Tupolev Tu-126
| Tupolev Tu-126 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Air reconnaissance aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: |
Plant No. 18 Kuibyshev |
| First flight: |
January 23, 1962 |
| Commissioning: |
1965 |
| Production time: |
1965-1967 |
| Number of pieces: |
8 + 1 prototype |
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The Tupolev Tu-126 ( Russian Туполев Ту-126 , NATO code name : "Moss" ) was a Soviet early warning aircraft based on the Tu-114 civilian passenger aircraft , which was based on the Tu-95 strategic bomber .
history
The development took place from January 1960 under the name Isdelije (Изделие, product) L in the OKB-156 Tupolew and was headed by Nikolai Blazenkow. The first flight took place in 1962 and was carried out by Iwan Suchomlin. The first Tu-126 were put into service in 1965. The main task was the airspace reconnaissance, which was done with the help of the radar antenna belonging to the "Liane" system , which is located in a rotating radome . At the same time, this aircraft served as a command center . The action of the allied units could be coordinated via this command structure. In order to increase the service life of the machines, they were equipped with an air refueling system. The four huge turboprop engines produced interference on the radar screen with their counter-rotating propellers . The development of a successor to the Tu-126 began after the Soviet air forces asked for a suitable carrier aircraft for the Schmel radar system (шмель, Hummel), which was planned from 1965 and developed from 1969 . After the Tu-126 and Tu-142 types, which were already in service , a project based on the Tu-154 and a new construction of a Tu-126 fuselage with revised wings with jet propulsion under the designation Tu-156 , the decision was made one opts for use in combination with the Il-76 transport aircraft. Since this has already been mass-produced, saving time and money for a new development and at the same time ensuring the supply of spare parts. Therefore, the eight existing copies stationed in the 67th independent squadron in Šiauliai as well as the prototype used for tests were retired after the commissioning of the Beriev A-50 in 1984.
Technical data Tu-126
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| length | 57.3 m |
| span | 51.1 m |
| height | 16.05 m |
| Wing area | 311.1 m² |
| Empty mass | 105,000 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 175,000 kg |
| drive | four Kuznetsov NK-12MW turboprop engines |
| power | 15,005 hp each |
| Speed at stake | 850 km / h (528.2 mph ) |
| Max. Operational altitude | 11,000 m (36,089.2 ft ) |
| Range | 12,550 km (6,776.5 NM ) |
