As radar and missile development progressed during the 1970s, the need for a new airframe to house them emerged. The new interceptor was tasked with countering a new threat in the West: the supersonic bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, such as the Mach 3-capable North American XB-70 Valkyrie and Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Although capable at the time of its inception, the Fiddler emerged as a stop-gap measure, filling the space between the older and slower Yakovlev Yak-25M (NATO reporting name: “Flashlight”) and the still-in-development Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 (NATO reporting name: “Foxbat”). Foxbat prototypes were being tested as the Fiddler entered operational service. Most newer MiG-25s were destined for regiments flying older aircraft before they began replacing the Tu-128s by the mid-1970s.

In this image, a Tu-128 Fiddler-B of the 445th AP flies alongside its eventual replacement, the Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-25P Foxbat-A. The 445th Aviation Regiment PVO imeni Leninskiy Komsomol (445th AP) was initially stationed in Belarus, China, and Tver after WW2 before settling at Savatiya Air Base outside of Kotlas in the southern Arkhangelsk Oblast in western Siberia. The Tu-128s were tasked with intercepting enemy bombers infiltrating Soviet air space via the North Pole. Despite the Tu-128’s long-range capabilities, the MiG-25P had an even more extended range, was substantially faster, and carried the R-40 missiles and a more powerful radar. The Fiddlers flew for ten years with the 445th AP, beginning in March 1967, before being replaced by the Foxbats in 1975, although they did fly together for a few years during the transition. During the Tu-128’s tenure with the 445th AP, the regiment was officially redesignated as an aviation regiment (AP) and not a fighter aviation regiment (IAP) because the Fiddler’s poor maneuverability did not qualify it as a fighter. The IAP designation was reinstated when the Foxbat was fully adopted.

Tags:   KurtsMOCs Kurt MOC Model Lego LDD Studio2.0 Military Tupolev Tu-128 Fiddler Soviet PVO Aircraft ColdWar Interceptor

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The formal development project for the loitering fighter was launched in July 1958 by the Soviet Council of Ministers. The requirements included a speed between 1,700 to 1,800 km/h, a subsonic speed of 800 to 1,000 km/h for at least three and a half hours, the capacity to carry the new K-80 missile (first IR seeker and second radar seeker), and ability to carry the new RP-S Smerch radar set with a detection range of at least 60 km for bombers. Iosif Nezval of the Tupolev Design Bureau led the development of the new interceptor aircraft. The work began in 1958, based on an existing single prototype of the unsuccessful Tu-98 supersonic bomber. In June 1959, the design of the aircraft was approved, and a mock-up model was created in 1960. In January 1961, the first prototype was completed, and its flight debut was made on 18 March 1961. The military designation for the interceptor was at first Tu-28, but it was changed in 1963 to Tu-128, identical to the designation used by the OKB.

By April 1961, the Fiddler completed its first supersonic flight and, by September 1962, conducted missile tests against aerial targets. After a series of changes to its name, equipment, and armament, the aircraft was commissioned into the PVO on 30 April 1965. Delivery of the first batch of fifteen Tu-128s arrived later that year. A further 37 additional aircraft were delivered in 1966. A total of 198 Fiddlers were produced, the last one in 1971. In this image, a new Tu-128 of the 518th Berlinskiy Order of Suvorov Aviation Regiment PVO (518th AP) sits on the apron at Talagi Airfield near Arkhangelsk. The 518th AP was formed in 1941 and stationed in East Germany after WW2. After stints at Kharkov, Baku, and Ahshan, the 518th AP settled in the northern reaches of the Soviet Union near Arkhangelsk, first at Vaskovo and then Talagi. The regiment was the first to fly the new interceptor, receiving their aircraft in November 1966. The 518th AP would fly the Fiddler for 18 years before transitioning to the Mikoyan MiG-31 in 1984. The regiment was disbanded on 9 September 1998.

Tags:   KurtsMOCs Kurt MOC Model Lego LDD Studio2.0 Military Tupolev Tu-128 Fiddler Soviet PVO Aircraft ColdWar Interceptor

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This is my design of the Tupolev Tu-128 Fiddler interceptor. It is built to minifig scale and has many different moving parts and features. As always, please leave a comment if you wish. Enjoy!

In this image, a Tu-128 of the 72nd Guards Polotskiy order of Suvorov Aviation Regiment PVO (GvAP) flies over the frozen arctic landscape of Vaygach Island north of Amderma airbase.

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Like what you're seeing? You can win this MOC in this year’s Brickscalibur! Consider entering the Tails from the Meadow category and this might just be yours! Will you join us?

I've been wanting to do a Mouse Guard inspired character for ages – when we decided on a critter-based category I knew I just had to go for it. It escalated quickly: The mouse had to be riding on a bird, obviously, and then it needed a rock, and some forest surroundings and... well... the rest is history.

Inspired by this lovely print.

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The Tornado IDS (interdictor/strike) variants were the multirole aircraft designed to excel at low-level penetration of enemy defences. The aircraft used a variable wing geometry, advanced navigation and flight computers, and an innovative fly-by-wire control system. The Tornado had a maximum speed of Mach 2.2, a range of 860 mi (1,390 km), and a service ceiling of 50,000 ft (15,240 m). Despite its performance requirements and ordinance loads, the aircraft was relatively small compared to its counterparts, such as the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark, McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle and Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer. The Tornado IDS was 54 ft 10 in (16.72 m) long and had an extended wingspan of 45 ft 8 in (13.91 m). Its empty weight was 30,622 lb (13,890 kg), and had a gross weight of 44,622 lb (20,240 kg). The IDS variants were produced in greater numbers than their interceptor (ADV) and electronic combat/reconnaissance (ECR) brethren, with 745 IDS, 194 ADV, and 51 ECR variants being produced.

The contract for the Batch 1 aircraft was signed on 29 July 1976. The first British production Tornado, BT001 (serial number: ZA319), made its first flight on 10 July 1979 at BAC Warton. The British IDS variants were designated GR1 for their ground attack and reconnaissance roles. The first production aircraft were assigned to the Tri-national Tornado Training Establishment (TTTE); however, the training service was set up two years before the first flight of the Tornado prototype. Set up at RAF Cottesmore in Rutland, UK, the RAF, Luftwaffe, and AMI began flight training on 5 January 1981. Pilots received four weeks of training on the ground and nine weeks in the air. Germany contributed 23 aircraft, the UK 19, and the Italians six. The unit was manned by personnel from all three participating nations, training 300 crews a year and, at its height, consisted of three squadrons of Tornados. In the post-Cold War era, each nation took over its own Tornado training. The TTTE was disbanded on 24 February 1999. In this image, the first British Tornado (serial number ZA319) taxis to the apron after completing a training flight in the west of England. British Tornado crews that qualified from the TTTE went onto the Tornado Weapons Conversion Unit (TWCU) at RAF Honington before being posted to a front-line squadron.

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