Actually, the Ukrainian Tu-160-mass-executions only started in the late 1990s and were finished only in 2001 or 2002 if i’m not mistaken. The we-hate-russia-rhetoric was pretty much over then. The reason they were eventually scrapped, was because these weren’t considered useable anymore by the Russians. The best Tu-160s the Ukrainians had at Priluki (their Blackjack-base and the first operational Blackjack-unit in the Soviet Union) were sold back to the Russians. The other ones, most of which hadn’t even flown during the Ukrainian years, were scrapped. The scrapping was done under SALT/CFE treaties, and was sponsored by the US. The actual company to perform the foul act of chopping up those White Swans was Raytheon, also taking care of the Backfire scrappings (at Mikolajiv, Priluki and Poltava) in the Ukraine… Shame on them!
I was lucky enough to have seen all Ukrainian ones prior to the axeman’s visit, and if it weren’t for the recent delivery of a factory-fresh Blackjack to Engels, i would have had a whole ‘type’ complete in my logs. Ah well, guess another trip to the banks of the Volga is necessary… The first time i saw one (Engels, 1996) i was absolutely stunned by the size of the bird, while still being one of the most elegant Soviet aircraft i’ve ever seen. Usually i like Soviet stuff because there is a certain rudeness in their look: they just look sturdy and heavy, as if they are all capable of taking off from the most muddy Russian dirtstrips (believe me – that’s impossible. Russia has the worst mud in the world 😉 ). No so for the Blackjack. But beautiful? Definately!
Here is one of eight Ukrainian Tu-160s on it’s way to join the Russian fleet at Engels. The ninth surviving Ukrainian Blackjack should be preserved at the base museum at Poltava, although i am not sure if or how the huge aircraft was moved from Priluki (which is some 150 kilometres from Poltava).
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