Nikita NB-160 Durva

Nikita NB-160 Durva
Placeholder Image
Role	Heavy Bomber
National origin	Tennai
Manufacturer	Nikita Aircraft
Designer	Kapishan Mishaani
First flight	February 1934
Introduction	July 1935
Retired	1955
Status	Retired
Primary user	Royal Tennaiite Air Force
Produced	1935-1950
Number built	8,389
Developed into	Nikita NB-170

The Nikita NB-160 Durva was a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the Royal Tennaiite Air Force. The bomber saw extensive use during the Siduri war were it proved a reliable and effective bomb platform.

Development

In 1932, Tennaiite military personnel undertook work to flesh out a new all- modern bomber - one that could carry a war load of at least 2,500 lb out to distances of 5,000 miles while maintaining a speed of 200 miles per hour. The Royal Tennaiite Air Force (RTAF) developed "Project-A" around these specifications and this was presented in 1933 to large-aircraft makers Cheppali and Devati. The intent was to develop an bombing platform capable of reaching (and subsequently protecting) far-off Tennaiite interests at home and abroad.

Devati's submission to the project was known internally as "Model 155". To contend with the requested range and performance, a four-engined layout was selected - power stemming from 4 x Kamala TU-1710 liquid-cooled inline piston engines of 1,100 horsepower each. This proved something of a departure for the RTAF as its contemporary stock of large aircraft relied heavily on trusty air-cooled radial piston engines. Liquid-cooled inline engines aided high-altitude performance and could be fitted within more streamlined nacelles, therefore inherently improving aerodynamic efficiency. The trade off in selecting an inline engine, however, was in the increased vulnerability to enemy fire due to the internally fragile nature of such an engine.

The wide-spanning wing elements (showcasing a combined 140 foot span) were high-mounted. Each wing was held a pair of engine nacelles that were well-contoured into the general shape of the wing elements themselves. The cockpit was stepped (the pilot's overlooking the aircraft's nose section) and window panes accompanied the bombardier's position at the nose.

Variants

• A1
• A2
• A3
• B1
• B2
• C1
• C2

Operators

Tennai

Specifications (NB-160 C2)

General characteristics

• Crew: 10 ( Pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier/nose gunner, flight engineer/top turret gunner, radio operator, waist gunners (2), ball turret gunner, tail gunner)
• Length: 35 m (114 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 43 m (141 ft 1 in)
• Height: 5.5 m (18 ft 1 in)
• Wing area: 161.3 m² (1,736 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 14,500 kg (31,967 lb)
• Gross weight: 19,285 kg (42,516 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 47,600 kg (104,940 lb)
• Powerplant: 4 × Kamala TU-1717 V-12 inverted liquid-cooled piston engines, 1,193 kW (1,600 hp) each
• Propellers: 4-bladed constant-speed propellers, 5.5 m (18 ft 1 in) diameter

Performance

• Maximum speed: 580 km/h (360 mph; 313 kn) at 7,000 m (22,966 ft)
• Cruise speed: 377 km/h (234 mph; 204 kn)
• Range: 8,047 km (5,000 mi; 4,345 nmi)
• Combat range: 4,828 km (3,000 mi; 2,607 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 13,000 m (43,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 24 m/s (4,700 ft/min)
• Time to altitude: 6,000 m (19,685 ft) in 5 minutes 12 seconds

Armament

• Guns:
  
  • 12 × 12.72 mm (0.501 in) machine guns (2 in the chin turret, 2 on nose cheeks, 2 staggered waist guns, 2 in upper Sperry turret, 2 in Sperry ball turret in belly, 2 in the tail and one firing upwards from radio compartment behind bomb bay)
• Bombs
  • Up to 6,351 kg (14,002 lb) bombs