Sukhoi T-4
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Sukhoi T-4 was a Soviet medium-range bomber. It was commissioned as a response to, and shared some design details with, the XB-70 Valkyrie. The T-4 experimental supersonic aircraft, also known as the "aircraft 100", first flew in August of 1972. The test pilot was Vladimir Ilyushin, son of the famed aircraft designer, S.V. Ilyushin. The T-4 was made largely from titanium and stainless steel. It featured fly-by-wire control systems but also employed a mechanical system as a backup. The aircraft's nose lowered to provide visibility during takeoff and landing. A periscope was used for forward viewing when the nose was retracted. Braking parachutes were used in addition to conventional wheel brakes. The T-4 is believed to have reached at least Mach 1.3 using four Kolesov RD36-41 engines. These engines each produced 16,000 kgf (35,300 lbf or 157 kN) thrust with afterburners. The aircraft was designed to achieve speeds of up to Mach 3.0, but the program was cancelled before the full performance of the aircraft could be determined.
The Monino museum's aircraft was designated "101" ("100S" was a static test aircraft). It has flown only ten times for a total of less than eleven hours. At least two additional prototypes ("102" and "103") were under construction, but only the single aircraft shown below was completed and flown before the project was cancelled in 1974 or 1975. The other two prototypes were scrapped.
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