OKB Tupolev: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft

372 Pages·2006·6.33 MB·English

by  Yefim Gordon

OKB Tupolev Acknowledgements
A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft
© 2005 Yefim Gordon and Vladimir Rigmant The authors wish to express their gratitude to
Translated by Alexander Boyd the persons who, and organisations which,
Edited by Dmitriy Komissarov assisted in and contributed to the making of
this book:
ISBN 1 85780 214 4 / 978 1 85780 214 6
Sergey D. Komissarov; Nigel A. Eastaway
Published by Midland Publishing
and the Russian Aviation Research Trust; the
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Worldwide distribution (except North America): Line drawings by Tupolev PLC, the late Vladimir
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Below: That was then... A formation of Red Army Air Force TB-3 4M-17s heads towards the target during a war game.
Opposite page: This is now... Tu-160 '05 Red' named ll'ya Muromets after a Russian epic hero was the first Russian Air Force Tu-160 to be christened.
The name also harks back to the glory of a World War One-era Russian bomber - admittedly designed not by Tupolev but by Igor' I. Sikorsky.
CONTENTS
A Brief History of the Tupolev OKB .5
Chapters
1. The Pre-War Designs 15
2. Bombers and Airliners of the 1940s. 83
3. Subsonic Bombers & Naval Aircraft. .117
4. Supersonic Strike 165
5. Supersonic Interceptors .205
6. Transports of the 1950s & 1970s 217
7. Civil Aircraft: A New Generation . . . 263
8. The Pilotless Tupolevs .311
Colour Portfolio .331

A BRIEF
HISTORY OF THE
TUPOLEV OKB
For nearly 85 years, day by day, aircraft kovskiy, A. N. Tupolev and I. A. Rubinskiy. mencement of its work was assumed to sig¬
bearing the name of Andrey Nikolayevich Tupolev became head of the institute's Avia¬ nify the formation of the Design Bureau (the
Tupolev, the founder of one of the world's tion Department. It was thanks to his talent establishment of the OKB is not associated
most renowned aircraft design bureaux, and tireless energy that this organisation, with any precise date; at present 22nd Octo¬
have been taking to the air in various corners initially intended primarily for purely acade¬ ber 1922 is assumed to be the date of the
of the world. mic studies, was gradually transformed into OKB's formation).
The formation and development of the the leading scientific and practical centre of In the course of its activities spanning
OKB-156 design bureau founded by Andrey aircraft construction in Russia. Andrey Niko- over a period of many years the Tupolev
N. Tupolev differed in many respects from layevich believed that the primary objective OKB developed and built a great number of
the history of other Soviet/Russian aircraft of the department he headed was to provide aircraft of various classes, light fast boats
design firms. (OKB = opytno-konstrook- the country with aircraft whose technical (primarily torpedo boats) and snowmobiles.
torskoye byuro - experimental design level would be comparable to the most However, the main direction of the OKB's
bureau; the number is a code allocated for advanced achievements of international efforts became the development of large
security reasons.) The main distinguishing aeronautical science and technology. A. N. multi-engined aircraft for military and civil
feature of the Tupolev OKB's formation Tupolev was convinced that one of the nec¬ duties. Nearly 300 projects were evolved
process as compared to other leading essary conditions to attain this was the intro¬ within the OKB; nearly 90 of these reached
design bureaux was its profound connection duction of duralumin structures into the the prototype construction stage. More than
with the Russian aeronautical scientific and manufacturing practice of the Soviet aircraft 40 of the prototypes were put into series pro¬
technical heritage accumulated before the industry. In the autumn of 1922 a Commis¬ duction and determined to a large extent the
October revolution of 1917. In 1909 Profes¬ sion for All-Metal Aircraft Construction was image of the Russian aviation in the 20th
sor Nikolay Yegorovich Zhukovskiy started formed at TsAGI; Tupolev was elected its century. In the course of this period, some
delivering his course of lectures bearing the chairman. Subsequently, at Tupolev's sug¬ 18,000 prototypes and production aircraft
overall title Aeronautics' at the Moscow gestion, the approximate establishment stemming from the Tupolev OKB took to the
Imperial Technical College. Under his guid¬ date of this commission and of the com- air; some 2,000 of these were civil aircraft.
ance an Aerodynamics Laboratory, an Aero¬
nautical Calculations and Test Bureau and a
Student Aeronautical Workshop started their
work at the college. They launched multi-
faceted scientific and practical activities in
the interests of the development of Russian
aviation and grouped together the best
Russian specialists, experimenters, engi¬
neers and designers in the field of aviation.
It was exactly the numerous students of the
Imperial Technical College and Zhukov-
skiy's disciples: A. N. Tupolev, V. R Vet-
chinkin, A. A. Arkhangel'skiy, B. S. Stechkin,
B. N. Yur'yev, G. Kh. Sabinin, G. M. Musi-
nyants, A. M. Cheryomukhin, K. A. Ushakov,
N. V. Krasovskiy, as well as professors and
teachers from the college and the Moscow
State University S. A. Chaplygin, A. I. Nek-
rasov, 1.1. Sidorin and others, that formed the
basic staff of the Central Aero- & Hydro
dynamics Institute (TsAGI - Tsentrahl'nyy
aero- i ghidroninamicheskiy institoot);
within the framework of this institution,
thanks to Andrey N. Tupolev's efforts, the
Design Bureau bearing his name and enjoy¬
ing a world-wide fame was born,
The origins of this design bureau can be
traced back to 1918 when TsAGI was estab¬
lished in Russia at the initiative of N. Ye. Zhu- Andrey N. Tupolev (second from left) with his friends In his young years.
mention first of all Aleksandr A. Arkhan-
gel'skiy, G. A. Ozerov, I. I. Pogosskiy,
Ye. I. Pogosskiy, Vladimir M. Petlyakov, Alek-
sandr I. Putilov, N. S. Nekrasov, Pavel 0.
Sukhoi, Vladimir M. Myasishchev, B. M. Kon-
dorskiy, A. P. Golubkov, I. F. Nezval' and oth¬
ers. During the war years and the post-war
period the OKB's staff was further supple¬
mented by such prominent specialists in the
field of aeronautical science and technology
as Sergey M. Yeger, A. M. Cheryomukhin,
Leonid L. Kerber, Dmitriy S. Markov,
N. I. Bazenkov and many others; it was
thanks to their talent and energy that the
Tupolev company succeeded in winning an
eminent position in the world aviation.
With regard to organisational aspects
and creative work the activities of the
Tupolev OKB spanning over many years
can, for the sake of convenience, be divided
up into several periods.
The first period, covering the years
between 1918 and 1925, saw the formation
Above: Construction of TsAGI's building in Moscow,
of the design team which was initiated within
Such well-known aircraft from the Tupolev tory of the Soviet Union's (and now Russia's) TsAGI's Aviation Department headed by
OKB as the TB-1, TB-3, SB, Tu-2, Tu-4, Tu-16, Air Force and civil aviation. More than 1,000 Andrey N. Tupolev and TsAGI's Prototype
Tu-95, Tu-22 and Tu-22M bombers, Tu-104, aircraft originating from this firm were deliv¬ Construction Department headed by Alek-
Tu-134 and Tu-154 airliners and the Tu-143 ered to foreign customers; some 300 of sandr A. Arkhangel'skiy. The Commission
reconnaissance drone were manufactured these are passenger aircraft. The staff of the for All-Metal Aircraft Construction started its
in dozens of versions and variants, their pro¬ Tupolev OKB included many outstanding activities. The first practical steps were made
duction volumes running into hundreds and personalities making up the elite of the for utilising locally-produced aluminium
even thousands of copies; for many years Soviet and Russian aeronautical science alloys in the construction of snowmobiles,
they formed a considerable part of the inven- and technology. Among these one must speedboats and aircraft. The OKB produced
Andrey N. Tupolev (fourth from right in the second row) poses with TsAGI employees for a commemorative photo in 1933.
its first aircraft, the ANT-1 light aircraft of providing a potent prototype construction ordinated to the Main Directorate of Aircraft
mixed construction, and the ANT-2, the first facility for the OKB. In the early 1930s some Industry of the People's Commissariat of
all-metal aircraft of indigenous design. The parts of the Tupolev design team were Heavy Industry (GUAP NKTP - Glavnoye
designation prefix was composed of the detached to form independent organisa¬ oopravleniye aviatsionnoy promyshlennosti
designer's initials. tions: the Special Designs Bureau (BOK - Narodnovo komissariahta tyazholoy pro-
The second period lasted from 1925 Byuro osobykh konstrooktsiy) headed by myshlennosti).
until 1932. In late 1924 the Prototype Con¬ V. A. Chizhevskiy, and the Prototype Aircraft Andrey N. Tupolev was appointed Chief
struction Department headed by Arkhan- Construction Department of the Civil Air Engineer of GUAP NKTP. However, in Octo¬
gel'skiy was merged with the Department Fleet headed by A. I. Putilov. ber 1937 he was arrested by the NKVD (Nar-
headed by Tupolev to form the Department The third period extended from 1933 odnyy komissariaht vnootrennikh del -
of Aviation, Hydroaviation and Prototype until the end of 1937. In January 1933 the People's Commissariat of the Interior, that is,
Development (AGOS - [Otdel] aviahtsii, OKB was re-established at TsAGI as the the police/security service). Many leading
ghidroaviahtsii i opytnovo stroitel'stva), of Design Department of the Prototype Con¬ specialists of the OKB were arrested in 1937¬
which Tupolev was appointed head. The first struction Section (KOSOS TsAGI - Kon- 38, the blackest years of Stalin's infamous
Soviet series-built all-metal aircraft were strooktorskiy otdel sektora opytnovo stro- purges. The design teams headed by Alek-
developed and put into production; these itel'stva). The giant ANT-16 and ANT-20 air¬ sandr A. Arkhangel'skiy, Pavel O. Sukhoi,
were the R-3 (ANT-3) reconnaissance air craft were developed and built. A transition A. R Golubkov and I. F. Nezval' were
craft; the TB-1 (ANT-4) bomber, the world's was made to aircraft featuring smooth skins detached from the Tupolev OKB and
first twin-engined all-metal cantilever-wing (instead of the corrugated skins used hith¬ became independent organisations (OKBs);
monoplane; the I-4 (ANT-5) fighter; the R-6 erto) and retractable undercarriages. The the Tupolev OKB virtually ceased to exist as
(ANT-7) multi-purpose aircraft; the ANT-9 RD (ANT-25) record-breaking aircraft and a single design bureau. Several OKBs
passenger aircraft; and the TB-3 (ANT-6) - the 1-14, the first Soviet high-speed fighter, headed by different aircraft designers were
the world's first heavy strategic bomber. were developed and built. In 1935 the frame¬ formed on the premises of Plant No.156.
From the autumn of 1931 until the summer work of the Tupolev OKB's organisation was The fourth period lasted from 1938 to
of 1932 the OKB functioned as part of finalised, incorporating the newly formed 1945. In 1938 the first steps were taken to
TsAGI's amalgamated Central Design teams specialising in definite work subjects. form the Special Technical Department of
Bureau (TsKB TsAGI); then, until early1933, Development and construction was under¬ NKVD {Spetsiahl'nyy tekhnicheskiy otdel, or
it formed part of TsAGI's Prototype Con¬ taken of the SB (ANT-40) high-speed STO), the Special Technical Bureau (OTB
struction Section (SOS - Sektor opytnovo bomber, the TB-7 (ANT-42) heavy bomber NKVD - Osoboye tekhnicheskoye byuro)
samolyotostroyeniya) headed by Sergey V. and heavy flying boats, both as prototypes and TsKB-29. In the spring of 1939 a subdi¬
H'yushin. In January 1932 the Prototype and production aircraft. In July 1936 KOSOS vision headed by A. N. Tupolev (the '103'
Construction Plant (ZOK - Zavod opytnykh and ZOK were detached from TsAGI to form project team) was formed within the latter
konstrooktsiy) was commissioned, thus the aircraft manufacturing plant No.156 sub- organisation. This marked the beginning of
Draughtsmen at work at OKB-156.
post-World War Two jet bombers, and of the
Tu-95 intercontinental four-turboprop bomber,
both of them capable of delivering nuclear
and thermonuclear weapons.
The sixth period covers the years
between 1955 and 1972. It was charac¬
terised by the expansion of the experiment¬
ing facilities, the mastering of new technolo¬
gies and the first steps aimed at computer¬
ising the design work. The first Soviet tur¬
bine-powered airliners were derived from
production military aircraft. These were the
Tu-104 twinjet medium-haul airliner and the
Tu-114 intercontinental turboprop airliner.
The Tu-22 supersonic long-ranger bomber
and the Tu-128 supersonic missile-armed
long-range interceptor were developed.
Several airborne missile-armed strike sys¬
tems were developed on the basis of the
Tu-16, Tu-95 and Tu-22 mass-produced
bombers and put into production. Dedi¬
cated Naval Air Arm (AVMF - Aviahtsiya
voyenno-morskovo flota) and Air Defence
Above: Andrey N. Tupolev, clad in his Lieutenant-General's uniform, receives the Lenin Order from
Force (PVO - Protivovozdooshnaya obo-
Chairman of the USSR Supreme Soviet Mikhail Shvernik for the creation of the Tu-4 bomber.
rona) aircraft developed on the basis of the
the Tupolev Design Bureau's re-establish¬ The fifth period covers the years Tu-95 and Tu-114 (the Tu-95RTs, Tu-142 and
ment. The prototype of the Tu-2 bomber was between 1945 and 1955. The enterprise Tu-126) and entered service. The Tu-124 and
designed and built. The outbreak of the underwent a considerable expansion, sub¬ Tu-134, the first Soviet short-haul turbofan
Great Patriotic War on 22nd June 1941 was sidiary production plants were set up, airliners, were developed and put into pro¬
followed by the OKB's evacuation to Omsk design sections (OKB branches) were duction. A subdivision was set up within the
where the Tu-2 entered production at Plant established at production plants. The Tu-4 OKB for dealing with the design of
No.166. In 1943, when the imminent danger long-range bomber - a reverse-engineered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); the
to Moscow was past, the OKB returned to its Boeing B-29A Superfortress - was put into Tu-123 Yastreb (Hawk) supersonic medium-
Moscow premises at Plant No.156. Work production. The years between 1947 and to-long-range reconnaissance UAV was
then began on putting the Tu-2 into produc¬ 1951 were characterised by the mastering of developed and entered Soviet Air Force ser¬
tion at Plant No.23 at Fili near Moscow; pro¬ design and manufacture of jet aircraft and vice. Research and development work was
totype versions of the Tu-2 optimised for the development of the Tu-14 bomber fam¬ conducted on aircraft with nuclear power-
various duties were designed and built. ily. The period between 1949 and 1955 had plants.
Work was initiated on a strategic bomber as its hallmarks the development and ser¬ New approaches were introduced into
capable of delivering a nuclear bomb. vice introduction of the Tu-16, one of the best the practice of airliner design, work was con¬
ducted on the programme concerned with
the development of the Tu-154 medium-haul
airliner. The Tu-144, the world's first super¬
sonic airliner, was developed and put into
production, followed by operation on a lim¬
ited scale in the Civil Air Fleet. The OKB
directed its efforts at mastering the tech¬
niques and technology of sustained super¬
sonic flight, at making the fullest use of
state-of-the art avionics and at introducing
variable-geometry wings as a new element
in the world practice of heavy aircraft con¬
struction. This approach was incorporated
in the development and series manufacture
of theTu-22M multi-mode long-range bomber
and missile-carrier featuring a wing of that
type. Much effort was devoted to creating a
viable system of ensuring the trouble-free
operation of a big number of various types of
production aircraft designed by the OKB. In
1966 Plant No. 156 was renamed MMZ
'Opyt' (the 'Experiment' Moscow Machinery
Plant; MMZ = Moskovskiy mashinostroitel-
Andrey N. Tupolev attending an air event at Moscow-Tushino airfield, with aviatrice Valentina nyy zavod). Until 1957 the OKB had been
Grizodoobova sitting next to him.