Tu-160 Blackjack - any thoughts?

[Dave Ward]

I have had this in the stash for a while, and I'm pondering on how to display it. It's a big beast, even in 1/144, about 370mm long, and the spread wingspan the same. I'd like to show it with the wings in supersonic position BUT I think I read somewhere that the Blackjack never folds it's wings on the ground. I've looked around, and not yet found a picture to contradict this!
To display it in flight looks like the answer, it has an unusual feature, in that a wing fence is extended in supersonic flight ( just outboard of the engines ) - not seen with wings spread. ( picture for discussion purposes only )


Anyone have any info/pictures on the wings spread/folded/fences?
Dave

 

[yak face]

https://www.scale-models.co.uk/threads/zvezda-1-144-tupolev-tu-160-blackjack.17264/.
Heres mine dave , i went for the intermediate position of the wings . That way you dont have to worry about deployed flaps and slats etc on the fully open sweep or the pop up wing fences when fully swept , cheers tony

 

[Dave Ward]

Tony,
I think for aesthetic reasons, the fully swept look is for me! I don't know why, but the 160 looks much sleeker than the similar B-1
Dave

 

[Gary MacKenzie]

ignore the robot commentator

 

[Dave Ward]

One thing that really catches my eye is the sheer size of the undercarriage legs!, they look more like parts of a bridge!
Dane

 

[Dave Ward]

A little further research shows that the Tu-160 has it's wings spread on the ground, to keep it's centre of gravity forward - with them swept - it's a tailsitter. Stands are used under the tail when the aircraft is parked.
Dave

 

[Jakko]

Big, clear plastic stands?

 

[Dave Ward]

A whacking great stand - very much like a giant Acrow!

Dave

 

[Jakko]

Why don’t they just put a lump of lead in the nose like the rest of us?

 

[Gary MacKenzie]

Why don’t they just put a lump of lead in the nose like the rest of us?

And pray tell what would protect the crew from the radiation from the nuclear missiles if you borrow their lead shielding to make the nose stay down.

 

[JR]

And pray tell what would protect the crew from the radiation from the nuclear missiles if you borrow their lead shielding to make the nose stay down.

Would that bother the powers that be .