Sukhoi T-6 TSR-Ski

[overscan]

Sukhoi Chief Mikhail Simonov, quoted by Bill Gunston in "Beyond the Frontiers: BAC TSR.2";

"We are proud of our Su-24, but we would have been equally proud had we adhered to the original configuration. In many ways it was superior".

What if Sukhoi had stuck more closely to their original inspiration, the TSR2?

The second, modified T-6 design looked like this:

[overscan]

The original Su-24 project was S-6, heres a mockup.

[overscan]

The change from tandem seats to side by side was determined by the huge size of the Orion radar antenna. If better technology had allowed for a smaller radar dish, tandem seating would probably have been retained.

[P1127]

So does he mean the original S-6 low wing configuration, or the later T-6 TSR2 type configuration?

[Geoff_B]

That S-6 mock up appears to be more an adaptation to the flagon design, trouble with the actual S-6 is didn't they try that lift engine thing to give them a very STOL ability but crappy performance. ?

G

[overscan]

He is talking about the T-6 configuration. Yes, they tried lift jets and it didn't really work very well, but the basic airframe was perfectly sound. If they had deleted the lift jets, it would have made a fine bomber. The Su-24 is absolutely not short takeoff anyway! The original T-6 design would have been easier to maintain and cheaper to build.

I'm not sure whether you could kitbash the TSR2 and Su-24 in some way. I imagine the Su-24 front fuselage is significantly wider due to the side by side seating.