Hi! Tu-98.
http://www.aviation-gb7.ru/Tu-98.htm#Tu98
"According to the results of research and development work has been concluded on the possibility of creating a heavy supersonic bomber. The development of the future of the Tu-98 began in accordance with the Decree of the USSR Council of Ministers dated 12 April 1954,. OKB Tupolev was instructed to create a triple frontline bomber maximum speed of 1300 ... 1400 km / h at an altitude of 10 000 ... 11 000 m (1150 ... 1200 km / h at altitudes 6000 ... 7000 m with the engines besforsazhny maximum mode). Practical flight range with a normal bomb load 3000 kg (maximum - 5000 kg) was set more than 2 300 km, and with an additional fuel tank - 2550 ... 2700 km. Ceiling on purpose -. 13 000 ... 13 500 meters The first machines are required to present a copy of the factory tests in July, while the state - in December of 1955.
The plane was calculated under two Turbojet AL-7F with afterburning thrust of 9500 kgf (the maximum - 6500 kg), but provides an alternative types of power plants on the basis of two VC-9 with the calculated thrust of 12,000 kg or two sparok 11 AM (AM 15) at 11,400 kg. EDO AM Cradles was put in February 1955 of two engine AL-7F with a 50-hour resource to the first prototype. Head of works on the car "98" Tupolev appointed DS Markov, for pilot production at OKB responsible engineer AI Zaleski.
In March 1955 the first customer EDO filed preliminary design and layout of the aircraft. In July, the car rolled off the assembly line, but only 7 September 1956 the second, after the engine AL-7F, the test pilot, VF Kovalev and navigator KI Malkhasyan made its first flight. Lead engineer appointed Gribakin. "
"Flight tests of the Tu-98 were very hard. There were several reasons: first of all - problems with the operation and fine-tuning the new irreversible hydraulic control system and a control system of the front landing gear. Most of the drive motor. By the end of 1957, it managed to perform 30 flights with a total flying 25 hours 12 minutes. In one of the flights in the "98th" reached a speed of 1238 km / h at an altitude of 12 000 m, which corresponds to Mach 1.15.
Test flights on the "98th" continued until 1959. Despite the great efforts of EDB, the heroism of the test pilots, it was not possible to bring the aircraft to transfer it to the level of state tests.
Over time, the customer began gradually to lose interest in the aircraft. "
"At the end of 1957, Tupolev proposed lightweight version of the customer "98A" (TU-24). With the aircraft proposed to remove cannons and the crew reduced to two people (pilot and navigator). The engines were replaced by more powerful AL-7F-1, provided for the suspension missiles P-15A and P-15M in the bomb bay, and on underwing pylons. Start missiles had to be carried out at an altitude of 14,000 meters at a speed of 1400 ... 1500 km / h. In this starting distance of 60 ... 70 km, and in the case of starting at a height of 100 ... 200 m at a speed of 950 ... 1000 km / h - 50 km.
The bomber variant, with take-off weight of 28 000 ... 30 000 kilograms, "98A" was supposed to have a maximum speed of 1800 ... 2000 km / h and range at subsonic speeds with additional fuel tanks and bomb load 2000 kg - up to 2 400 km . The ceiling, depending on the operating mode of the engines, was expected at around 13 000 ... 17 000 m. "
"In addition to the machines "98A" in the bureau is considering several options, "98b" aircraft engine AL-7F-2, HP-15 and AL-9 and with a controlled stabilizer. It was supposed to use the new wing with the increased area of center, which had to get out of the main landing gear. Radar scope aft gun mount was moved to the top of the keel to its base.
The variants require an airfield start with special light mobile farm. With the help of powerful solid rocket booster F-80 thrust of 800 tons of the aircraft had accelerated to a speed of 355 km / h. Considered as single-engine version with HP Turbojet-9 or WD-19 and a high-rise project "98B". "
"After the cessation of work on the prototype "98" in July of 1958 it was decided to write off and pass into scrap metal, but due to the beginning of the development of the Tu-128 was offered at its base to create a flying laboratory for testing weapons.
Alteration of the aircraft "98" under the flying laboratory, received the designation "98LL" (in official documents meets the designation Tu-98A) engaged in Voronezh Design Bureau branch factory №64 under the leadership of AI Putilov. When retrofitting a prototype "98" dismantled the chart bow cabin, "initiative" and "Argon", all the cannon and bomber weapons. In the bow of the first layout installed, and then himself RLP. Under the wings there were two pylons with launchers for the missiles K-80. Tests in which simulated an armed, took place from 1959 to 1960-th years. Lead test pilot was Mikhail Kozlov.
"