiddler-B')
- Main version, first deployed operationally in 19641964 in aviationFor the year see 1964This is a list of aviation-related events from 1964:- Events :* Chilean President Jorge Alessandri grants the Chilean Navy the authority to operate all types of aircraft without restriction...
(or 19661966 in aviationThis is a list of aviation-related events from 1966:-January:* The United States Armys helicopter assault-oriented 1st Cavalry Division begins Operation Matador to destroy North Vietnamese Army forces in Pleiku and Kon Tum Province, South Vietnam....
- sources differ). The military designation was at first Tu-28, but the existing aircraft were renamed in 1963. The full designation of entire weapon complex (aircraft, radar, missiles) was Tu-128S-4. In the Western sources, but not in Soviet, often the more precise designation of this version is mentioned as either Tu-28P or Tu-128P.
Tu-128UT (also known as Tu-28UT)
- Training version with an additional cockpit forward of the normal one, in place of a radar. 10 built and 4 converted from standard interceptors.
Tu-128M
- A 1979 modernization of almost all existing aircraft for better interception at a low altitude. Development originated in 1970. Engines and airframe was not altered. The full designation of entire weapon complex was Tu-128S-4M. It contained a new RP-SM Smerch-M radar, and new missile set: R-4RM plus R-4TM.
Abandoned
Tu-28A- New development, abandoned.
Tu-28-80
- Development designation, abandoned.
Tu-28-100
- Development designation, abandoned.
Tu-138
- New development, abandoned.
Tu-148
- New development, abandoned.
Specifications (Tu-128)
Contemporary Soviet fighters
- Mikoyan-Guryevich MiG-21, a short-range general-purpose fighter
- Sukhoi Su-15Sukhoi Su-15The Sukhoi Su-15 was a twin-engined supersonic interceptor developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s to replace the Sukhoi Su-11, which was becoming obsolete as the United States and Britain introduced newer and more capable strategic bombers...
, a short-range interceptor - Yakovlev Yak-28P, a medium-range interceptor
Contemporary U.S. strategic bombers
- North American A-5 Vigilante
- Boeing B-47 Stratojet
- Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
- Convair B-58 Hustler
|related=
- Tupolev Tu-22Tupolev Tu-22The Tupolev Tu-22 was the first supersonic bomber to enter production in the Soviet Union. Manufactured by Tupolev, the Tu-22 entered service with the Soviet military in the 1960s, and the last examples were retired during the 1990s...
bomber - Tupolev Tu-98 bomber
|similar aircraft=
- Lavochkin La-250, the previous unsuccessful project
- F-101B Voodoo
- North American XF-108 Rapier, cancelled before prototype
|lists=
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