Wot is this plane?

[Phil Winks]

this russian bomber looks like its been clamped on its nose wheel any ideas what it is

look at this

[Ben Mullins]

LOL

Looks like a russian attempt at the Concorde! I think the clamp thing on the wheel is the brake? Correct me if im wrong. If you look they have the same kinda thing on the wheels of some variations of DC-9/MD-82, cant quite remember off the top of my head  which it was.

  Ben.

 Here it is: Alitalia MD-82

[Phil Winks]

Cool that tupolov t160 is some what larger than concord and I think predates it but know what you mean was the 1st thing that struck me

[Simon Chaddock]

I think you will find the "clamp" is actually a spray guard to keep water from entering the engines.

This is the same on Concorde

  

The TU 160 is a swing wing bomber, (prototype first flew in 1984) along the same lines as the American B1 Lancer but rather bigger and has been built in small numbers.

[Phil Winks]

1984 HMM THOUGHT IT WAS EARLIER SEEM TO REMEMBER IT FROM MY ARMY DAYS AND THEY ENDED IN 84.

[001]

Tupolev TU-160 'Blackjack', in one of my books it says it was first spotted by a satellite in 1979.and first flew on 21st December 1981, so you could be right Phil.

[Phil Winks]

that makes sense being posted close to the old "inner german border" we we're always kept upto date on the latest intel on eastern block equipment

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Dave C]

TU-22m was the 'Backfire'

[Phil Winks]

Sure was Dave ahh all coming back to me now god this makes me feel old also has any one noticed that most of the former  eastern block air craft were so much bigger than most of ours on a like for like basis look at the "hind e" heli gunship and compare it with what I believe was the only equivalent heli in nato at the time the apache longbow nearly double the size very scary when your watching one watching you over a border just knowing that he will be fully armed and locked on

[Bev Lawton]

The Hind E was large because it used to have a detachment of (often) Spetsnaz troops in the back!

Common tactic in Afghanistan (prior to natives getting Stinger SAM's) was to drop the troops off at the back then shoot up the Afghanis's - when they retreated the troops mopped them up.

The Apache has only two crew and no cabin - the only passengers have been 2 Royal Marines strapped onto the Titanium armoured "bath" during a rescue attempt to recover a fallen comrade.