Aircraft su 9. Aircraft of bad memory. Service and combat use

Literature

Su-9 (Su-11)

Among the jet aircraft built in the first post-war years, a single-seat front-line fighter, a light bomber of the design team headed by P.O. Sukhim, occupied a special place. From other machines of that period, the aircraft, called the Su-9, differed in that its turbojet engines were not installed in the fuselage, but on pylons under the wing, equipped with original aerodynamic sliding brakes. Su-9 ("K") - a single-seat front-line fighter and light bomber - low-wing, all-metal design, fuselage section - an oval with wing fairings, equipped with flaps. The landing gear wheels retracted into the center section to the axis of the aircraft, the bow into the fuselage. The pilot's seat is ejection. To reduce the run after landing, the designers for the first time in our country provided for the use of a special braking parachute, and to reduce the takeoff run, starting powder boosters. With two RD-10 engines (thrust of 900 kg each), the Su-9, with a total take-off weight of 6380 kg, showed in tests conducted in 1946, a speed near the ground of 847 km / h, at an altitude of 8 thousand m - up to 900 km / hour. Armament - one H-37 cannon or two - NS-23, two HP-23, bombs - two FAB-250 or one FAB-500. The duration of the flight in economy mode is 1 hour 40 minutes, the ceiling is over 12.5 km. In August 1947, the Su-9 took part in the air parade in Tushino. In the same 1947, the design team prepared for testing an experimental version of the fighter-bomber, with a slightly larger span and wing area, called the Su-11. It was the first Soviet aircraft with a turbojet engine of an original domestic design. The design of the aircraft - as in the Su-9, but with a significant difference in the scheme - the engines were raised and placed in the wing, for which its spars in these places were bent upwards in an arc around the engine. With the same dimensions, the Su-11 was equipped with more powerful TR-1 engines, which developed a thrust of 1300 kg each, which were installed in the wing. The speed of the fighter-bomber increased to 940 km / h, the ceiling to 13 km. The aircraft was produced in 1947, tests were completed in April 1948. It was not built in the series due to the factories being busy with other orders, as well as due to defects in the Lyulka engines, which were not yet serial at that time. SU-13 (KD) - like the Su-11, but the horizontal tail is swept. Differences in flight qualities are insignificant. RD-500 engines with 1590 kgf thrust. The project was developed in 1947, the aircraft was built, but was not completed and was not tested.

Year of the first flight - 1946
Crew - 1
Engine (quantity) - RD-10 (2)
Takeoff power, kg - 900
Aircraft length, m - 10.55
Wingspan of the aircraft, m - 11.2
Wing area, sq.m. – 22.2
Takeoff weight, kg - 6100
Maximum ground speed, km/h - 1047
Practical ceiling, m - 12000
Flight range, km - 1200
Landing speed, km / h - 150
Takeoff run, m - 350
Payload, kg - 1634
Armament - 1xN-37, 2xN-23 (400 shells), bombs

On October 10, 1957, the Su-9 fighter-interceptor made its first flight. He became the champion both in height and in flight speed. Record-breaking performance required the pilots to master the machine for more than 20 years, which was on guard of the state for more than 20 years.

The Elusive Spy

A conversation about the relevance and timeliness of the creation of the Su-9 fighter-interceptor must begin with a story about the American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft from Lockheed.

The development of the "American" began shortly after the start of the Cold War. It was supposed to become one of the main suppliers of intelligence information, making long flights over the most interesting regions of the USSR in terms of military infrastructure. Fly without encountering a real threat of being shot down by air defense forces.

Accordingly, when creating the aircraft, such parameters as flight altitude, range and the availability of high-resolution recording and recording equipment were given the highest priority.

The designers brilliantly solved the task set for them, making the aircraft unique in terms of aerodynamics and record-breaking low fuel consumption. In flight, he is able to fly for a long time with the engine off in glider mode. To lighten the weight and optimize the layout of the recording equipment, eccentric design techniques had to be used. For example, due to the greatly elongated nose and the pilot being in a spacesuit during takeoff, the GDP is not visible from the cockpit. And the pilot is guided by the car accompanying him.

When landing, a high level of pilot training is also required, since the U-2 uses bicycle-type landing gear. When running along the runway, it is necessary, while working with flaps, to maintain balance. When the speed drops to a certain limit, the aircraft falls onto the wing, which ends with a titanium brake ski.

The result was an aircraft with a ceiling of 21,300 meters and a range of 5,600 kilometers. The duration of the flight without PTB is six and a half hours.

The U-2 made its first reconnaissance flight in June 1956. And since then, it has become a big headache for the Soviet leadership, revealing the location of the most important military-industrial facilities. It was as a result of the U-2 deep flight that American intelligence became aware of the location of the Baikonur cosmodrome. He also recorded the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba.

Fighting overweight

The Sukhoi Design Bureau was instructed to quickly create a high-altitude interceptor that would be capable of detecting and destroying the U-2. He was required to fly at an altitude exceeding 20 thousand meters, and at the same time have a record speed.

The second requirement involved the use of a powerful engine, which would make the car heavier and lower its ceiling. This problem was partially overcome by obtaining permission from the customer to remove secondary systems. In order to reduce the weight of the aircraft to the required level, it was necessary to equip it with a new type of avionics, lighter and more compact. There were no special options. So, for example, the NII-17 MAP produced radar for aircraft. But they did not suit the designers of the high-altitude interceptor. And then it was decided to use the radar for the TsD-30 cruise missiles, which was suitable both in terms of its radar characteristics, and in size, and in weight.

After the Su-9 made its first flight on October 10, 1957, its fate was repeatedly reviewed, and it itself was subjected to modernization and refinement.

In April 1958, a decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR was issued, which prescribed the creation of an interception complex based on the Su-9. It was supposed to include the Vozdukh-1 ground-based guidance and control system and the Su-9, armed with air-to-air guided missiles. This interception system was the first in the Soviet Union.

This decision significantly increased the combat capabilities of the fighter. "Air-1" was a network of ground-based radars, data from which were sent to the guidance center. An analog computer calculated the coordinates of the target and, correlating them with the position of the interceptor aircraft, gave on board information about the course and speed of the Su-9 necessary for a successful interception. Su-9, approaching the target at a distance of up to 8 km, captured it with its radar.

One of the testers of the Su-9 in cooperation with the ground guidance system was a military pilot, a participant in the Great Patriotic War, and the future cosmonaut Georgy Timofeevich Beregovoy.

When testing the Su-9, both the pilots and the designers had a chance to encounter such flight modes and operation of aircraft systems that no one in the country has yet encountered. Since the car was the highest (20000 m) and the fastest (2250 km / h). Launching rockets at maximum speed required tremendous skill from the pilots. The operation of the air intake in afterburner modes was debugged by trial and error, when it was necessary to work on the verge of surge. During the flight run-in of the Su-9, in connection with work at previously unknown heights, it was also necessary to run in the first pressure helmet GSh-4, which created a lot of inconvenience.

Asymmetric response to an American spy

The high-altitude interceptor, so relevant for the country's air defense, began to arm units in 1959. In total, more than 1,100 aircraft were produced until 1962. At the same time, not a single Su-9 was sold abroad.

The adoption of this machine into service was very difficult. Firstly, with excellent flight qualities, this machine had significant features in control. From other jet fighters, the Su-9 was distinguished by a rapid increase in speed, which created problems regarding the timely, at speeds up to 600 km / h, retracting the landing gear during takeoff. It had an unusually high pitch increase at high altitudes. Due to the peculiarities of the engine, there was a large set of rules that had to be followed strictly when intercepting a target. Moreover, for each target (depending on its speed) and at different heights, these rules were different.

A huge problem for "fresh" pilots arose when landing a fighter. A sharp movement of the engine control lever led to a rapid drop in traction with all the ensuing sad consequences.

In addition to the problem with retraining pilots, there was another problem: the aircraft, massively introduced in parts, was not brought to mind. Already in parts, the units that underwent the necessary refinement were replaced. Therefore, brigades were formed at the manufacturing plant, which moved between air defense regiments, fixing problems and installing new units on aircraft.

By the end of 1963 the situation had returned to normal. And the pilots mastered the new car, and the car itself stopped presenting unpleasant surprises.

As for the main task that was assigned to the Su-9, it was safely forgotten in the 60s. There was only one case of a meeting between a Soviet high-altitude interceptor and an American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. It happened on May 1, 1960. Pilot Igor Mentyukov, driving a fighter from the factory and not having weapons for this reason, decided to ram at an altitude of 20,000 m. A heroic decision that required not only courage, but also remarkable health, since the pilot was without a pressure suit. However, the maneuver, fortunately for Mentyukov's relatives, failed due to an error by the ground-guided operator and a malfunction of the onboard radar. In 1960, as mentioned above, this kind of malfunction was almost in the order of things.

And with the reconnaissance aircraft piloted by Francis Powers, who later spent a couple of years in the Vladimir Central, they sorted it out with the help of anti-aircraft guns. missile system S-75 "Dvina". Subsequently, it was this complex that shot down several U-2s.

Despite the value of the maximum altitude specified in the flight characteristics of the aircraft, it was significantly exceeded by the test pilots. At the beginning of the 60s, a world altitude record was set on the Su-9 - 28857 m. And also an absolute world record for the altitude of steady horizontal flight - 21270 m. A world speed record was also set on a 500-kilometer closed route - 2337 km / h.

The Su-9 was in service with the air defense units of the country until 1981.

LTH Su-9

Length - 18 m

Height - 4.82 m

Delta wing span - 8.54 m

Wing area - 34 square meters. m

Sweep angle - 60 degrees

Empty weight - 7675 kg

Normal takeoff weight - 11442 kg

Power plant - 1xTRDF AL-7F-1

Engine thrust - 1 × 6800 kgf

Afterburner thrust - 1 × 9600 kgf

Maximum speed at altitude - 2230 km / h

Practical range - 1350 km

Range with PTB - 1800 km

Practical ceiling - 20000 m

Rate of climb - 200 m / s

Armament - 6 air-to-air missiles RS-2US or K-55 on 6 suspension points.

Snapshot at the opening of the article: all-weather fighter-interceptor Su-9 / Photo: Vitaly Arutyunov / RIA Novosti

History reference

After the restoration in 1953, P.O. Dry in the position of chief designer, work in OKB-1 (since 1954 - OKB-51) unfolded in 2 main directions: a front-line fighter and an interceptor fighter. 2 variants of the aerodynamic layout were considered: with a large swept wing (code "C") and with a delta wing of small elongation (code "T"). To speed up the design, both options had a high degree unification in constructive and layout terms. Both aircraft were based on the AL-7F engine developed by OKB-165 (chief designer A.M. Lyulka) with a declared thrust of 10000/7500 kg, there was much in common in the design of the airframe and aircraft systems, and the differences were reduced only to the design of the wing.

In the fall of 1954, a combined preliminary design delta wing aircraft. The differences in terms of layout concerned only the forward fuselage. On the interceptor, which received the designation T-3, in contrast to the T-1 front-line fighter, the Almaz sighting radar developed by NII-17 (chief designer V.V. Tikhomirov) was installed. The dimensions and design features of this station required the use of an unregulated air intake of complex shape on the interceptor. As armament, it was originally planned to use built-in cannons and the suspension of unguided rockets, but later it was decided to equip the aircraft with K-7 (K-6) guided air-to-air missiles, the design of which was carried out in OKB-134 (chief designer I. I. Toropov) and OKB-2 (chief designer P.D. Grushin), respectively.

In 1955, the construction of both versions of the aircraft began, but in the middle of the year, work on the T-1 was stopped and only the T-3 was completed. The construction was completed in the spring of 1956, on the night of April 22-23, the aircraft was transported to the LII airfield for flight tests. On May 26, 1956, test pilot V.N. Makhalin performed its first flight on it, and less than a month later, on June 24, this aircraft participated in an air parade in Tushino.

In the summer of 1956, the international situation was complicated by the start of high-altitude U-2 reconnaissance aircraft flying over the USSR. At that time, the USSR did not have weapons that ensured the reliable defeat of high-altitude targets, so the political leadership of the country set the task of finalizing the newly created fighters. This most directly influenced the entire future fate of the Sukhoi Design Bureau interceptor, because. in addition to the requirements to increase the altitude of the aircraft, it was decided to launch the T-3 in a series at the aircraft plant number 153 in Novosibirsk. Preparations for the release of the T-3 in Novosibirsk, according to the order of the MAP, had already been underway since the end of 1955; set design documentation was transferred to the plant in January 1956.

Factory tests of the T-3 lasted more than a year. In the summer of 1957, the second experimental aircraft, the PT-7, designed to test missile weapons, went on trials. The tests were rather difficult, the most serious problem was lack of knowledge power plant with AL-7F engine. It was necessary to provide large margins for the stability of the engine compressor in terms of surge. Work in this direction led to the conclusion that it is necessary to install an adjustable air intake.

By September 1957, the experimental design bureau T-43 (T43-1) was manufactured at the design bureau on the basis of the first pre-series T-3 manufactured by the Novosibirsk plant, on which a more powerful AL-7F-1 engine and an axisymmetric adjustable nose air intake with a movable central conical body. On October 11, 1957, test pilot V.S. Ilyushin flew over the aircraft. T-43 quickly showed very good performance(flight altitude 21600 m, speed - more than 2200 km / h), therefore, already in November 1957, it was decided to create an interceptor on the basis of this aircraft in the version with air-to-air missiles of the K-5 type, the tests of which time have been successfully completed. In parallel with the T-43, the Design Bureau developed a variant of the T-3 layout under the designation T-47, with the placement of the Almaz radar in a large moving cone. An experimental aircraft, from among the first serial aircraft manufactured by plant No. 153, was (without a flyby) handed over to the Design Bureau, finalized, and made its first flight on January 6, 1958.

By 1958, the USSR had matured the understanding that present stage to combat enemy strike aircraft, it is required not only to increase the performance characteristics of interceptor aircraft, but to create interception complexes that include radar, guidance and control points as a ground component, and fighter-interceptors equipped with airborne radar and guided air-to-air missiles as an air component -air". All this was combined into a complex with the help of automated system control and guidance. On April 16, 1958, a government decree was issued, according to which OKB P.O. Sukhoi, as the lead executor, was given the task of creating two air interception systems on the basis of the T-3: T-3-51 and T-3-8M.

The T-3-51 interception complex was created on the basis of the T-43 carrier aircraft, on which the TsD-30 radar developed by KB-1 (chief designer A.A. Kolosov) and 4 relatively simple K-51 missiles guided by a radio beam ( K-5MS) developed by OKB-2. As part of the T-3-8M, the T-47 was used as a carrier. It was equipped with the Orel radar developed by OKB-339 (chief designer G.M. Kunyavsky), and as weapons - 2 K-8M missiles developed by OKB-4 (chief designer M.R. Bisnovat), equipped with thermal and semi-active radar GOS. Both complexes were based on a ground-based guidance system of the Vozdukh-1 type. To speed up the development of new interceptors, it was decided to use in the test program not 2, but 6 prototype aircraft at once, for the production of which a serial plant in Novosibirsk was connected.

The first experimental aircraft intended for testing the T-3-51 complex were flown almost simultaneously, at the end of May 1958: T43-2 at the LII airfield, and T43-3 at the plant in Novosibirsk. Factory tests of the T-43 were carried out from May to December 1958, and state joint tests (GSI) - from December 1958 to April 1960. G.T. Beregovoy (future pilot-cosmonaut), and the state commission during the tests was headed by deputy. Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, Colonel-General of Aviation F.A. Agaltsov. Tests of the T-43 were quite difficult, one of the main problems, as before, was the lack of knowledge of the power plant: at first, there were frequent cases of surging of the AL-7F-1 engine. It was possible to radically solve the problem only after the so-called installation was worked out on the experimental T43-1. bypass flaps and a special automatic air intake control system ESUV-1. With the introduction of these settings, the cases of surge during HSI no longer recur. There were also tragic victims: on July 20, 1959, an experimental aircraft T43-6 crashed, a young test pilot of the Design Bureau L.G. Kobischan. The reasons for this tragedy could not be found, among the possible errors was called technical crew when refueling the aircraft oxygen system.

The act of state tests was signed by members of the commission on April 9-10 and approved by the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, Chief Marshal of Aviation K.A. Vershinin on April 23, 1960. According to the results of the CSI, the T-3-51 complex was recommended for adoption, but it turned out that the end of the interceptor tests coincided with the next series of U-2 reconnaissance flights over the USSR. On April 9, 1960, the flight of a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft went unpunished, and Air Force combat pilots on the first serial T-43s also took part in attempts to intercept the intruder. On May 1, 1960, the air defense forces managed to shoot down a U-2, piloted by F.G. Powers. Thus, the threat of "organizational conclusions" hung over the new interceptor, which had just successfully completed the GSI, the Aircraft was "rehabilitated" only thanks to the conclusions of an authoritative commission that arrived at the scene from the center. The reason for the failure of combatant pilots was the weak skills of the flight crew and ignorance of the modes of use of the interceptor, which was associated solely with the short period of practical development of the new aircraft. In September 1960, the T-43 on the basis of the airfield in Krasnovodsk underwent military tests, after which, by a government decree of October 15, 1960, the T-3-51 interception complex was put into service under the designation Su-9-51. The complex included: Su-9 (T-43) fighter-interceptor with standard RP-9U (TsD-30) radar and RS-2US (K-5MS) missiles.

Serial production of the T-43 has been launched at the plant in Novosibirsk since 1958. Since 1959, aircraft factory No. 30 in Moscow was connected to the production of the aircraft. In total, from 1957 to 1962, 1066 Su-9 aircraft were built at 2 factories. In the summer of 1959, retraining for a new interceptor for the flight personnel of the Air Force and Air Defense Aviation of the USSR began. Pilots were the first in the aviation of the Air Defense Forces to retrain on the T-43 training center aviation of the air defense forces at the base of the airfield in Tolmachevo (Novosibirsk); Pilots of the 4th PPI of the Air Force were trained at the airfield in Mozdok. The first production aircraft began to arrive in combat units in the fall of 1959. The air regiments based at the airfields of Stryi, Goncharovka, Tolmachevo and Kilp-Yavr were the first to be put into service with the T-43. In the spring of 1960, all T-43s received by the Air Force were transferred to the Air Defense Forces, thus, from 1960 until the end of operation in 1980, the Su-9 were in service only with the USSR Air Defense Forces. During the period of maximum deployment in the first half of the 60s, Su-9s were in service with 27 air defense fighter regiments. By 1967, on the Su-9, in addition to the RS-2US, K-55 (R-55) missiles equipped with IK-GOS were tested, after which the entire fleet of combat vehicles was finalized for their use.

For the training of combatant pilots, the Design Bureau designed and built a combat training version of the aircraft (factory code U-43). The first experimental aircraft U43-1 was assembled at the design bureau on the basis of the serial T-43 produced by the Moscow aircraft factory, the first flight was made by test pilot E.K. Kukushev made it on January 25, 1961. Factory tests were carried out in a short time, in 4 months, and state tests were completed in December 1961. Serial production was carried out at plant No. 30 in 1961-62, a total of 50 pieces were produced. Su-9U.

T-47 interceptors for testing the T-3-8M interception complex were finalized at the design bureau on the basis of experimental and first serial T-3s manufactured by the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant. The first experimental aircraft was the T47-3, modified from the PT-7. The assembly of the aircraft was completed in November, and the flight was completed on December 27, 1958. Later, 5 more experimental aircraft were connected in series to the tests of the T-3-8M complex. Factory tests of the new interceptor were completed in October 1959, and state joint tests of the T-3-8M complex began in November. As in the case of the first interception complex, the state commission was headed by Colonel General of Aviation F.A. Agaltsov.

State tests were carried out in 2 stages: from November 1959 to May 1960 and from May 1960 to May 1961. Improvements were promptly made to the design of the aircraft during the tests. So, for example, to improve the accelerating characteristics of the T-47, a more powerful AL-7F-2 engine was installed on it, and to increase the flight range, additional fuel tanks were installed in the rear fuselage and in the wing. The most difficult issue that was resolved during the CSI was the development of K-8M self-guided missiles. The act based on the results of the CSI was signed on May 25, 1961 and approved by the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force on July 8, 1961, the aircraft as part of the interception complex was recommended for adoption. A day later, on July 9, 1961, the T-47, along with other latest Soviet aircraft, was publicly demonstrated for the first time during an air parade in Tushino. In the autumn of 1961, it was decided to launch the aircraft in a series at the plant in Novosibirsk in 1962 to replace the Su-9. The T-3-8M interception complex was adopted by a government decree of February 5, 1962 under the designation Su-11-8M. At the same time, the T-47 fighter-interceptor received the official designation Su-11, the Orel radar became known as RP-11, and the K-8M missiles - R-8MR (in the variant with semi-active CGS) and R-8MT (with passive TGS) .

The further fate of the Su-11 was less rosy. The serial production of the aircraft, which began at the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant in the summer of 1962, was soon sharply limited, and later practically curtailed in favor of the Yak-28P interceptor designed by OKB-115 (general designer A.S. Yakovlev). The reason was the well-founded claims for the low reliability of Sukhoi interceptors, demonstrated by them at the initial stage of rearmament. The increased accident rate of the Su-9 was due to the low reliability of the engines, so the designers of OKB-51, together with OKB-165 (A.M. Lyulka), had to make considerable efforts in the future to rehabilitate their products. As a result, by the mid-60s, the aircraft of the OKB P.O. Dry in terms of accidents reached the average. But the fate of the Su-11 by that time was a foregone conclusion: its release was limited to only 110 aircraft. These machines began to enter service in the summer of 1964. The first combat unit to receive the Su-11 was a fighter regiment based near Astrakhan. In total, in the period 1964-80. As part of the Su-11 air defense forces, 3 fighter regiments were armed.

In the early 60s, the Su-9 and Su-11 became the first fighters in the USSR to be part of the created aviation interception systems. In the future, this direction, including as the main priorities, automation of control and guidance, became predominant in the creation of each new aviation complex in the Air Defense Forces. It should also be noted that for their time, the Su-9 and Su-11 fighters were quite modern aircraft, providing a high level of flight performance and armed with guided missile weapons. Until the end of the 60s, i.e. before the MiG-25, Su-9 and Su-11 entered service, they were the highest and fastest interceptors in the country's air defense system. Proof of this is a series of altitude and speed records set by the pilots of the OKB V.S. Ilyushin, A.A. Koznov and the pilot of the GNIKI VVS B.M. Adrianov in 1959-62. on experimental aircraft T-431 and T-405.

In the 60s and 70s, the Su-9 was widely used as a flying laboratory (LL), among the most interesting machines should be noted:

· LL on the basis of the Su-9U for testing promising means of ejection. 2 such machines were built - one each for the Air Force GNIK and for the LII.

· LL "100L" based on the Su-9 for testing the aerodynamic wing layout for the T-4 aircraft. On this aircraft during 1967-69. tests were carried out on various variants of the wing with an influx.

LL "L.02-10" based on the Su-9 for testing the system of direct control of the lateral force, etc.

Flight performance

The latest best military aircraft of the Air Force of Russia and the world photos, pictures, videos about the value of a fighter aircraft as a combat weapon capable of providing "air supremacy" was recognized by the military circles of all states by the spring of 1916. This required the creation of a special combat aircraft that surpasses all others in terms of speed, maneuverability, altitude and the use of offensive small arms. In November 1915, Nieuport II Webe biplanes arrived at the front. This is the first aircraft built in France, which was intended for air combat.

The most modern domestic military aircraft in Russia and the world owe their appearance to the popularization and development of aviation in Russia, which was facilitated by the flights of Russian pilots M. Efimov, N. Popov, G. Alekhnovich, A. Shiukov, B. Rossiysky, S. Utochkin. The first began to appear domestic cars designers J. Gakkel, I. Sikorsky, D. Grigorovich, V. Slesarev, I. Steglau. In 1913, the heavy aircraft "Russian Knight" made its first flight. But one cannot fail to recall the first aircraft creator in the world - Captain 1st Rank Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky.

Soviet military aircraft of the USSR of the Great Patriotic War sought to hit the enemy troops, his communications and other objects in the rear with air strikes, which led to the creation of bomber aircraft capable of carrying a large bomb load over considerable distances. The variety of combat missions to bombard enemy forces in the tactical and operational depth of the fronts led to the understanding of the fact that their performance should be commensurate with the tactical and technical capabilities of a particular aircraft. Therefore, the design teams had to resolve the issue of specialization of bomber aircraft, which led to the emergence of several classes of these machines.

Types and classification, the latest models of military aircraft in Russia and the world. It was obvious that it would take time to create a specialized fighter aircraft, so the first step in this direction was to try to equip existing aircraft with small arms offensive weapons. Mobile machine-gun mounts, which began to equip the aircraft, required excessive efforts from the pilots, since the control of the machine in a maneuverable battle and the simultaneous firing of an unstable weapon reduced the effectiveness of fire. The use of a two-seat aircraft as a fighter, where one of the crew members played the role of a gunner, also created certain problems, because an increase in the weight and drag of the machine led to a decrease in its flight qualities.

What are the planes. In our years, aviation has made a big qualitative leap, expressed in a significant increase in flight speed. This was facilitated by progress in the field of aerodynamics, the creation of new more powerful engines, structural materials, and electronic equipment. computerization of calculation methods, etc. Supersonic speeds have become the main modes of fighter flight. However, the race for speed also had its negative sides - the takeoff and landing characteristics and the maneuverability of aircraft deteriorated sharply. During these years, the level of aircraft construction reached such a level that it was possible to start creating aircraft with a variable sweep wing.

Combat aircraft of Russia for further growth jet fighter flight speeds exceeding the speed of sound, it was necessary to increase their power-to-weight ratio, increase the specific characteristics of turbojet engines, and also improve the aerodynamic shape of the aircraft. For this purpose, engines with an axial compressor were developed, which had smaller frontal dimensions, higher efficiency and better weight characteristics. For a significant increase in thrust, and hence the flight speed, afterburners were introduced into the engine design. The improvement of the aerodynamic forms of aircraft consisted in the use of wings and empennage with large sweep angles (in the transition to thin delta wings), as well as supersonic air intakes.

In the early 50s, a large-scale confrontation, which historians would later call the Cold War, was only gaining momentum. The space age with its spy satellites had not yet begun, so reconnaissance aircraft were engaged in collecting information about the enemy, and the Americans had a significant advantage in the field of creating such devices. They regularly invaded Soviet airspace, operating at high altitudes, and the Soviet air defense forces could not do anything about it. A high-altitude high-speed interceptor aircraft was needed, capable of hitting air targets at altitudes of more than 20 km ...

Naturally, the country's leadership knew about these flights, and, of course, such facts could not but cause him anxiety and irritation. Therefore, on August 25, 1956, a government decree was issued in which all "fighter" design bureaus should increase the altitude of promising machines. This call was heeded by Soviet aircraft manufacturers - a little more than a year later, the Su-9, the first domestic high-altitude fighter-interceptor, took off into the air. And it was not just a combat vehicle: the Su-9 aircraft was part of an interception complex, which also included ground-based radar stations and a powerful computer for data processing.

This machine was developed at the Sukhoi Design Bureau and put into service in 1960. The Su-9 fighter-interceptor served the country faithfully for more than twenty years, guarding its peaceful skies. It was taken out of service only in 1981 and replaced by more modern MiG-23 and Su-15. The Su-9 fighter became one of the first domestic jet aircraft with a delta wing. The production of the machine was established at the Novosibirsk aircraft plant No. 153 and plant No. 23 (Moscow). The release of the Su-9 continued until 1962, in total about 1150 aircraft were manufactured. You can also add that the Su-9 has several world records for altitude and speed. These machines were not exported.

This aircraft should not be confused with the other Su-9, which Sukhoi Design Bureau began to develop during the war years. It was a twin-engine jet fighter-bomber that made its first flight in 1946. However, it was never put into service, and the only prototype created was decommissioned.

The brightest page in the biography of the Su-9 is the confrontation with the famous American reconnaissance aircraft Lockheed U-2, which regularly flew over Soviet territory. The Su-9 interceptor participated in the famous story of shooting down the U-2, at the helm of which was Henry Powers, but at that time he could not destroy the intruder.

A story about this aircraft would be incomplete without mentioning its high accident rate. Throughout the entire period of operation of the Su-9, air crashes pursued. It is likely that this machine is the "leader" in terms of the number of pilots killed and the number of emergency situations.

The history of the Su-9 fighter-interceptor

Work on the creation of a Soviet high-altitude fighter-interceptor began much earlier than the release of a government decree in 1956. In 1953, after a three-year break, the work of the Sukhoi Design Bureau was resumed, and on June 15 of the same year, the Resolution of the Council of Ministers on the creation of new types front-line fighters with a swept and triangular wing and the development of a new AL-7 engine with a thrust of 7700 kg.

In the Sukhoi Design Bureau, work was going on in parallel on two machines: the future Su-7 fighter with a swept wing and the Su-9, which had a triangular wing. The military put forward the following requirements for it: ceiling - 19-20 km, maximum speed- 1900 km / h, 15 km, the new aircraft had to gain 5 minutes, and the flight range at this altitude should have corresponded to 1600 km.

During this period, the leadership of the country and personally General Secretary Khrushchev was seriously concerned about the regular flights of American reconnaissance aircraft in Soviet airspace. The USSR was a closed country in which it was very difficult for American intelligence to work, so the US intelligence agencies paid great attention to improving spy planes.

In 1957, the US Air Force adopted the Lockheed U-2, one of the most advanced reconnaissance aircraft of the period. cold war. This machine had unique aerodynamic characteristics and had a record low fuel consumption, which allowed the U-2 to “hang” in the air for hours and explore vast expanses in the depths of the Soviet Union. Moreover, this machine had such a flight altitude that the country's air defense could not do anything with it. The MiG-19SV fighter-interceptor (“SV” means “high-speed, high-altitude”) could not solve this problem. Roughly speaking, for a long time, the U-2 Dragon Lady was invulnerable to any means of destruction possessed by the Soviet armed forces ...

The situation was so intolerable that in 1956 an expanded meeting of the Central Committee of the CPSU was convened on this issue, to which the military and representatives of the military-industrial complex of the country were invited. The result of this meeting was another resolution, which ordered a significant increase in the altitude of promising fighters. In particular, the Sukhoi Design Bureau was supposed to increase the ceiling of the S-1 (this is the future Su-7) and T-3 (Su-9) to 21 thousand meters by installing a new AL-7F-1 engine on these aircraft and reducing their weight. To do this, they planned to remove several secondary systems from the car.

The installation of a new engine, which had a larger diameter, required a significant alteration of the tail section of the aircraft. Also on the plane, the aileron area was somewhat reduced, and the wing received the so-called influx, which was supposed to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the machine at high angles of attack. The design of the high-altitude fighter was completed by December 1956, after which the drawings were transferred to Novosibirsk to plant No. 153.

The start of test flights was delayed due to the lack of a new AL-7F-1 engine; its prototype was received only on October 1, 1957. It was installed as soon as possible, and already on October 10, the future Su-9 took to the air for the first time. Already during the third flight, the car managed to reach a height of 21 thousand meters, and a little later, a speed of 2200 km / h. This was immediately reported personally to Khrushchev.

But the altitude and speed characteristics alone were not enough, the aircraft also needed an effective radar station and this has become a major problem. At that time in the USSR, only one organization, NII-17, was engaged in the creation of radars for aircraft, but all the radar options that it could offer did not suit the aircraft builders. They either did not fit in their characteristics, or were too heavy. Therefore, the TsD-30 radar was installed on the fighter, which was originally developed for cruise missiles, but was almost ideally suited for the Su-9 both in terms of its characteristics and mass and size parameters.

On April 16, 1958, another government decree related to the future aircraft saw the light. It ordered the creation of an interception complex on its basis, which, in addition to the fighter itself with radar and missiles, would also include the Vozdukh-1 guidance and control system. Such a decision significantly increased the combat effectiveness of the interceptor aircraft. Information about air targets was collected by ground-based radars and then transmitted to the guidance center. There, the data was processed by a powerful analog computer, and only then was it transmitted to the interceptor aircraft. From the ground, the pilot received instructions on the speed and course necessary to successfully intercept the target. And only at a distance of 8 km did the aircraft capture the target with its own radar.

The finalization of the Su-9 was difficult, especially since the designers were given a tough "deadline": to transfer the aircraft to state tests before the third quarter of 1958. The creators of the machine had to face a whole range of problems previously unknown to anyone, because in many ways this aircraft was unique. Serious debugging required the work of the air intake of the aircraft, it took place by trial and error. It was very difficult for the pilot to use the aircraft's missile weapons at maximum speeds. On October 20, 1958, the first Su-9 crash occurred: during a test flight, the engine stalled, and the pilot died during an emergency landing. The pilots had to work at previously unknown heights, so a new pressure helmet GSh-4 was created for them. His unsatisfactory work also gave the pilots a lot of inconvenience.

State tests of the machine began on December 3, 1958. On July 20, 1959, the second crash occurred, which also led to the death of the pilot. Its causes have never been found. In total, 407 flights were carried out during state tests, on April 9, 1960, the commission signed an act on the machine's compliance with all the required characteristics. On October 15, 1960, the interception complex was put into service.

Aircraft operation

It should be noted that the Su-9 began to enter combat units even before it was officially put into service. In 1960, this machine was already in service with thirty air regiments. However, even after passing the entire set of tests, the new aircraft still remained “raw”, only by 1963 the main problems of the fighter were solved. To quickly respond to the remarks of the military, special teams were even created at the plant, which traveled around the country and fixed problems right in the combat units.

Another problem was that the Su-9 began to enter the troops without a "spark", that is, without a dual-control training aircraft. They were made much later, when the Su-9 had already been mastered by the pilots. Although, it came at a high price: for the lack of a training aircraft, the pilots had to pay with their lives. At first, pilots on the Su-9 were banned aerobatics, it was only allowed in 1967.

The aircraft's main problem was its engine. Its operational reliability was low, and very often it was he who let the pilot down. In the early 60s, cases of pilots leaving the aircraft precisely because of engine failure became widespread, only a few years later this problem was partially solved. And well, if the engine failed at high altitude, then the pilot managed to eject. Stopping the engine on takeoff usually proved to be fatal for the pilot, because at that time the means of rescuing the pilot from the ground did not yet exist. However, often the cause of emergency situations was the human factor ...

Another problem of the Su-9 was the low efficiency of its engine. There was enough fuel for literally 35-40 minutes of flight. This was enough to climb 20 thousand meters, after which it was necessary to descend back. To solve this problem, two external fuel tanks with a capacity of 180 liters each were installed on the aircraft.

At the same time, the Su-9 had good flight performance. It withstood heavy g-forces, went into a spin very hard, behaved predictably during landing, was distinguished by good controllability and had great review from the cab.

The Su-11 fighter-interceptor, whose operation began in 1964, can be called a further development of the ideas embodied in the Su-9. These machines are very similar in their own way. appearance, and in terms of flight performance. However, the Su-11 eliminated many of the problems that plagued the pilots of the Su-9. In particular, the Su-11 was equipped with a new AL-7F2 engine, thanks to which the main problem of the Su-9 was eliminated. Both of these aircraft remained the highest and fastest in the Soviet Air Force until 1970 - the start of operation of the MiG-25 interceptor fighter.

Combat use of the Su-9

Almost immediately after being put into service, the Su-9 was used to combat enemy high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.

The Su-9 fighter-interceptor took part in the destruction of the American Lockheed U-2, at the helm of which was Henry Powers. It is well known that the reconnaissance aircraft was shot down by the S-75 anti-aircraft missile system, but few people know that Soviet fighters also participated in the interception of this intruder. Including the Su-9, which was piloted by captain Mentyukov. He drove the fighter from the factory to his combat unit, so he had no weapons. For the same reason, the pilot did not have a pressure suit. Despite this, the plane was sent to intercept. Mentyukov was ordered to catch up with the intruder and ram him. Without a pressure suit, this meant certain death for the pilot. However, the attack did not succeed, the radar on the Su-9 failed. By the way, when the U-2 was destroyed by an anti-aircraft missile, a MiG-19 fighter-interceptor was shot down, and another miraculously managed to avoid defeat.

Su-9s also participated in other episodes of the Cold War. They acted very effectively against high-altitude reconnaissance balloons that were launched over Soviet territory. In the late 60s, two Su-9s participated in the interception of two Iranian intruder aircraft. A rocket was even launched, but it did not hit any of the targets.

The Su-9 was set a world flight altitude record - 28857 meters. Also on this machine was set a record for the height of horizontal flight.

Description of the design of the Su-9

The fighter is made according to the normal aerodynamic scheme, with a nose air intake and one engine. The fuselage of the Su-9 is semi-monocoque, the aircraft was controlled by one pilot.

It should be noted that the tail and fuselage of the Su-9 are absolutely identical to another fighter, created in the Sukhoi Design Bureau, the Su-7. These aircraft differed only in the shape of the wing: the Su-7 had a swept wing, while the Su-9 had a triangular wing.

The fuselage of the machine can be conditionally divided into three parts: tail, cockpit compartment and nose. The latter housed an air intake equipped with a central movable cone. Behind the nose was the pilot's pressurized cabin and the nose gear niche. In the cockpit area, the air intake was divided into two sleeves, which were connected immediately behind it. The cockpit canopy consisted of an armored visor and a sliding part made of heat-resistant glass. Behind the cab was instrumentation and fuel tanks.

The engine compartment was located at the rear of the car, and the tail unit was located here, consisting of an all-moving stabilizer and a keel with a rudder.

The triangular wing of the aircraft was attached to the fuselage at four points, the angle of its sweep along the leading edge was 60 °. The mechanization of the wing consisted of an aileron and a flap.

The power plant of the fighter consisted of an AL-7F-1 engine with an afterburner and a two-position nozzle. Later, more advanced AL-7F-100, -150 and -200 engines were installed on the Su-9, which differed from the basic version in an increased resource.

The Su-9 had a retractable tricycle landing gear with a front strut. The aircraft was also equipped with a brake parachute.

The fuel system included fuselage and wing tanks, their total capacity was 3060 liters. On machines of later series, it was increased to 3780 liters. In addition, two additional external tanks could be installed on the Su-9.

Management was carried out using an irreversible booster and hydraulic systems.

The cockpit housed the KS ejection seat and the emergency canopy reset system. To ensure normal working conditions for the pilot, the Su-9 cockpit was equipped with an air conditioning system that maintains a temperature range from 10 to 20 degrees Celsius.

Su-9 had only missile armament. The plane had no cannon armament at all. At the end of the 60s, they tried to install a cannon container on the car, which was suspended instead of one of the fuel tanks. However, as a result of such a replacement, the flight range was significantly reduced, so it was decided to abandon the use of containers. Such a decision significantly reduced the combat capabilities of the vehicle in close maneuvering combat. The sight of the RP-9 fighter also caused many complaints from the pilots.

Initially, the armament consisted of four RS-2US missiles, guided by a radio beam. Later, the R-55 UR with a thermal seeker was additionally included in the arsenal of the fighter. Also, the weapon system of the aircraft included an onboard radar and a complex of control and recording equipment. The fighter could make both single missile launches and fire in a salvo consisting of two or four missiles.