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1956 - Tu-130 (DP) long-range boost glide vehicle

In the mid-1950s condiderable interest had risen in the US and USSR concerning the usefulness of rocket-launched man-carrying gliders for long-range hypersonic flight in the outer reaches of the atmosphere. In 1957-1958 in the Tupolev Design Bureau began research work on the program to create a shock-planning aircraft "DP" ("Far Future", also seen as Dalnie-rasstoyanie Planerizm long-range planing/gliding). The "DP" aircraft was the last unmanned planning stage of the missile strike system. As a booster rocket, modifications to medium-range ballistic missiles of the "R-5" and "R-12" type were considered, and a variant of the development vehicle itself was considered.

In the years 1956-57, within the Tupolev Design Bureau, a department "K" was created (under the guidance of his son - Alexey) for work in the field of unmanned aerial and missile systems. In 1958 department "K" began work on the unmanned unmanned vehicle "DP", consisting of a launcher (it was intended to use modifications of combat rocket R-5, -12, -14 or P-16) with a payload in the form of a gliding ["planed"] rocket-plane equipped with a thermonuclear warhead. The booster was supposed to launch the planning device to a height of 50-100km and give it a horizontal speed of up to 5.6 km/s. After the separation, the topplane performed the correction and flew to the target along the planing trajectory.

In 1959 Department began working design of the experimental prototype of the combat complex "DP" - an unmanned aircraft "130" (Tu-130). In the final form, it had a weight of 2050kg and relatively small dimensions: length - 8.8 m, wing - 2,8 m and height - 2,2 m. The Tu-130 was actually the main part of the ballistic missile system which was a rocket. Its wedge-shaped fuselage and a small wing provided the creation of a lift-force, which made it possible to sharply increase the firing range of the entire missile system in comparison with the usual G-ballistic fall. At the same time, the Tu-130 was calculated at a speed of about 3 km / s. which was already close to the orbital speeds (7.9 km / s.).

The boost-glide vehicle, it appeared, would have a number of advantages over the ballistic vehicle. Its lifting ability and high lift-drag ratio (L/D) would allow it to achieve a greater range than the ballistic vehicle for a given initial boost velocity. Also the boost-glide vehicle could control its flight-path angle and thus its heating rate; its maneuverability in landing was regarded as an obvious additional advantage. It was found, however, that the benefit of lift in increasing the range of the boost-glide vehicle would tend to disappear at ranges approximating the circumference of the earth. At such ranges, owing to the near-satellite speeds involved, lift would lose significance as its role was taken over by centrifugal force. Clearly, with just a little more speed, the vehicle would be in orbit and its range would then no longer be dependent on lift or, for that matter, on drag.

The boost-glide vehicle, it was pointed out, could remain in the atmosphere or be boosted beyond the atmosphere later to return. For flight within the atmosphere, low drag, high L/D, and minimal aerodynamic heating were obviously desirable conditions. These conditions, it was felt, could best be achieved with a wing having blunt, highly swept leading edges. Of course, even with a blunt and swept leading edge, the wing would get very hot; but the heating could be minimized by controlling the rate of descent, and the same method could be used to provide time for a large part of the vehicle's heat burden to be dissipated by radiation into the surrounding sky.

On an efficiency basis, US NACA studies from 1955 and 1956 showed, the ballistic and boost-glide vehicles could compete quite favorably with supersonic airplanes at ranges equal to or greater than half the circumference of the earth. The studies also showed that while a ballistic vehicle, sufficiently blunt, could protect precious cargo from the rigors of aerodynamic heating, such a vehicle would, nevertheless, have some limitations as a human carrier owing to excessive reentry deceleration. These limitations, however, which were shown to depend on reentry angle, would not apply at ranges equal to or greater than half the circumference of the earth. Nor would they apply at very short ranges.

For transporting weapons and people over long distances at high speeds, there now appeared to be several possibilities: a ballistic missile with nonlifting reentry body, a boost-glide vehicle, and, of course, the vastly slower, but possibly more efficient, supersonic airplane.

In the US, NACA had undertaken discussions with the Air Force on the desirability of building an experimental boost-glide vehicle as the next step beyond the X-15 in the research-airplane program. The Air Force was much interested because of the military potentialities of such an aircraft; and, as 1957 ended, it was about to initiate Project Dynasoar which called for the development of a world-girdling, man-carrying boost-guide vehicle.

NACA Ames was already engaged in configuration studies for aircraft of the boost-glide type. Notable examples of these studies are to be found in RM A55E26, "Some Aspects of the Design of Hypersonic Boost-Glide Aircraft," by Alvin Seiff and H. Julian Allen, and the earlier mentioned RM A55L05, "Aircraft Configurations Developing High Lift-Drag Ratios at High Supersonic Speeds," by A. J. Eggers and Clarence A. Syvertson. Eggers and Syvertson proposed some highly swept configurations the design of which was based on elemental considerations of pressure-field interference and aerodynamic heating.

What was really needed was a comparative systems study to evaluate the feasible range of application as well as the principal design and operating problems for each type of vehicle. Such a study, at least as far as the basic elements of the subject were concerned, was undertaken by Alfred Eggers, Harvey Allen, and Stanford Neice and reported in TR 1382. The study made by Eggers, Allen, and Neice, carried out during 1955 and 1956, was very timely and created much interest in aeronautical circles throughout the country. It revealed a number of interesting facts.

In 1957-1958 years in the Tupolev Design Bureau began research work on the program of creating a attack unmanned gliding aircraft " DP " (Dal'niy Planirunuix - Future Glider). The plane "DP" was supposed to represent the last stage of a planning unmanned missile attack system. As a modification of the rocket were considered combat ballistic missiles, medium-range R-5 and R-12, an option for a self-developed rocket by the KB.

According to the design study conducted in KB, the plane "DP" was displayed carrier rocket to a height of 80-100 km, then the whole system is unfolded by 90 degrees. and separates the gliding plane "DP". After separation made a one-time correction of the trajectory "DP", and further separated unit flew to the goal of planning the trajectory is determined by its aerodynamic efficiency and speed at the time of separation at a given altitude. "DP", passing the dense layers of the atmosphere, leaving a target at a distance of about 4000 km, developing an appropriate rate of M = 10. During the flight path correction is performed by using an autonomous control system and aerodynamic controls. On board lacked any power plant, power systems should be carried out by chemical power sources and air cylinders power the system. For cooling equipment and systems of thermonuclear charge on board had a cooling system. The design of the airframe was designed for so-called "hot circuit" - without refrigeration. All thermal stresses associated with the kinetic heating are taken into account in the design of the airframe. At the final stage of the "DP" was translated into a dive at the target. At the signal of the altimeter at a given height is undermining the thermonuclear charge.

The advantage of such a attack system compared with rocket strategic first generation systems had higher precision output in the target area, with a simpler and therefore less complex guidance system, as well as providing a complex flight path to the target, which significantly impairs the operation of means of missile defense and air defense .

For two years in KB were intensive work on the project "DP". The theme was connected to many enterprises and organizations of the defense industry, developing new construction materials, technology, meets the requirements of a long flight at hypersonic speeds in the conditions of kinetic heating. Together with the TsAGI studied how to obtain the desired aerodynamic characteristics of "DP". Together with the FRI were worked out the issues related to the establishment of full-scale models and getting them required for the "DP" flight mode. As an initial practical implementation of the theoretical developments of the project it was decided to build several experimental aircraft, which should be the main ideas contained in the "DP" the project had to be checked. The program of research on a prototype "Enterprise" was designated by CB plane "130" ( TU-130 ).

During the design of the aircraft "130" and the search of his optimal aerodynamic configuration different aerodynamic configuration of the aircraft have been investigated, "symmetrical" and "asymmetrical" "tailless", "duck", etc. On the basis of these studies, a series of models has been built, which have been blowing in wind tunnels TsAGI, including at high supersonic speeds. The LII were carried out full-scale flight tests with flying airplane models reset "130" from the solid boosters with the Tu-16LL. The models were equipped with sensors and instrumentation, provides information about the behavior of the device and its aerodynamic characteristics to different flight conditions. This work gave information about the behavior of the machine to speeds close to M = 2. shootings were carried out with the help of models and gas-dynamic artillery guns. These tests have allowed to go at a speed corresponding to M = 6.

After a large amount of theoretical and experimental work on the project in 1959 in the KB started detailed design of the aircraft "130". According to the final draft of the aircraft "130" represented the relatively small aircraft:. Length - 8.8 meters, wingspan - 2.8 m and height - 2.2 m for the aircraft "130" was selected samoleta- aerodynamic configuration "tailless ". It had a wedge-shaped cross-section of the fuselage poluelepticheskogo with a blunt nose part (one of the best shapes for hypersonic aircraft). Low-lying delta wing small area with a sweep angle of the leading edge has been around 75o span elevons. Vertical tail plane composed of two fins: the top and bottom, arranged in the rear part of the fuselage. Both halves of the keel had brake pads, opens in a "scissors", driven by electro-autonomous systems powered by chemical-board power sources.

Profiles of wings and controls were wedge. Under the terms of aerodynamic heating nose of the fuselage and the front edge of the wing and fins were made of graphite. Stainless steel construction of the airframe - a "hot". The control system includes a system of initial trajectory correction. Landing Aircraft "130" was carried out by a team from the software management system, the descent to the ground was carried out on a parachute with a large surface area, the container of which was in its tail. Pre-speed quenched due to open brake flaps. In the bow were located cooling units control system elements. The middle part was occupied blocks ACA Management System.

A series of five experimental aircraft "130" was built in pilot production, designed for a variety of tests. During the construction of full-scale pieces of the airframe, the most loaded thermally, subjected to thermal testing in special thermal chambers, based on the expected heat loads.

In 1960, the first airframe "130" was ready, then came the stage of equipping it with the necessary equipment and the start of the docking with launcher - a modification of the R-12 (revision F-12 was, in addition to the alteration of the bow for the new docking unit, to strengthen carrier rocket body using the optional external constructive screen designed Tupolev Design Bureau).

Despite the apparent success of KB to learn his new subjects, all the work on "DP" and, accordingly, the aircraft "130" were phased out under the USSR Council of Ministers on February 5, 1960 for #138-48. The built glider aircraft "130" were partially dismantled, and several of them were transferred to CB Chelomei. Work on the project "DP" and the plane "130" were used in the following close on the appointment KB - rocket planes "136" ( "Star").

At this time the final version of the complex "DP" consisted of a three-stage LV of a starting weight of 240 tons. and the winged vehicle capable of delivering a thermonuclear warhead weighing 3-5 tons at a distance of 9,000-12,000 km.