Aircraft Quiz #65

[Doug Robertson]

What military bomber aircraft had a flight training version seating 12 trainees seated within behind 12 instrument panels in a similar military flying aircraft of a somewhat different nomenclature? This may be my most difficult poser yet. Prove me wrong!

1. Country of these two aircraft?

2a. Manufacturer of the training aircraft?, 2b. Nomenclature of the training version?

3a. Military armed aircraft Manufacturer? that the 2a. and 2b. aircraft trained crews for?, 3b. Nomenclature of the armed aircraft?

4. Weapons of the armed bomber version with their nomenclature?

[SunvisorFlyer]

I just want to make sure I'm reading this correctly Doug..

We're looking for a military bomber aircraft that can either:
-accommodate twelve trainees (training aircraft version)
or
-accommodate twelve crew (actual combat version)
where these twelve people sit in the same stations?

[Doug Robertson]

No, two distinct military aircraft are involved in this quiz.

One for crew training that carries 12 trainee aircrew, fitted with twelve instrument panel console stations (those twelve consoles are duplicates of the OTHER armed aircraft instrument panel) for mission practice.

The other aircraft a military aircraft with regular aircrew delivering combat mission ordnance, bombs, rockets, etc and with defensive armament. Two distinct aircraft with different nomenclatures are involved-name them both to get the quiz correct together with the other questions.

Sounds bizarre? Yes, I agree, but these were actually constructed and mission-flown.

[Doug Robertson]

OK, it is now into 2016 with over 500 views and no right answers. Here are the answers to my 65th Forum Quiz.

The Russian Tupolev TU-22M BACKFIRE supersonic bomber posed a true role mission question to western intelligence agents and NATO who assigned the code name BACKFIRE. (Another much earlier reference calls the TU-22 BLINDER). There were -A, -B, and -C versions of BACKFIREs.

After quite some time the substantial mission threat to convoy routes between the United States and Europe by anti-ship missiles such as the devastating dual impact on a vessel by the Kh-22 (NATO code name)-KITCHEN missile was revealed. This missile after a steep Mach 2.5 dive can tear a 215 square foot hole in a ship hull and THEN subsequently burn its way 39 feet into the hull tearing up structural bulkhead members. The standard Kh-22 has a 2,205 lb high-explosive warhead while the Kh-22P/N variant carries a 3.5 kiloton nuclear warhead with a range of 340 miles after high-altitude launch from the BACKFIRE.

Remarkably, over 400 TU-22M aircraft were built, with 240 being M2s/M3s.

The Tupolev BACKFIRE crews are trained in the Tupolev TU-134UBL which seats 12 trainees fitted with identical TU-22M instrument panel consoles. Here are the quiz answers.

1. Russia

2a. Tupolev., 2b. TU-134UBL crew trainer.

3a. Tuplolev., 2b. TU-122M BACKFIRE bomber.

4. Kh-22 high-explosive warhead, Kh-22P/N nuclear warhead, Gsh-23 single twin-barrelled cannon defensive armament in the tail with 1,200 rounds of PIKS infra-red decoy and PRLS anti-radar chaff. This gun aimed by a PRS-4 Krypton or supplemental TP-1 TV sight.


Specifications: for TU-22M3 BACKFIRE-C Bomber/maritime strike fighter. References vary-this from my later reference believed more accurate. But, please don't ask.

Power
Two 44,200 lb thrust each Kuznetsov NK-144 turbofans

Performance
Max speed: 1,321 mph at altitude
Service ceiling: 59,055 ft
Range: 2,485 miles

Dimensions
Wing span: 112ft, 6.5in spread, 76ft, 9.25in variable-geometry swept
Length: 121ft, 1in.
Height: 35 ft, 5.67in.

Weights
117,967 lbs empty, max takeoff 286,650 lbs-one big mother!

Armament
Up to 26,455 lb munitions, one 23mm twin-barrel cannon

I thank all who viewed this tough quiz. Do you want more aircraft quizzes?

[SunvisorFlyer]

Doug- Even if I don't always find the relevant information to warrant tossing my hat into the ring, I do enjoy the chance to learn more about these aircraft with each new quiz.

If you're willing, keep 'em coming!

[Helicopterfriend]

Doug, your quizzes have given me a chance to learn more about aviation in general and I enjoy trying to find the information. If you enjoy adding the quizzes, I'd enjoy looking for the information

Thanks

Walt

[Doug Robertson]

Thank you both!

I purposely avoid going to web sources such as Wiikipedia before making up these quizzes. However, more additional aircraft information is frequently there for military and civil aircraft, so the correct quiz answer enables the interested to find out even more information about a quiz aircraft. Also, note that Wikipedia is sometimes not exactly certain re some specifics, and to their credit, welcomes corrections or additional reference resources.

My quizzes here come from my good memory, and/or extensive personal aviation library commencing about 1965 onward but covering aircraft from the beginnings of Human Flight. That 1965 year also was the start of my flight training, because by then I could afford it.

Excellent aviation web sources are Aerofiles-Start your Engines, and Aerofiles-Main Aircraft Page. These are very accurate, and useful I have found.