I realized that before but it does not change the fact that building 500+ bombers is a pretty crazy idea..
Any weapon is a crazy idea if we are honest, killing people is acknowledged as a crime in any normal society, nevertheless as a “defensive weapon” i do not think the Tu-22M was a crazy idea and building 500 was not too complex, the Tu-22M is basicly an enlarged Su-24 with a relatively simple configuration.
It is not huge, has a fighter configuration looks quit similar to the MiG-23, Su-24 and MiG-25, contrary to the Tu-160 or B-1B has only 2 engines and a relatively small bomb bay.
The B-1B and Tu-160 used podded engines to allow the aircraft to carry lots of fuel, the Tu-22M did not, even the Tu-22 Blider carried podded engines.
A Tu-22M is just 15 meters longer than a Su-24 but carries up to 24 tonnes of weapons, having only two engines of high thrust endowed the Tu-22M with a fighter type fuselage unlike the Tu-16 which is not a high performance aircraft.
A Tu-22M is just 60% larger than a Su-24 but a Tu-160 is close to 120% larger than a Su-24 to put it in simple terms.
However it is almost as big as a B-1B but it only has two engines powering it and weights fully loaded a half of what a B-1B weights at full combat weight 😉 , therefore podded engines were not demanded, four engines demand more complex fuselages like the T-4, B-70, B-1B, B-58 or Tu-160
The fact it is powered by just two engines and is a high speed aircraft demanded a highly streamline configuration without the need of podded engines like in the Tu-160 and B-1B and like the Mirage IV a fighter like fuselage was borrowed from aircraft like the MiG-23 and Su-24. any way the dammed aircraft is plain beautiful
Source of the pictureshttp://www.testpilot.ru/russia/tupolev/145/145.htm
this weird looking beast got the Boot not long after she flown for the first time… 😀 😀 😀
The 1950s gave birth to really odd designs either in the West or in Russia.
The Anakonda is one of those designs
The La-250 was extremely beautiful for those crazy days but i consider this a odd design due to it`s swollen nose
Source of the pictures:
http://airwar.ru/enc/fighter/la250.html
The Yak-25 the Flying cigar
It`s a kind of weird design because combines a straight wing with swept tailplanes
Source of the pictures:
http://airwar.ru/enc/fighter/yak25_1.html
Some attached pictures of the An-2Fhttp://airwar.ru/enc/spy/an2f.html and the An-6 http://airwar.ru/enc/spy/an6.html
For those who like the sea monster
I just found a pic of an M2 earlier and here is the link. The airframe doesn’t look to be in great shape but at least, it gives us a good idea of what the aircraft looked like during better days.
Nice picture, you know shadow, since my childhood i have liked the Tu-22M specially the Tu-22M2 Backfire B, that is one i think one of the very early examples because it has even refuelling probe, i like the Tu-22M because it is so nice looking and perhaps the only aircraft that can destroy an aircraft carrier by it`s own beside the B-1B and the Tu-160, it is a really powerful machine, it`s like a super F-111 with esteroids, a real super Su-24.
I guess that is why it has not been exported, it is an awesome weapon
Picture Source :http://www.testpilot.ru/russia/tupolev/145/03/tu22m3.htm
Source of the picture http://www.monino.ru/index.sema?a=pages&id=18
This is one of the less than 8 MiG-23MF/ML that remain in cuban service, If anybody like to know why I say this is because number don’t lie.
MiG-23ML serial 241 at San Antonio
And here is one of the very few MiG-21BIS that remain active, less than 4.
Luis
Luisdo
That MiG-23 picture is a total beauty, one of the best MiG-23 pictures i`ve ever seen 😮
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