military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) (12/13/90)
From: ihlpm!jfb (Joseph F Baugher +1 708 713 4548) Number 29 in the series--the Tupolev Tu-22 Blinder Tupolev TU-22 Blinder Engines: Two 30,800 lb. st. (with AB) Kolesov VD-7 turbojets Performance Maximum speed: 920 mph at 36,000 feet (Mach 1.5) Service ceiling: 60,000 feet. Range: 4000 miles (all subsonic). Combat radius: 1800 miles (hi-lo-hi mission) Weights: Empty weight: 88,000 pounds Maximum Loaded weight: 184,600 pounds. Armament: One 23-mm NR-23 cannon in remotely-controlled tail turret. Two internal weapons bays in central fuselage. Internal weapons bay can carry up to 17,600 pounds of free-fall iron bombs. The Blinder B version can carry an AS-4 Kitchen missile under the fuselage. Electronics: "Down Beat" navigating/bombing radar in radome under nose. "Bee Hind" ranging radar in tail gun position. Remarks: The Blinder first appeared in public in 1961. It so impressed Western intelligence experts that they initially gave it the code name "Beauty". First supersonic bomber to enter Soviet service. Entered service with Soviet strategic aviation in 1965 and with shore-based elements of Soviet naval aviation in 1967. Swept wing aircraft with two turbojet engines mounted in pods above the rear fuselage. Most aircraft have a partially-retractable inflight refueling probe in the nose. Tandem seating for the crew of three. Design bureau designation is Tu-105. The Blinder has supersonic dash capability, but normally cruises at subsonic speeds. Blinder A is bomber version carrying iron bombs only. Blinder B is missile carrying version. Blinder C is photo recon version with six cameras fittted in the weapons bay plus verious electronic gear. Blinder D is trainer version with raised rear cockpit with dual controls for an instructor (replacing the radar observer's position). Earliest versions entered service with Soviet Air Force in 1962. Missile-armed aircraft appeared in Soviet Air Force in 1967. The AS-4 Kitchen is a stand-off antiship missile that was first seen in 1961. The misssile is powered by a turbojet engine. The missile is launched at medium altitudes, and then climbs steeply to achieve a high cruise altitude and speeds up to Mach 3.5. Inertial guidance directs the missile to the vicinity of the target. Once near the target, the missile then dives steeply toward the target, relying on active radar homing for the final approach. The range is up to 250 nautical miles. Either a nuclear or a conventional 2200-lb high explosive warhead can be carried. The Kitchen standoff missile is carried only by B version of the Blinder series. Soviet Naval Aviation Blinders carry only iron bombs. Less than 200 built before production ended in 1969. Was less successful than expected, and did not replace the Badger as was originally planned. Blinders have been transferred to Libya and to Iraq. I think that the Iraqi Blinders have iron bomb capabilty only. I don't think that any Kitchen antiship missiles were supplied to Iraq. Sources: Guide to the Soviet Navy, Norman Polmar, Arms and Armor Series, 1986. The Observer's Book of Aircraft, William Green. Joe Baugher ****************************************** AT&T Bell Laboratories * "I don't think that it was any * 200 Park Plaza * electrostatic anything. I think * Naperville, Illinois 60566-7050 * that somebody wants us to stay away * (708) 713 4548 * from Europa." * ihlpm!jfb ****************************************** jfb200@cbnewsd.att.com Who, me? Speak for AT&T? Surely you jest!