Sukhoi Su-9
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The Sukhoi Su-9 (ASCC reporting name: Fishpot) is a single-engine, all-weather, missile-armed interceptor aircraft developed by the Soviet Union.
Design and Development
The Su-9 emerged from aerodynamic studies by TsAGI, the Soviet aerodynamic center, during and after the Korean War, which devised several optimum aerodynamic configurations for jet fighters. The design first flew in 1956 as the T-405 prototype. The Su-9 was developed at the same time as the Su-7 "Fitter", and the West first saw both at the Tushino Aviation Day on June 24, 1956, where the Su-9 was dubbed Fitter-B.
The total production of the Su-9 was about 1,100 aircraft. It is believed that at least some Su-9s were upgraded to Su-11 "Fishpot-C" form. The Su-9's fuselage and tail surfaces resembled those of the Su-7, but unlike the swept wing of that aircraft, the "Fishpot" used a 53° delta wing with conventional slab tailplanes. It shared Sukhoi features like the rear-fuselage air brakes as well as the Su-7's Lyulka AL-7 turbojet engine and nose intake. The translating shock cone contains the radar 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 lower drag in the supersonic 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, its fuel 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 a TsD-30 radar in the shock cone and was armed with four K-5 (AA-1 "Alkali") beam-riding air-to-air missiles. Like all beam-riders, the K-5 was so limited as to be nearly useless for air-to-air combat.[1] With the K-5 later on being replaced with K-55/R-55 IR homing short range missiles. Unlike the Su-7 and later Su-15, Su-9 carried no cannon armament, although two fuselage pylons were reserved for the carriage of drop tanks.
The PVO attached special non-jettisonable large-capacity ferry tanks for their initial ferry flights, and a conformal ventral tank was proposed in November 1959 (fitted to two external hardpoints in a similar way to the BF-110) but this idea was not implemented as the air force demanded an emergency jettison option. Early production airframes were very limited in their interception range, with a range of around 320-450 Km (200-280 Miles) for a target at 20,000 Meters (65,000 feet) with later production airframes having an increase in internal fuel capacity, resulting in a range of about 430 - 600 Kms (270-370 Miles).[2]
A two-seat trainer version designated Su-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 generally combat-capable.
The Su-9 has been frequently mistaken for the MiG-21 due to the many similarities in design. The primary distinguishing features are the Su-9's larger size and its bubble canopy.
Operational History
The Su-9 achieved initial operational capability in 1959 with the PVO, serving as a replacement for the subsonic MiG-17PF (primarily a cannon equipped interceptor) and the MiG-19PM missile interceptor. The first unit equipped with the aircraft were based out of Novosibirsk-Tolmachovo Airfield near aircraft factory No.153, near the town of Novosibirsk-Yel'tsvoka in Jun 1959, allowing close support for the aircraft type as it entered service with the supersonic aircraft being very new and challenging for flight and ground crews alike to adapt to with its new technology and complexity, which was common practice in the Soviet Union, and useful considering the new aircraft's speed and delta wing design.[2]
The first combat action of the Su-9 came on the 9th of April, 1960 when a U-2 (piloted by Gary Powers) overflew the Soviet Union after taking off from Peshawar, Pakistan. Several aircraft from a unit based out of Turkmenistan were scrambled, but being new to their mounts and being given faulty instructions from Ground Control, they were unable to intercept the U-2. It was believed by the American Intelligence establishment of the time that the Soviets were unable to intercept any targets flying at that altitude (20,000 Meters or 65,000 feet).[2]
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 of Francis 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.[2] 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 an SA-2 missile, explaining that Powers could not have survived such a hit.
On September 4, 1959 a modified Su-9 (designated T-431 by the bureau) piloted by Vladimir Sergeievitch Ilyushin set a new world 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 a zoom climb to a world record of 98,557 feet (30,040 meters) while piloting an F4H-1 Phantom.[3][unreliable source?]
None were exported to any of the USSR's client states nor to the Warsaw 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 as unmanned aerial vehicles. It, and it's derivative the Su-11, were replaced by the much-superior Su-15 "Flagon" and MiG-25 "Foxbat".[2]
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.[4]
Variants
- Development of the Su-9.
- T-405
- Prototype model of the Su-9.
- Su-9
- Production variant, about 1,100 built.
- Su-9U
- Training variant, mounting the standard avionics suite without weapon systems or hardpoints. About 50 units were manufactured.
- T-431
- A specially modified Su-9 for setting the world record for absolute height in 1962.
- Sukhoi Su-11
- A upgraded design based on the Su-9. It was slightly lengthened compared to the Su-9. However, it was outmoded by the Sukhoi Su-15, which offered vastly increased range and aerodynamic performance.
Operators
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Specifications (Su-9)
Data from OKB Sukhoi : a history of the design bureau and its aircraft [6]
General characteristics
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- Fuel capacity: Template:Cvt internal + Template:Cvt in external tanksTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/engTemplate:Aircraft specs/engTemplate:Aircraft specs/engTemplate:Aircraft specs/lengthTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/length
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- Endurance: 1 hour 18 minutes on internal fuel
- 2 hours with external tanksTemplate:Aircraft specs/convert
- g limits: +7Template:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convertTemplate:Aircraft specs/convert
- Thrust/weight: 0.89
- Landing run: Template:Cvt without brake parachute
Armament
- Hardpoints: 2 × under-fuselage hardpoints for drop tanks and 4 × under-wing hardpoints for 500 kg (1,100 lb) of disposable stores[7] , with provisions to carry combinations of:
- Missiles: 4 × K-5 air-to-air missiles
See also
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Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."K-5, RS-1U (product SHM)". airwar.ru. airwar.ru. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Gordon, Yefim (2004). Sukhoi Interceptors: The Su-9, Su-11 and Su-15 and Other Types. Vol. 16. Translated by Komissarov, Dimitry (1st ed.). Midland Publishing. pp. 33–43. ISBN 1857801806.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."F-4 A Phantom, 16 world records - The Greatest Military Aircraft? Forum - AirSpace". www.flightglobal.com. Archived from the original on 2008-07-02.
- ^ PHASEOUT OF FISHPOT IN APVO STRANYY AIRFIELDS USSR Script error: No such module "webarchive"., February 1981, CREST: CIA-RDP81T00380R000100980001-5, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC.
- ^ Michael Holm, http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/regiment/iap/894iap.htm, accessed December 2012.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Antonov, Vladimir; Gordon, Yefim; Gordyukov, Nikolai; Yakovlev, Vladimir; Zenkin, Vyacheslav; Carruth, Lenox; Miller, Jay (1996). OKB Sukhoi : a history of the design bureau and its aircraft (1st ed.). Earl Shilton: Midland Publishing. pp. 110–128. ISBN 9781857800128.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.www.3ebra.com, IT-Bureau Zebra -. "Sukhoi Company (JSC) - Airplanes - Museum - Su-9, 11, 13 - Specifications". www.sukhoi.org. Archived from the original on 2017-09-25. Retrieved 2017-09-25.
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External links
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- Su-9 from NAPO (Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association)
- Su-9 from Global Aircraft
- Su-9 from FAS
Bibliography
- Gordon, Yefim (2004). Sukhoi Interceptors: The Su-9, Su-11 and Su-15 and Other Types. Famous Russian aircraft, Volume 16.Dimitriy Komissarov, transl. Midland Publishing. ISBN 1857801806
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