| Su-9 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| General information | |
| Type | Interceptor aircraft |
| National origin | Soviet Union |
| Manufacturer | Sukhoi |
| Primary user | Soviet Air Defense Forces |
| Number built | 1,150 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1959 |
| First flight | June 24, 1956 |
| Retired | 1970s |
| Developed from | Sukhoi T-3 |
| Variants | Sukhoi Su-11 |
TheSukhoi Su-9 (ASCC reporting name:Fishpot) is a single-engine, all-weather,missile-armedinterceptor aircraft developed by theSoviet Union.
The Su-9 emerged from aerodynamic studies byTsAGI, the Soviet aerodynamic center, during theKorean War, which devised several optimum aerodynamic configurations for jet fighters. The design first flew in1956 as theT-405 prototype. The Su-9 was developed at the same time as theSu-7 "Fitter", and the West first saw both at theTushino Aviation Day on June 24, 1956, where the Su-9 was dubbedFitter-B. It entered service in1959.
The total production of the Su-9 was about 1,100 aircraft. It is believed that at least some Su-9s were upgraded toSu-11 "Fishpot-C" form. None were exported to any of theUSSR'sclient states nor to theWarsaw Pact nations. The remaining Su-9s and later Su-11s were retired during the 1970s. Some were retained as test vehicles or converted to remote-piloted vehicles for use asunmanned aerial vehicles. It was replaced by the upgraded Su-11 and the much-superiorSu-15 "Flagon" andMiG-25 "Foxbat".
The combat record of the "Fishpot" is poorly documented. It is possible that it was involved in the interception (or even shoot-down) ofreconnaissance missions, but no information has been publicly declassified.
Being an interceptor, the Su-9 was used in routine patrols and interdictions over the Soviet Frontiers. The most widely known involved in the interception ofFrancis Gary Powers'U-2 on Soviet territory on May 1, 1960. The Su-9 was unarmed and was directed to ram the U-2. One ramming attempt was made, but the Su-9 missed the U-2 due to the significant difference in the speed of the two planes. Due to the Su-9's lack of fuel, the pilot elected to break away from the U-2 and continue with the original flight plan.Its pilot, Captain Igor Mentyukov, later claimed that his slipstream caused the U-2 to break apart. He discounts the official version that the U-2 was shot down by anSA-2 missile, explaining that Powers could not have survived such a hit.
On September 4, 1959 a modified Su-9 (designatedT-431 by the bureau) piloted byVladimir Sergeievitch Ilyushin set a newworld record for absolute height, at 28,852 m (94,658 ft). In November of the same year, Ilyushin set several new sustained speed/altitude records in the same aircraft. This record was later broken on December 6, 1959, by Commander Lawrence E. Flint Jr., who performed azoom climb to a world record of 98,557 feet (30,040 meters) while piloting anF4H-1 Phantom.[1][unreliable source?]
Bobrovka became the Soviet Union's primary storage facility for the Su-9 as it was phased out, and by 1981 at least 243 Su-9 aircraft were observed parked at Bobrovka.[2]
The Su-9's fuselage and tail surfaces resembled those of the Su-7, but unlike theswept wing of that aircraft, the "Fishpot" used a 53°delta wing with conventionalslab tailplanes. It shared Sukhoi features like the rear-fuselageair brakes as well as the Su-7'sLyulka AL-7turbojet engine and nose intake. The translatingshock cone contains theradar set.
The Su-9 was developed from earlier work on a developmental aircraft designated T-3, to which the Su-9 was nearly identical. Internally at Sukhoi, the Su-9 was known as the T-43.
The delta wing of the Su-9 was adopted because of its lowerdrag in thesupersonic flight regime. Its greater volume also allowed a modest fuel capacity increase compared to the Su-7. The Su-9 was capable of Mach 1.8 at altitude or about Mach 1.14 with missiles. However, itsfuel fraction remained minimal, and its operational radius was limited. Furthermore, rotation speeds were even higher than the Su-7, which was already high at 360 km/h (225 mph). Unlike the Su-7, which had cumbersome controls but docile handling characteristics, the "Fishpot" had light and responsive controls but was unforgiving of pilot error.
The Su-9 had primitive R1L (NATO reporting name "High Fix") radar in the shock cone and was armed with fourK-5 (AA-1 "Alkali")beam-ridingair-to-air missiles. Like all beam-riders, the K-5 was so limited as to be nearly useless for air-to-air combat.[3] Unlike the Su-7 and laterSu-15, Su-9 carried nocannon armament, although two fuselage pylons were reserved for the carriage ofdrop tanks.
A two-seat trainer version designatedSu-9U was also produced in limited numbers (about 50 aircraft). It received the NATO reporting name "Maiden." It had a full armament and radar system with displays in both cockpits, allowing trainees to practice all aspects of the interception mission. Still, because the second seat further reduced the already meager fuel fraction, it was not genuinely combat-capable.
The Su-9 has been frequently mistaken for theMiG-21 due to the many similarities in design. The primary distinguishing features are the Su-9's size and its bubble canopy.
Data fromOKB Sukhoi : a history of the design bureau and its aircraft[5]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
