| T-4 | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Sukhoi Т-4 atCentral Air Force Museum | |
| General information | |
| Type | Strategic bomber/Reconnaissance |
| Manufacturer | Sukhoi |
| Status | project cancelled |
| Primary user | Soviet Air Force |
| Number built | 4 (only 1 passed test flights) |
| History | |
| First flight | 22 August 1972 |
TheSukhoi T-4, or "Aircraft 100", or "Project 100", or "Sotka" is aSoviet high-speedreconnaissance, anti-ship andstrategic bomber aircraft that did not proceed beyond theprototype stage. It is sometimes called the Su-100.[1]
In 1963, the Soviet government held arequest for proposal among the aircraft design bureaus. The Sukhoi design, with its high cruise speed of 3,200 km/h (2,000 mph) was favored over the designs submitted byYakovlev andTupolev and after a preliminary design review in June 1964, the building of a prototype was authorized.Development of the T-4 required massive research efforts to develop the technologies necessary, including the manufacturing technologies to machine and weld the materials necessary to withstand sustained Mach 3 flight. Nearly 600 patents or inventions are attributed to the program.[2]The first flying prototype was finally completed in the autumn of 1971. Work continued on an additional three airframes (one for static testing) through 1975. In 1974, theMinistry of Aviation Industry (Soviet Union) ordered work suspended on the T-4 project, which was officially scrapped on 19 December 1975.
The aircraft'sdroop nose lowered to provide visibility during takeoff and landing. Aperiscope was used for forward viewing when the nose was retracted, and could be employed at speeds of up to 600 km/h (370 mph).Drogue parachutes were used in addition to conventional wheel brakes.[1]
The first T-4, designated "101", first flew on 22 August 1972. The test pilot wasVladimir Ilyushin, son of famed aircraft designerSergei Ilyushin, and the navigator was Nikolai Alfyorov. Testing continued to 19 January 1974. The T-4 flew only ten times for a total of 10 hours and 20 minutes.[citation needed].
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One T-4 survives. Aircraft "101" is on display at theCentral Air Force Museum inMonino nearMoscow. The serial numbers of the prototypes were "101" to "106". Only "101" and "102" were built, while other additional prototypes "103" and "104" were under construction, and "105" and "106" only existed on draft charts.[citation needed] Only the "101" completed all the test flights and flew the last test flight before the project was cancelled on 22 January 1974. The rest of the prototypes were scrapped.
Data from[citation needed]
General characteristics
Performance
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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