A-60 "laser sword of the USSR," or "30 years before the laser Boeing .."
In the past year (or the year before?), With great fanfare announced it had successfully tested in the U.S. anti-missile laser plane based on the Boeing 747. However, few know that a quarter of a century ago in the Soviet Union was successfully tested combat aircraft with a cw lasers system.
In the early 80's intelligence service, the U.S. stated: "The scientific level of the work of the Soviet program of creation of laser weapons surpasses is 3-5 times the level of work conducted in the United States, the Soviet program is designed to develop specific systems, laser weapons."
In the mid 70's. on Taganrog Machine-Building Plant. Georgi Dimitrov was asked to create a special aviation system needed to address a number of important military-technical tasks in the interest of national defense.
Had to solve many complex scientific, technical and engineering problems. Much has been done for the first time not only in domestic but also in the world, requiring just a huge amount of various development works.
In 1977, Yakovlev Design Bureau. Beriev begins creating a flying laboratory - product "1A" for improvement of basic technical solutions of a new specialized aviation system.
Placed on a plane laser device designed to study the propagation of rays in the upper atmosphere. Work on this topic were conducted in broad cooperation with enterprises and scientific organizations throughout the country, but the main partner of EDB was TSKB Almaz are headed by Doctor of Technical Sciences, Academician BV Bunkin.
The decision was at first glance quite simple: install the spacecraft has already created and tested a laser to test it in space. The choice fell on the laser installation of 1 MW (2-2.5 times more powerful than the maximum power from the Americans), created one of the branches of the Institute of Atomic Energy. Kurchatov. This gasdynamic laser operating on carbon dioxide, was developed for installation on the aircraft IL-76. By 1983 he had already passed flight tests.
Combat laser was tested on the Il-76MD, tail number of the USSR-86879 (otherwise it was called the Il-76LL with BC - the flying laboratory IL-76 ). The aircraft originally appeared. To power the laser and related equipment on the sides of the bow was equipped with two turbo AI-24W power 2.1 MW.
On the nose was a huge bulbous payload fairing of a special adapter to which the bottom was attached an oblong radome smaller.
This was placed the antenna aiming system, which is spinning in all directions, catching the target.Tower with a laser gun is inside the fuselage.
For the first time in the air flying laboratory "1A" picked up on Aug. 19, 1981 the crew led by test pilot EA Lahmostovym.
Finalization of the aircraft performed Taganrog Aviation Research and Development Complex (Beriev) them. Beriev Taganrog and Machine-Building Plant. Georgi Dimitrov.
Aviation laser went in series as A-60. True, the first plane flying laboratory IL-76MD of the USSR-86879 in combat laser in 1989, was burned at the airport based Chkalovskaya.
He evening was fully ready for the a morning testing.
Before dawn in a plane penetrated into workpeople from the airfield the to drain the alcohol (C2H5OH) for drink!
But some of the systems on board connected to electricity, there was closure, and the fire started.
Workpeople, so to avoid liability immediately jumped out, shut down and seal machine, and started a fire inside (already visible smoke) and started in every possible way to fuss outside.
Firefighters who arrived on call did not have access to a secret facility...Until they received permission to put out the fire broke out .... Received the team: "To depart from all aircraft !!!"...A few seconds later an explosion ...
But on Aug. 29, 1991, the crew headed by a test pilot VP Demyanovskim, lifted into the air the second flying laboratory, was named the "1A2" Soviet-86879. On-board placed a new version of the special complex modified by results of tests conducted on the "1A".
Work on the flying laboratory, "1A2" improvements and modifications of special complex and its systems are continuing to the present. The Chief Designer - Deputy General Designer TANTK on this subject is N. Stepanov.
![[thumbzup]](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/images/smilies/icon_smile_thumzup.gif "Thumbs Up [thumbzup]"){kind=icon}
.
