Gladeus Gu-18
| Gu-18 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Gu-18 | |
| Role | Strategic bomber |
| National origin |  Velikoslavia
|
| Manufacturer | Gladeus |
| Designer | Alvas Vendara |
| First flight | 15 July 1951 |
| Introduction | 1953 |
| Retired | 1995 |
| Primary user | Velikoslavia
|
| Produced | 1952-1962 |
| Number built | 521 |
The Gladeus Gu-18 was a strategic bomber designed and built in the Velikoslavia which was introduced in 1953. It would serve as the front line bomber in the Grand Air Force of Velikoslavia for forty years. The bomber would outlast its successor, the Gu-21, by over thirty years. All aircraft were finally retired in 1993 after a long service career.
Development
The Gu-18 emerged after a military request for a strategic bomber utilizing the newly developed powerful R113 Turbojet developed by Royal Jetworks. The engine was developed off of their wildly successful R12 Turbojet, which was developed during the XXX for the Falcus Designs Fe-440.
Work began on the prototypes in 1950 at the Gladeus Aeroworks Development Institute in Ustengrav and the first prototype flew in 1952. The design was successful and quickly advanced through prototype testing. It was presented to the Air Legion in December of 1952 and 50 aircraft were ordered immediately. The 192nd Heavy Bomber Regiment received the first five aircraft in May of 1953.
It had a new, large swept wing and two large R113 Turbojets, one in each wing root. It could carry a single massive CB-9000 9,000-kg (19,800 lb) conventional bomb or various nuclear weapons to a range of around 4,800 km (3,000 mi). A significant number of smaller CB-1000 bombs could also be carried and dropped on targets using an advanced radar assisted bombing site.
The initial aircraft were high altitude, free fall bombers but would eventually gain the capability to be equipped with cruise missiles in later variants. The aircraft was the first to successfully mount the new Veliko anti shipping cruise missile known as the Falcus FE-20. The Gu-18Dm could carry two FE-20s over 1,800 miles and engage enemy naval elements. The weapons were large and and cumbersome and required that the weight distribution be adjusted slightly to keep the pilot in maximum control.
A versatile design, the Gu-18 was built in numerous specialized variants for reconnaissance, maritime surveillance, electronic intelligence gathering (ELINT), and electronic warfare (ECM). The bomber's most produced variant was the Gu-18Dr, which was an aircraft equipped with reconnaissance equipment. Production was switched primarily to this variant in 1958 when work on the Gu-21 began, which was supposed to succeed the Gu-18. This never happened, however.
A total of 8 aircraft were produced and exported to XX.
Design
The Gu-18 is a swept wing design aircraft that utilized two powerful R113 Turbojets. These are still in use for civilian applications today.
The crew consits of six men; a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, weapons officer, and two defensive weapons operators. The pilot and the co-pilot sit in the cockpit and are responsible for shouldering the burden of flying the aircraft. The navigator is responsible for keeping the aircraft on course as well as operating the remote ventral turret. The weapons officer operates one remote control turret as well as manages the bombing site and delivery of payload. The other two gunners sit in the rear and nose turrets and operate them full time as defense against enemy fighters. Later variants removed the two extra crewmen and replaced them with electronic warfare equipment as interceptors became more advanced.
Early variants had an optical bombing system but later, the Gu-18 maintained a fully capable attack radar suite. Missile carrying variants began to feature guidance radars in order to feed the missiles data as they homed in on enemy targets.
Variants
- X-18A - Initial airframe design for wind tunnel testing. No engines installed.
- X-18B - Airframe with first generation R113 Turbojets
- X-18C - Full production model.
- Gu-18A – Basic configuration of the Gu-18 bomber.
- Gu-18An – Designed to carry nuclear bombs as one of main versions. Many of these were subsequently converted into other variants.
- Gu-18T – An early specialized version of the Gu-18 that served as airborne tankers (refueling method: wing-to-wing), though retaining their medium bomber role.
- Gu-18M – Fast air mail model, training version.
- Gu-18T2 – A dedicated tanker version for Gu-21 bombers, with probe and drogue system. Entered service in 1963.
- Gu-18T – Limited production maritime strike version (torpedo bomber) that carried torpedoes, mines and depth charges. All units subsequently converted into Gu-18S configuration.
- Gu-18S – A lifeboat carrier version used for search and rescue operations.
- GU-18Ye – Equipped with heavy electronic warfare and electronic intelligence (ELINT) equipment.
- Gu-18KS – Variant designed as a launch platform for dual VKS-9 Antishipping cruise missiles
- Gu-18B - Subsequent variant unveiled as an updated base platform in 1954. Featured improved R113A turbojets.
Gu-18B on display at Talmae Air Legion Base - Gu-18RM – Maritime reconnaissance model with ELINT equipment.
- Gu-18R – Reconnaissance version of the airframe equipped with ELINT equipment.
- Gu-18R2M – Another reconnaissance version based on the Gu-18YeB but with the addition of external ELINT equipment.
- Gu-18MC – Serving in the Naval Aviation, these were conversions from earlier models. These were designed to carry bombs in internal bays in addition to carrying air-to-surface missiles externally. There existed numerous operational variants Following further modifications, they were also given suffixes. Main variants:
- Gu-18MCL – Carried light missiles and a full payload of bombs. Featured guidance equipment for larger missiles.
- Gu-18MCAR– Designed to carry anti radiation missiles.
- Gu-18HM - Variant to carry heavy antishipping cruise missiles. Relied on MCL variants for guidance.
- Gu-18C - Updated base platform unveiled in 1956 featuring improved avonics and additional improvements to the R113 engines.
- Gu-18Cm – Designed for stand-off electronic warfare and electronic counter-measures support.
- Gu-18ECm – Another electronic warfare variant configured as an ECM strike escort.
- Gu-18FEl – Believed to be a version of the C configuration possessing enhanced ELINT capability.
- Gu-18FEl2 – Another version of the C with more modern systems and used in ELINT role.
- Gu-18D - Updated base platform revealed in 1960 with reduced crewmen through the use of remote controlled gun turrets.
- Gu-18Dr - Reconnaissance version of the D equipped with the latest ELINT equipment
- Gu-90 - Prototype turboprop-powered version.
- Gu-104 - Civilian airliner version.
Service Life Extension Variants
- Gu-18SL - Base variant introduced in 1978 as a modernization program for all Gu-18s in service. Introduced newer, more modern avionics as well as the reduction to only four crew.
- Gu-18SRM - ELINT upgrade introduced in 1986 and applied to all ELINT variants. Included the latest equipment and technology.
- Gu-18Sr - Updated reconnaissance variant introduced in 1990. Featured new high resolution cameras and thermal imaging.
Post Military Service Variants
- Gu-18Am - Air mail and cargo carrier conversion for use by military and civilian operators. Instead of new production airframes, retired airframes were simply converted. Sensitive electronics and sensors were removed and the bomb and missile bays converted to cargo bays. Crew shrunk down to just two to make additional room for cargo.
Operators
Former Operators
Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 6–7
- Length: 34.80 m (114 ft 2 in)
- Wingspan: 33.00 m (108 ft 3 in)
- Height: 10.36 m (34 ft 0 in)
- Wing area: 165 m2 (1,780 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 37,200 kg (82,012 lb)
- Gross weight: 76,000 kg (167,551 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 79,000 kg (174,165 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × R113 Turbojet turbojets, 93.2 kN (21,000 lbf) thrust each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 1,050 km/h (652 mph; 567 kn)
- Range: 7,200 km (4,474 mi; 3,888 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 12,800 m (42,000 ft)
- Wing loading: 460 kg/m2 (94 lb/sq ft)
- Thrust/weight: 0.24
Armament
- Guns: 6–7 × 20 mm Reaper cannons, two each in dorsal and ventral remote turrets and manned tail turret, with the occasional addition of one fixed forward in the nose
- Missiles:
- 2x Large antiship missiles
- Bombs: 9,000 kg (20,000 lb) of free-fall weapons