While we all know about the Tupolev TB-3 being tested as a flying aircraft carrier, here’s a little know test that I came across in a book recently. Apparently the Soviets tested them as a platform for suicide aerial torpedoes as well
Posted by Straight-Knowledge83@reddit | WeirdWings | View on Reddit | 11 comments
SalTez@reddit
This was not a suicidal aircraft. The piloted version was only for testing purposes. The goal was to make it infrared guided and without crew.
Magos_Galactose@reddit
More specifically, this is from the late 30s era, where many Soviet engineers were still kinda obsessed with remote-operating vehicles, which, based on the tech available at the time, plus the nation being industrialized for only about a decade, you can guess how well any of those programs turned out.
miksy_oo@reddit
The radio tanks did surprisingly well.
Andrey_Gusev@reddit
Radio tanks and radio-mines did well. As well as RC mines on tracks, people mostly know as german "goliaf" mines. Soviets had them too and used them too, simpler, tho, they were made of wood with rubber tracks, compared to steel german things.
Annual-Advisor-7916@reddit
I guess that design philosophy is the reason why many soviet tanks use autoloaders instead of a crewed turret?
TWNW@reddit
Lol, who wrote this "kamikadze" misinformation.
It's piloted testbed for infrared-guided anti-ship missile/torpedo. We NEVER had suicide pilots or any other kind of suicide military organisations, it was considered immoral and inhumane.
Some suicidal aerial rams were mostly made by personal decision out of desperation, and were never considered normal tactics. Though, desperate non-suicidal ramming (ramming with use of propeller for destruction of tail control surfaces) had officially promoted guides how to survive it and save plane.
Straight-Knowledge83@reddit (OP)
These are the authors:
TWNW@reddit
Can't find anything about А.И. Кандалов. It seems to be his only work, or it's even a pseudonym.
Though, publishing data is 90's. Many people used to wrote some comical nonsense about previous government practices for new sponsor's money. I remember reading a book about soviet space program in 60-80's that even promoted a point that soviet government banned any info about Apollo program, lol.
It was in hundreds of soviet newspapers in reality, from all-state, to local ones.
waldo--pepper@reddit
Tupolev: The Man and his Aircraft page 46.
It moves a little fast and it is a little superficial, but not a bad book. I am a unreasonably harsh critic though. I always want more details.
Straight-Knowledge83@reddit (OP)
Yup, you found the book. An interesting read but glosses over a lot of the details for sure
Straight-Knowledge83@reddit (OP)
I did a reverse image search on this image. This human guided torpedo was called the “Nikitin PSN-1”