Sukhoi Su-9

Infobox Aircraft
name = Su-9
type = Interceptor
manufacturer = Sukhoi



caption = Three Su-9 aircraft
designer =
first flight = 24 June 1956
introduced = 1959
retired = 1970s
status =
primary user = Soviet Anti-Air Defense
more users =
produced =
number built =
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = Sukhoi Su-11

The Sukhoi Su-9 (NATO reporting name Fishpot) was a single-engine, all-weather, missile-armed interceptor aircraft developed by the Soviet Union.

Development

The Su-9 emerged from aerodynamic studies by TsAGI, the Soviet aerodynamic center, during the Korean War, which devised several optimum aerodynamic configurations for jet fighters. The design first flew in 1956 as the T-405 prototype. The Su-9 was developed at the same time as the Su-7 'Fitter', and both were first seen by the West at the Tushino Aviation Day on 24 June 1956, where the Su-9 was dubbed Fitter-B. It entered service in 1959.

Total production of the Su-9 was about 1,100 aircraft. It is believed that at least some Su-9s were upgraded to Su-11 'Fishpot-C' form. None were exported to any of the USSR's client states nor to the Warsaw Pact nations. Remaining Su-9s and later Su-11s were retired during the 1970s. Some were retained as test vehicles or converted to remote-piloted vehicles for use as drones. It was replaced by the upgraded Su-11 and the much-superior Su-15 'Flagon' and MiG-25 'Foxbat'.

The combat record of the 'Fishpot,' if any, is unknown. It is possible that it was involved in the interception (or even shoot-down) of reconnaissance missions whose details remain classified, but nothing is publicly admitted.

On September 4 1962 a modified Su-9 (designated T-431 by the bureau) piloted by Vladimir Sergeievitch Ilyushin set a new world record for absolute height, at 28,852 m (94,658 ft). In November of the same year Ilyushin set several new sustained speed/altitude records in the same aircraft.

Technical design

The Su-9's fuselage and tail surfaces resembled those of the Su-7, but unlike the swept wing of that aircraft, the 'Fishpot' used a 53° delta wing with conventional slab tailplanes. It shared Sukhoi features like the rear-fuselage air brakes as well as the Su-7's Lyulka AL-7 turbojet engine and nose intake. The translating shock cone contains the radar set.

The Su-9 was developed from earlier work on a developmental aircraft designated T-3, to which the Su-9 was very nearly identical. Internally at Sukhoi, the Su-9 was known as the T-43.

The delta wing of the Su-9 was adopted because of its lower drag in the supersonic flight regimen. Its greater volume also allowed a very modest increase in fuel capacity compared to the Su-7. The Su-9 was capable of Mach 1.8 at altitude, or about Mach 1.14 with missiles. Its fuel fraction remained minimal, however, and operational radius was limited. Furthermore, rotation speeds were even higher than the Su-7, which was already high at 360 km/h (225 mph). Unlike the Su-7, which had very heavy controls but docile handling characteristics, the 'Fishpot' had light and responsive controls, but was very unforgiving of pilot error.

The Su-9 had primitive R1L (NATO reporting name 'High Fix') radar in the shock cone and was armed with four K-5 (AA-1 'Alkali') beam-riding air-to-air missiles. Like all beam-riders, the K-5 was so limited as to be nearly useless for air-to-air combat. Unlike the Su-7 and later Su-15, no Su-9 carried cannon armament, although two fuselage pylons were reserved for the carriage of drop tanks.

A two-seat trainer version, designated Su-9U, was also produced in limited numbers (about 50 aircraft). It received the NATO reporting name 'Maiden.' It had a full armament and radar system with displays in both cockpits, allowing trainees to practice all aspects of the interception mission, but because the second seat further reduced the already meager fuel fraction, it was not truly combat-capable.

Variants

;T-405:Prototype of the Su-9.;Su-9:Main production version, about 1100 built.;Su-9U:Training version, armed and equipped with all operational systems but not fully combat ready, about 50 built.;T-431:Su-9 modified for setting of the world record for absolute height in 1962.;Sukhoi Su-11:Development of the Su-9.

Operators

;USSR
*Soviet Anti-Air Defense

pecifications (Su-9)

Aircraft specification

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=jet
crew=One
length main=17.37 m
length alt=57 ft 0 in
span main=8.43 m
span alt=27 ft 8 in
height main=4.88 m
height alt=16 ft 0 in
area main=34 m²
area alt=366 ft²
empty weight main=8,620 kg
empty weight alt=19,000 lb
loaded weight main=12,250 kg
loaded weight alt=27,000 lb
max takeoff weight main=13,500 kg
max takeoff weight alt=29,700 lb
more general=
engine (jet)=Lyulka AL-7
type of jet=turbojet
number of jets=1
thrust main=90 kN
thrust alt=19,840 lbf
max speed main=Mach 2.0, 2,135 km/h

max speed alt=1,325 mph
max speed more=at high altitude
range main=1,125 km
range alt=340 mi
ceiling main=16,760 m
ceiling alt=55,000 ft
climb rate main=136.7 m/s
climb rate alt=27,000 ft/min
loading main=383 kg/m²
loading alt=74 lb/ft²
thrust/weight=0.73

more performance=
armament=
* 4x K-5 (AA-1 'Alkali') air-to-air missiles

References

External links

* [http://www.napo.ru/eng/?id=26 Su-9 from NAPO (Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association)]
* [http://www.globalaircraft.org/planes/su-9_fishpot.pl Su-9 from Global Aircraft]
* [http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/airdef/su-9.htm Su-9 from FAS]

ee also

aircontent
related=
Sukhoi Su-7 -
Sukhoi Su-11

similar aircraft=
McDonnell F-101B Voodoo -
Convair F-102 Delta Dagger -
English Electric Lightning -
Mikoyan MiG-21

sequence=

see also=
* List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS