The Russian Air Force's super mysterious plane has taken off
The exterior of the Tu-214LMK test aircraft attracted special attention from the media because the nose did not match the body.
Russian media recently reported that the Tu-214LMK aircraft (registration number 64507) after completing major modifications successfully performed its first test flight at the Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Plant on December 29, 2018.
According to the official announcement of PJSC Tupolev, the purpose of converting the Tu-214LMK is to create a flying laboratory with the main function of testing equipment complexes on the Tu-160M2 bomber and in the future the PAK DA stealth bomber.
The unique feature of the Tu-214LMK is that the round nose typical of civil aircraft has been replaced by a sharp nose that does not match the body. This is a part from the Tu-160M2 that has been installed with full radar and avionics similar to the type equipped on the Tu-160M2.
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| The Tu-214LMK technology test aircraft during its first takeoff. |
Thanks to the Tu-214LMK, the evaluation and testing process of the Tu-160M2 strategic supersonic bomber will be significantly shortened, while the cost per take-off will also be reduced compared to when conducting on the prototype.
Data from the equipment testing process will be collected by special equipment carried by the Tu-214LMK, thereby helping Tupolev engineers fully assess all the advantages and disadvantages of new electronic components before they are officially installed on the Tu-160M2.
After completing the testing process with the Tu-160M2, the nose of the aircraft will likely be lowered and replaced with parts of the PAK DA and then continue its journey, at which time the Tu-214LMK will likely have a different designation.
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| The first Tu-160M2 supersonic strategic bomber of the Russian Air Force. |
According to an announcement from the Russian Ministry of Defense in early 2018, Moscow ordered the manufacture of 10 new Tu-160M2 long-range strategic bombers from the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), with the contract value estimated at about 2.7 billion USD.
After UAC delivers, these Tu-160M2s, along with Tu-22M3Ms and Tu-95MSMs, will be added to Russia's strategic bomber fleets, which have become "tired" after decades of continuous service.
Due to the focus on upgrading and modernizing the Soviet-era bomber fleet, the ambitious PAK DA program of the Russian Air Force is temporarily having to delay the design completion.
