Su 9 first. Passenger aircraft Su9: characteristics, interior layout, varieties, history of creation

Other 06.03.2020

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In the early 50s, a large-scale confrontation, which historians would later call the Cold War, was just gaining momentum. The space age with its spy satellites had not yet begun, so reconnaissance aircraft were collecting information about the enemy, and the Americans had a significant advantage in the creation of such devices. They regularly invaded Soviet airspace, operating at high altitudes, and the USSR air defense forces could do nothing about it. What was needed was a high-altitude, high-speed interceptor aircraft 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 help but cause concern and irritation. Therefore, on August 25, 1956, a government decree was issued in which all “fighter” design bureaus increased the altitude of promising vehicles. 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. 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 entered service in 1960. The Su-9 interceptor fighter has faithfully served the country for more than twenty years, protecting its peaceful skies. It was only withdrawn from service in 1981 and replaced by more modern MiG-23 and Su-15.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). Production of the Su-9 continued until 1962; in total, about 1,150 aircraft were produced. You can also add that the Su-9 holds several world records for altitude and speed. These machines were not exported.

This aircraft should not be confused with the other Su-9, which the Sukhoi Design Bureau began developing during the war. 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 scrapped.

The most striking 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 took part in the famous story of the downing of the U-2, at the helm of which was Henry Powers, but at that time it was unable to destroy the intruder.

A story about this aircraft would be incomplete without mentioning its high accident rate. Throughout its operational life, the Su-9 was plagued by plane crashes. It is likely that this machine is the “leader” in the number of pilot lives lost and the number of emergency situations.

The history of the creation of the Su-9 interceptor fighter

Work on the creation of a Soviet high-altitude fighter-interceptor began much earlier than the government decree of 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, a Decree of the Council of Ministers appeared on the creation of new types of front-line fighters with swept and triangular wings and the development of a new AL-7 engine with a thrust of 7700 kg.

At the Sukhoi Design Bureau, work was underway on two machines in parallel: the future Su-7 fighter with a swept wing and the Su-9, which had a triangular wing. The military set the following requirements for it: ceiling - 19-20 km, maximum speed– 1900 km/h, 15 km the new aircraft had to reach 5 minutes, and the flight range at this altitude had to correspond to 1600 km.

During this period, the country's leadership and Secretary General Khrushchev personally were 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 US intelligence agencies paid great attention improving spy planes.

In 1957, the Lockheed U-2, one of the most advanced reconnaissance aircraft of the period, was adopted by the American Air Force. Cold War. This machine had unique aerodynamic characteristics and had record low fuel consumption, which allowed the U-2 to “hang” in the air for hours and explore vast spaces deep in the Soviet Union. Moreover, this machine had such a flight altitude that the country’s air defense could not do anything about 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 weapons possessed by the Soviet armed forces...

The situation was so intolerable that in 1956 an extended meeting of the CPSU Central Committee was convened on this issue, to which the military and representatives of the country's military-industrial complex 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 minor systems from the car.

Installing a new engine, which had a larger diameter, required significant modifications to the tail section of the aircraft. Also on the plane, the area of the ailerons was slightly reduced, and the wing received a so-called flap, which was supposed to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft 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 in the shortest possible time and already on October 10, the future Su-9 took off 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 to Khrushchev personally.

But altitude and speed characteristics alone were not enough; the aircraft also needed an effective radar station, and this became a serious problem. At that time, in the USSR, only one organization was involved in the creation of radars for aircraft - NII-17, but all the radar options that it could offer did not suit aircraft manufacturers. They either did not fit the specifications 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 its characteristics and in terms of weight and size parameters.

On April 16, 1958, another government decree related to the future aircraft was issued. It ordered the creation of an interception complex on its base, 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 combat effectiveness interceptor aircraft. Information about air targets 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 transmitted to an 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 the target was captured by the aircraft’s own radar.

The development of the Su-9 was difficult, especially since the designers were given a strict deadline: to transfer the aircraft to state tests until the third quarter of 1958. The creators of the aircraft had to face a whole range of problems previously unknown to anyone, because in many ways this aircraft was unique. The operation of the aircraft's air intake required serious debugging; it was done 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 disaster occurred: the engine stalled during a test flight, and the pilot died during an emergency landing. The pilots had to work at previously unknown heights, so a new GSh-4 pressure helmet was created for them. His unsatisfactory performance also caused a lot of inconvenience to the pilots.

State tests of the vehicle began on December 3, 1958. On July 20, 1959, a second crash occurred, which also led to the death of the pilot. Its causes were never discovered. A total of 407 flights were carried out during state tests; on April 9, 1960, the commission signed a certificate of compliance of the vehicle with all 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 arrive in combat units even before it was officially put into service. In 1960, this vehicle was already in service with thirty air regiments. However, even after passing the entire range of tests, the new aircraft still remained “raw”; only by 1963 were the main problems of the fighter solved. To promptly respond to military comments, the plant even created special teams that traveled around the country and fixed problems directly in combat units.

Another problem was that the Su-9 began to enter service without a “sparky”, that is, without a training aircraft with dual controls. They were manufactured much later, when the Su-9s were already mastered by pilots. Although, this came at a high price: the pilots had to pay with their lives for the lack of a training aircraft. At first, pilots on the Su-9 were prohibited aerobatics, it was allowed only in 1967.

The main problem of the plane 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 plane due to engine failure became widespread; only a few years later this problem was partially solved. And it’s good that if the engine failed at high altitude, then the pilot was able to eject. Stopping the engine on takeoff usually proved fatal for the pilot, because at that time there were no means of rescuing the pilot from the ground. However, often the reason emergency situations There was also a human factor...

Another problem with 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 characteristics. It withstood large overloads, was very difficult to spin, behaved predictably during landing, had good handling and had excellent visibility from the cockpit.

A further development of the ideas inherent in the Su-9 can be called the Su-11 fighter-interceptor, whose operation began in 1964. These cars 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 pilots on the Su-9. In particular, the Su-11 was equipped with a new AL-7F2 engine, which eliminated the main problem Su-9. Both of these aircraft remained the highest altitude and fastest in the Soviet Air Force until 1970, when the MiG-25 fighter-interceptor began operation.

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 interceptor fighter 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 plane was shot down by the S-75 anti-aircraft missile system, but few people know: the interception of this intruder also involved soviet fighters. Including the Su-9, which was flown by the pilot Captain Mentyukov. He was transporting the fighter from the factory to his combat unit, so it 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 was not successful; the radar on the Su-9 failed. By the way, when the U-2 was destroyed, a MiG-19 fighter-interceptor was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile; another one managed to avoid defeat only by a miracle.

Su-9s also took part in other episodes of the Cold War. They were very effective against high-altitude reconnaissance balloons that were launched over Soviet territory. At the end of the 60s, two Su-9s took part in the interception of two Iranian intruders. A missile was even launched, but it did not hit any of the targets.

The Su-9 set a world flight altitude record of 28,857 meters. This machine also set a horizontal flight altitude record.

Description of the Su-9 design

The fighter is made according to a normal aerodynamic design, 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 unit and fuselage of the Su-9 are absolutely identical to another fighter created by 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 vehicle can be divided into three parts: the tail, the cockpit compartment and the nose. The latter housed an air intake equipped with a central movable cone. Following the bow was the pilot's pressurized cabin and the nose landing gear niche. In the cabin 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. Instrumentation and fuel tanks were located behind the cabin.

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

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

The fighter's power plant consisted of an AL-7F-1 engine with an afterburner and a two-position nozzle. Later, the Su-9 was equipped with more advanced AL-7F-100, -150 and -200 engines, which differed from the basic version in their increased service life.

The Su-9 had a retractable tricycle landing gear with a nose gear. The aircraft was also equipped with a braking parachute.

Part fuel system included fuselage and wing tanks, their total capacity was 3060 liters. On later series cars it was increased to 3780 liters. In addition, the Su-9 could be equipped with two additional drop tanks.

Control was carried out using irreversible booster and hydraulic systems.

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

The Su-9 had only missile weapons. 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 they decided to abandon the use of containers. This decision significantly reduced the combat capabilities of the vehicle in close maneuver combat. The sight of the RP-9 fighter also caused a lot of criticism from the pilots.

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

Historical reference

After the restoration in 1953, P.O. Sukhoi as chief designer, work at OKB-1 (since 1954 - OKB-51) developed in 2 main directions: front-line fighter and fighter-interceptor. Two aerodynamic configuration options were considered: with a high-sweep wing (code “C”) and with a triangular wing of low aspect ratio (code “T”). To speed up the design, both options had a high degree of unification in design and layout. Both aircraft were based on the AL-7F engine developed by OKB-165 (chief designer A.M. Lyulka) with a stated thrust of 10,000/7,500 kg; there was much in common in the airframe design and aircraft systems, and the differences were limited only to the wing design.

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

In 1955, construction began on both versions of the aircraft, but in the middle of the year work on the T-1 was stopped and only the T-3 was completed. 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 the first flight on it, and less than a month later, on June 24, this plane took part in the 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 could reliably defeat high-altitude targets, so the country's political leadership set the task of refining the newly created fighters. This had a direct impact on the entire future fate interceptor from the Sukhoi Design Bureau, because In addition to the requirements to increase the altitude of the aircraft, it was decided to launch the T-3 into series at aircraft plant No. 153 in Novosibirsk. Preparations for the production of the T-3 in Novosibirsk, in accordance with the order of the MAP, had already been carried out since the end of 1955; set design documentation was transferred to the plant in January 1956.

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

By September 1957, the OKB, on the basis of the first pre-production T-3 produced by the Novosibirsk plant, produced the experimental T-43 (T43-1) aircraft, which was equipped with 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 performed a flyby of the aircraft. The T-43 quickly showed very good characteristics (flight altitude 21,600 m, speed - more than 2,200 km/h), so already in November 1957 it was decided to create an interceptor on the basis of this aircraft in a version with air-to-air missiles. type K-5, tests of which by that time had been successfully completed. In parallel with the T-43, the OKB developed a variant of the T-3 layout under the designation T-47, with the Almaz radar located in a moving cone big size. The prototype aircraft, one of the first production aircraft produced by plant No. 153, was (without a flyby) transferred to the Design Bureau, modified, and made its first flight on January 6, 1958.

By 1958, the USSR had matured the understanding that modern stage To combat enemy strike aircraft, it is necessary not only to increase the performance characteristics of interceptor aircraft, but to create interception complexes that include radars, guidance and control points as a ground component, and fighter-interceptors equipped with airborne radar and air-to-air guided missiles as an air component. -air". All this was combined into a complex using automated system control and guidance. On April 16, 1958, a government decree was issued, according to which OKB P.O. Sukhoi, as the lead contractor, was tasked with creating two aircraft interception systems based on 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 radio-guided K-51 missiles were installed ( K-5MS) developed by OKB-2. The T-3-8M used the T-47 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 GSN. 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 involve 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 prototype 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 (GST) from December 1958 to April 1960. G.T. was appointed as the leading test pilot from the Air Force State Scientific Research Institute for conducting state tests. Beregovoi (future cosmonaut), and the state commission during testing was headed by Deputy. Air Force Commander-in-Chief, Aviation Colonel General F.A. Agaltsov. Testing the T-43 was quite difficult; one of the main problems, as before, was the lack of development of the power plant: at first there were frequent cases of surge in the AL-7F-1 engine. It was possible to radically solve the problem only after the so-called installation was tested on the experimental T43-1. bypass flaps and special automatic system regulation of the air intake ESUV-1. With the introduction of these installations, cases of surge during the GSI were no longer repeated. There were also tragic casualties: on July 20, 1959, the experimental T43-6 aircraft crashed, killing the young OKB test pilot L.G. Kobischan. The reasons for this tragedy could not be found; among the possible reasons, an error was named by the technical crew when refueling the oxygen system of the aircraft.

The state test report was signed by members of the commission on April 9-10 and approved by the Air Force Commander-in-Chief, Air Chief Marshal K.A. Vershinin on April 23, 1960. According to the results of the GSI, 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 high-altitude reconnaissance flight went unpunished, and Air Force combat pilots flying the first production T-43 also took part in attempts to intercept the intruder. On May 1, 1960, air defense forces managed to shoot down a U-2 piloted by F.G. using the S-75 air defense system in the area of Sverdlovsk. 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 on the spot from the center. The reason for the failure of the combat pilots was the weak skills of the flight personnel and ignorance of the operating modes of the interceptor, which was associated exclusively with the short period of practical development of the new aircraft. In September 1960, the T-43 underwent military tests at the airfield in Krasnovodsk, after which, by 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: a Su-9 (T-43) fighter-interceptor with a 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 plant No. 30 in Moscow was involved in 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 of the USSR Air Force and Air Defense Aviation personnel for the new interceptor began. Pilots were the first in the air defense aviation to retrain on the T-43 training center air defense aviation based at the airfield in Tolmachevo (Novosibirsk); pilots of the 4th Air Force TsBP were trained at the airfield in Mozdok. The first production aircraft began to arrive in combat units in the fall of 1959. The first to receive the T-43 were air regiments based at the airfields of Stryi, Goncharovka, Tolmachevo and Kilp-Yavr. 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 service in 1980, the Su-9s 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 an IR seeker were tested, after which the entire existing fleet of combat vehicles was modified for their use.

To train combat pilots, the OKB designed and built a combat training version of the aircraft (factory code U-43). The first prototype U43-1 aircraft was assembled at the OKB on the basis of the serial T-43 produced by the Moscow aircraft plant; the first flight was by OKB test pilot E.K. Kukushev flew it on January 25, 1961. Factory tests were carried out in a short time, within 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 units were produced. Su-9U.

T-47 interceptors for testing the T-3-8M interception complex were modified at the Design Bureau on the basis of experimental and first production T-3s produced by the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant. The first experimental aircraft was the T47-3, modified from the PT-7. Assembly of the aircraft was completed in November, and the flight was completed on December 27, 1958. Subsequently, 5 more prototype aircraft were sequentially connected to testing 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. Directly during the tests, improvements were quickly made to the aircraft design. For example, to improve the acceleration characteristics of the T-47, a more powerful AL-7F-2 engine was installed, and to increase the flight range, additional fuel tanks were installed in the rear fuselage and in the wing. The most difficult issue resolved during the GSI was the testing of K-8M homing missiles. The act based on the results of the GSI 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 newest Soviet aircraft, was publicly demonstrated for the first time during an air parade in Tushino. In the fall of 1961, it was decided to launch the aircraft into series production at the plant in Novosibirsk in 1962 to replace the Su-9. The T-3-8M interception system was adopted by government decree of February 5, 1962 under the designation Su-11-8M. At the same time, the T-47 interceptor fighter received the official designation Su-11, the Eagle radar became known as RP-11, and the K-8M missiles became known as R-8MR (in the version with a semi-active RGS) and R-8MT (with a passive TGS) .

The further fate of the Su-11 was less rosy. 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 well-founded claims about the low reliability of Sukhoi interceptors, demonstrated by them at initial stage rearmament. The increased accident rate of the Su-9 was explained by the low reliability of the engines, so the designers of OKB-51 together with OKB-165 (A.M. Lyulka) had to subsequently make considerable efforts to rehabilitate their products. As a result, by the mid-60s the aircraft of OKB P.O. Sukhoi in terms of accident rates reached the average statistical indicators. But the fate of the Su-11 was predetermined by that time: its production was limited to only 110 aircraft. These vehicles began entering service in the summer of 1964. The first combat unit to receive the Su-11 was a fighter regiment based near Astrakhan. In total, during the period 1964-80. As part of the air defense forces, 3 fighter aviation regiments were armed with Su-11s.

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. Subsequently, this direction, including automation of control and guidance as the main priorities, became predominant in the creation of each new aviation complex as part of the air defense forces. It should also be noted that for their time, the Su-9 and Su-11 fighters were completely modern aircraft, providing a high level of flight performance and being armed with guided missile weapons. Until the end of the 60s, i.e. Before entering service, the MiG-25, Su-9 and Su-11 were the highest altitude and fastest interceptors in the country's air defense system. Proof of this is a series of altitude and flight speed records set by pilots of the V.S. Ilyushin, A.A. Koznov and Air Force GNIK pilot B.M. Adrianov in 1959-62. on experimental aircraft T-431 and T-405.

In the 60s and 70s, Su-9s were widely used as flying laboratories (FL), among the most interesting machines it should be noted:

· LL based on the Su-9U for testing promising ejection systems. 2 such machines were built - one each for the State Research Institute of the Air Force and for the LII.

· LL “100L” based on the Su-9 to test the aerodynamic configuration of the wing for the T-4 aircraft. On this plane during 1967-69. Various variants of the influx wing were tested.

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

Flight performance

Characteristics
Number and type of engines
Thrust at maximum/afterburner, kgf
Wing span/area, m/m¤
Aircraft length with LDPE, m
Height of the aircraft when parked, m
Take-off weight normal/maximum, kg
Internal fuel reserve, kg
Maximum speed, km/h
Flight range/with PTB, km
Practical ceiling, m
Run/run length, m
DPMU/NSMU interception line, km

Armament (number and type of missiles)

Literature

Su-9 (Su-11)

Among the jet aircraft built in the first post-war years, a special place was occupied by a single-seat front-line fighter - a light bomber of the design team headed by P.O. Sukhim. The aircraft, called the Su-9, differed from other machines of that period in that its turbojet engines were installed not in the fuselage, but on pylons under the wing, equipped with original aerodynamic sliding brakes. Su-9 (“K”) is a single-seat front-line fighter and light bomber - low-wing, all-metal construction, fuselage cross-section - oval with wing fairings equipped with flaps. The landing gear wheels were retracted into the center section towards the axis of the aircraft, the nose into the fuselage. The pilot's seat is ejectable. To reduce the mileage after landing, the designers, for the first time in our country, provided for the use of a special braking parachute, and to reduce the take-off run, starting powder accelerators were used. With two RD-10 engines (900 kg thrust), the Su-9, with a full take-off weight of 6380 kg, showed in tests conducted in 1946 a ground speed of 847 km/h, at an altitude of 8 thousand m - up to 900 km/ hour. Armament - one N-37 cannon or two - NS-23, two NR-23, bombs - two FAB-250 or one FAB-500. The flight duration 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 a fighter-bomber, with a slightly on a large scale and wing area, named Su-11. It was the first Soviet aircraft with a turbojet engine of an original domestic design. The design of the aircraft is similar to the Su-9, but with a significant difference in the design - the engines were raised and placed in the wing, for which purpose its spars in these places were bent upward in an arc, bypassing the engine. With the same dimensions, the Su-11 was equipped with more powerful TR-1 engines, developing 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 series due to the factories being busy with other orders, as well as due to defects in the Lyulka engines, which were not yet in production at that time. SU-13 (KD) - like the Su-11, but the horizontal tail is swept-back. The differences in flight performance are minor. RD-500 engines with 1590 kgf of thrust. The project was developed in 1947, the aircraft was built, but was not completed and was not tested.

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

On October 10, 1957, the Su-9 interceptor fighter made its first flight. He became a record holder for both altitude and flight speed. Record performance required the pilots to master the machine for a long time, which was in state custody 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.

Development of the "American" began shortly after the start of the Cold War. It was to become one of the main suppliers of intelligence information, making long flights over the most interesting areas of the USSR from the point of view of military infrastructure. Fly without facing a real threat of being shot down by air defense forces.

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

The designers brilliantly solved the problem assigned to them, making the aircraft unique in aerodynamics and record low fuel consumption. In flight, it is capable of flying for a long time with the engine turned off in glider mode. To lighten the weight and optimize the layout of the recording equipment, it was necessary to use eccentric design techniques. For example, due to the highly elongated nose and the presence of the pilot in a spacesuit, the airfoil is not visible from the cockpit during takeoff. And the pilot focuses on the car accompanying him.

Landing also requires a high degree of pilot training, since the U-2 uses bicycle-type landing gear. When driving along the runway, it is necessary to maintain balance while operating the flaps. When the speed decreases to a certain limit, the plane falls onto the wing, which ends in a titanium brake ski.

The result was an aircraft with a ceiling of 21,300 meters and a range of 5,600 kilometers. The flight duration 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 deep flight of the U-2 that American intelligence became aware of the location of the Baikonur cosmodrome. He also recorded the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba.

The battle with excess weight

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

The second requirement required the use of a powerful engine, which would make the car heavier and lower its ceiling. This problem was partially resolved by obtaining permission from the customer to remove non-essential 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. For example, radar for aircraft was produced by NII-17 MAP. But they did not suit the designers of the high-altitude interceptor. And then it was decided to use the TsD-30 radar for cruise missiles, which was suitable in terms of its radar characteristics, dimensions, and weight.

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

In April 1958, a resolution of the USSR Council of Ministers was issued, which prescribed the creation of an interception complex based on the Su-9. It was supposed to include the Vozdukh-1 ground 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 solution significantly increased the combat capabilities of the fighter. Vozdukh-1 was a network of ground-based radars, the data from which was sent to the guidance center. An analog computer calculated the coordinates of the target and, correlating them with the position of the interceptor aircraft, provided information on board about the course and speed of the Su-9 necessary for a successful interception. The 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 interaction with the ground guidance system was a military pilot, a participant in the Great Patriotic War, and the future cosmonaut Georgy Timofeevich Beregovoy.

During testing of the Su-9, both pilots and designers had the opportunity to encounter such flight modes and operation of aircraft systems that no one in the country had yet encountered. Because the car was the highest (20,000 m) and the fastest (2,250 km/h). Launching rockets at maximum speed required enormous skill from the pilots. The operation of the air intake in afterburner modes was fine-tuned by trial and error, when it was necessary to work on the verge of surge. During the flight run-in of the Su-9, due to work at previously unknown altitudes, it was necessary to run in the first GSh-4 pressure helmet, which created a lot of inconvenience.

An asymmetrical response to an American spy

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

The adoption of this vehicle into service was not easy. Firstly, with excellent flight qualities, this machine had significant features in control. The Su-9 differed from other jet fighters in its rapid acceleration, which created problems regarding the timely retraction of the landing gear during takeoff at speeds of up to 600 km/h. It had an unusually large increase in pitch at high altitudes. Due to the peculiarities of the engine’s operation, there was a large set of rules that had to be strictly followed when intercepting a target. Moreover, for each target (depending on its speed) and at different altitudes, 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 thrust with all the ensuing sad consequences.

In addition to the problem of retraining pilots, there was another problem: the aircraft, which were being massively introduced into units, was not fully developed. Units that had undergone the necessary modifications were already being replaced in units. Therefore, teams were formed at the manufacturing plant that moved between air defense regiments, troubleshooting problems and installing new components 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 assigned to the Su-9, it was conveniently 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. This happened on May 1, 1960. Pilot Igor Mentyukov, ferrying a fighter from the factory and having no weapons for this reason, decided to ram it 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 guidance operator and a malfunction of the onboard radar. In 1960, as mentioned above, this kind of malfunction was almost par for the course.

And that reconnaissance plane, which was piloted by Francis Powers, who later served a couple of years in the Vladimir Central, was dealt with with the help of an anti-aircraft gun missile complex S-75 "Dvina". Subsequently, it was this complex that shot down several U-2s.

Despite the maximum altitude specified in the aircraft's flight characteristics, it was significantly exceeded by the test pilots. On the Su-9 in the early 60s, a world altitude record was set - 28857 m. As well as an absolute world altitude record for 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 country's air defense units until 1981.

Flight characteristics of Su-9

Length - 18 m

Height - 4.82 m

Delta wing span - 8.54 m

Wing area - 34 sq. m

Sweep angle - 60 degrees

Empty weight - 7675 kg

Normal take-off weight— 11442 kg

Powerplant - 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.

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

The Su-9 is a Soviet supersonic interceptor aircraft developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau in the mid-50s. The aircraft was in service with the Soviet Air Force for about twenty years: its first flight took place in 1957, and the aircraft was withdrawn from service only in 1981. It was replaced by more modern MiG-23 and Su-15 aircraft. Su-9 is one of the first domestic fighters with a delta wing. The Su-9 became the world's first fighter that was an integral part of the interception complex.

The Su-9 interceptor fighter took an active part in the confrontation between the two superpowers during the Cold War: these machines defended the Soviet skies as part of the country's air defense forces. Since the early 60s, the Su-9 was used to combat American high-altitude Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, which regularly flew over the territory of the USSR. The Su-9 fighter took part in the famous story with the American U-2, piloted by Henry Powers, but was unable to destroy the intruder.

The production of the Su-9 was established at two plants: No. 153 in Novosibirsk and No. 30 in Moscow. Serial production continued until 1962, with a total of about 1,150 aircraft produced. The fighter holds several world speed and altitude records.

The history of the creation of the Su-9 interceptor aircraft

The development of a new high-speed and high-altitude fighter-interceptor began in 1953. On July 15, a government decree was issued on the creation of new jet fighters with delta and swept wings. During this period, after a three-year break, the Sukhoi Design Bureau was restored, whose specialists immediately began working on new machines.

Also in 1953, work began on the creation of a new AL-7 TRDF engine, which would later be installed on the Su-7 and Su-9 fighters. The development of these two aircraft proceeded in parallel at the Sukhoi Design Bureau. The following requirements were set for the future Su-9: maximum speed of at least 1900 km/h, ceiling - 19-20 km, time to climb 15 km - 2 minutes, flight range at an altitude of 13-15 km - 1600 km.

At this time, the world entered another period of confrontation between the two superpowers. The Soviet Union was a completely closed state that guarded its military secrets very jealously. The time for spy satellites had not yet come, so to collect information, the Americans used spy planes that invaded Soviet airspace at high altitudes and carried out reconnaissance with impunity. This was the case for the time being.

Naturally, the Soviet leadership knew about the flights of American aircraft and the fact of regular violation of state air borders could not but cause serious concern to them. However, for a long time, the Soviet air defense system could not do anything about the intruders: U-2 aircraft flew at altitudes unattainable for Soviet fighters and anti-aircraft missiles.

In 1956, after an extended meeting with the participation of the military and representatives of the country's military-industrial complex, a resolution was issued in which the aviation design bureau was tasked with increasing the altitude of the fighters being created as soon as possible. Designers of the Sukhoi Design Bureau were instructed to raise the ceiling of the Su-7 and Su-9 fighters being developed to 21 thousand meters. To do this, it was proposed to install a modified AL-7F1 engine on the aircraft and remove a number of systems from the fighters.

The installation of new engines with slightly different sizes and characteristics required changes to the aircraft design. The design of the modernized machine was completed at the end of 1956, after which the documentation was transferred to production.

The first flight of the Su-9 fighter took place on October 10, 1957. On April 16, 1958, a government decree appeared on the creation of an interception complex based on the Su-9 fighter, which consisted of the aircraft itself, armed with guided missiles, and the Vozdukh-1 ground-based guidance and control system. It was a network of ground-based radar stations whose task was to detect the intruder aircraft. Then data on its flight speed, altitude and course were loaded into a computer, which provided the data necessary for a successful interception. At a distance of nine kilometers, the Su-9 was supposed to capture the target with an on-board radar.

The Su-9 was put into service in 1960, and the vehicle began to enter combat units a year earlier. By mid-1960, this aircraft was already in service with thirty aviation regiments. The Su-9 was operated only by the Soviet Air Force and was not exported.

The Su-9 had unique speed (2250 km/h) and altitude (20 thousand meters) characteristics for its time, so it was not easy for pilots to master it. Launching guided missiles at high speeds required real skill from the pilots. In addition to the fighter, the first Soviet pressure helmet GSh-4 was also tested, which at first caused many complaints from the pilots. The new car had excellent flight characteristics, but despite this, it had peculiarities in control. In addition, the fighter was still “raw” and to refine it, special teams were created at the manufacturing plant to troubleshoot the aircraft directly in the combat units. Only by 1963 were the main problems of the Su-9 resolved.

On May 1, 1960, one of the most famous episodes of the Cold War occurred: another U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, piloted by Henry Powers, invaded Soviet airspace.

The intruder was shot down by the S-75 Dvina anti-aircraft missile system, but few people know that Soviet fighters also took part in intercepting the American plane. One of them was the Su-9, piloted by pilot Mentyukov. The vehicle was transported from the factory to a combat unit and for this reason had no weapons. Moreover, the pilot did not have a pressure suit. The pilot received an order to ram an enemy plane, which, in the absence of a pressure suit, meant certain death for him. However, the ram was never carried out due to a failure of the on-board radar.

By the way, another disaster occurred that day. An anti-aircraft missile launched at the U-2 (there were eight of them in total) shot down a MiG-19 interceptor (the pilot died); the second MiG-19 only miraculously managed to escape the missile.

The Su-9 also participated in other episodes related to the interception of intruder aircraft, shooting down high-altitude balloons with spy equipment that the Americans launched over Soviet territory.

Operation of the Su-9 continued until 1981, after which this vehicle was withdrawn from service. The Su-7, which was practically a twin of the Su-9, was considered one of the most dangerous aircraft in the Soviet Air Force. It is with this fighter that the most a large number of

Description of the Su-9 design

The Su-9 is designed according to a classic aerodynamic design, with one engine, a semi-monocoque fuselage and a nose air intake. It should be noted that the fuselage and tail of the Su-9 are completely similar to those used on the Su-7. The only difference between the aircraft was in the shape of the wing: the Su-9 had a delta wing, and the Su-7 had a swept wing. The fighter crew is one person.

The fuselage of the vehicle can be divided into three parts: the nose, the pressurized cabin compartment and the tail section. In the nose of the aircraft there was an air intake with a central movable cone. Four anti-surge doors were also located here. Behind the bow was the pilot's pressurized cabin and the niche of the front landing gear, which was located under it. The cockpit canopy consisted of an armored visor and a sliding part made of heat-resistant organic glass. An ejection pilot seat was installed in the cockpit.

Behind the pilot's cabin there was instrumentation, behind which were the vehicle's fuel tanks. At the rear of the aircraft there was an engine compartment and a tail unit, which consisted of a fin with a rudder and an all-moving stabilizer.

The wing was attached to the fuselage at four points; its mechanization consisted of a flap and aileron.

The Su-9's landing gear was tricycle, with a front strut that retracted forward into a niche in the fuselage and two main struts that retracted toward the fuselage. The fighter was equipped with a braking parachute.

Initially, the Su-9 was equipped with an AL-7F-1 TRDF engine, later these aircraft began to be equipped with AL-7F1-100 engines (150 or 200), which were distinguished by an increased engine life, increased to 100, 150 or 200 hours, respectively. AL-7F1 had an afterburner and a two-position nozzle. The engine was controlled using cables, and the afterburner was electrically controlled.

The Su-9 fuel system consisted of tanks located in the wings and fuselage. In early series their capacity was 3060 liters, later it was increased to 3780 liters.

The aircraft had an irreversible booster control system and a hydraulic system consisting of three independent subsystems. The pilot's cabin was equipped with an air conditioning system; it maintained a temperature level in the cabin of 10 to 20 degrees Celsius.

The Su-9 fighter was equipped only with missile weapons; it consisted of four RS-2US guided missiles. The missiles were guided by a radio beam. The aircraft could also use R-55 missiles with a thermal homing head.

At the end of the 60s, experiments were carried out with the installation of cannon weapons on the Su-9. A container with a cannon was suspended instead of one PTB, which reduced the fighter's flight range. Therefore, installing a cannon on an aircraft was not widespread.