View source for Sukhoi Su-9

{{Short description|1959–1970s Soviet interceptor aircraft}}
{{About|the supersonic Su-9 "Fishpot"|the earlier subsonic interceptor|Sukhoi Su-9 (1946)}}
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name= Su-9
 |image= Sukhoi_Su-9_’52_blue’_(26272824739).jpg
 |caption= 
 |type= [[Interceptor aircraft]]
 |national_origin= Soviet Union
 |manufacturer= [[Sukhoi]]
 |designer= <!--only appropriate for individuals, not for project leaders or a company or corporation-->
 |first_flight= June 24, 1956
 |introduction= [[1959 in aviation|1959]]
 |retired= 1970s
 |status= <!--in most cases, this field is redundant; use it sparingly-->
 |primary_user= [[Soviet Air Defense Forces]]
 |more_users= <!--limited to three "more users" total. please separate with <br />-->
 |produced= 
 |number_built= 1,150
 |developed_from= [[Sukhoi T-3]]
 |variants= [[Sukhoi Su-11]]
 |developed_into=
}}

The '''Sukhoi Su-9''' ([[Air Standardization Coordinating Committee|ASCC reporting name]]: '''Fishpot''') is a single-[[engine]], all-weather, [[missile]]-armed [[interceptor aircraft]] developed by the [[Soviet Union]].

==Development==
[[File:Su-9.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Three Su-9 aircraft in 1982]]
The Su-9 emerged from aerodynamic studies by [[TsAGI]], the Soviet aerodynamic center, during the [[Korean War]], which devised several optimum aerodynamic configurations for jet fighters. The design first flew in [[1956 in aviation|1956]] as the '''T-405''' prototype. The Su-9 was developed at the same time as the [[Sukhoi Su-7|Su-7 "Fitter"]], and the West first saw both at the [[Tushino Aviation Day]] on June 24, 1956, where the Su-9 was dubbed '''Fitter-B'''. It entered service in [[1959 in aviation|1959]].

The total production of the Su-9 was about 1,100 aircraft. It is believed that at least some Su-9s were upgraded to [[Sukhoi Su-11|Su-11 "Fishpot-C"]] form. None were exported to any of the [[Soviet Union|USSR]]'s [[client state]]s nor to the [[Warsaw Pact]] nations. The remaining Su-9s and later Su-11s were retired during the 1970s. Some were retained as test vehicles or converted to remote-piloted vehicles for use as [[unmanned aerial vehicle]]s. It was replaced by the upgraded Su-11 and the much-superior [[Sukhoi Su-15|Su-15 "Flagon"]] and [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25|MiG-25 "Foxbat"]].

The combat record of the "Fishpot" is poorly documented. It is possible that it was involved in the interception (or even shoot-down) of [[reconnaissance]] missions, but no information has been publicly declassified.

Being an interceptor, the Su-9 was used in routine patrols and interdictions over the Soviet Frontiers. The most widely known involved in the interception of [[Francis Gary Powers]]' [[Lockheed_U-2|U-2]] on Soviet territory on May 1, 1960. The Su-9 was unarmed and was directed to ram the U-2. One ramming attempt was made, but the Su-9 missed the U-2 due to the significant difference in the speed of the two planes. Due to the Su-9's lack of fuel, the pilot elected to break away from the U-2 and continue with the original flight plan.
Its pilot, Captain Igor Mentyukov, later claimed that his slipstream caused the U-2 to break apart. He discounts the official version that the U-2 was shot down by an [[SA-2]] missile, explaining that Powers could not have survived such a hit.

On September 4, 1959 a modified Su-9 (designated '''T-431''' by the bureau) piloted by [[Vladimir Sergeievitch Ilyushin]] set a new [[world record]] for absolute height, at 28,852&nbsp;m (94,658&nbsp;ft). In November of the same year, Ilyushin set several new sustained speed/altitude records in the same aircraft. This record was later broken on December 6, 1959, by Commander Lawrence E. Flint Jr., who performed a [[zoom climb]] to a world record of 98,557&nbsp;feet (30,040 meters) while piloting an [[F4 Phantom|F4H-1 Phantom]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/forums/f-4-a-phantom-16-world-records-9328.aspx |title=F-4 A Phantom, 16 world records - The Greatest Military Aircraft? Forum - AirSpace |website=www.flightglobal.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080702202027/http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/forums/f-4-a-phantom-16-world-records-9328.aspx |archive-date=2008-07-02}} </ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=April 2021}}

[[Bobrovka (air base)|Bobrovka]] became the Soviet Union's primary storage facility for the Su-9 as it was phased out, and by 1981 at least 243 Su-9 aircraft were observed parked at Bobrovka.<ref name="phaseout81">[https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/document/cia-rdp81t00380r000100980001-5 PHASEOUT OF FISHPOT IN APVO STRANYY AIRFIELDS USSR] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729230817/https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/document/cia-rdp81t00380r000100980001-5 |date=2020-07-29 }}, February 1981, CREST: CIA-RDP81T00380R000100980001-5, Central Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC.</ref>

==Design==
[[File:Su-9B VVS museum.jpg|thumbnail|Sukhoi Su-9 in [[Central Air Force Museum|Monino museum]]]]
The Su-9's fuselage and tail surfaces resembled those of the Su-7, but unlike the [[swept wing]] of that aircraft, the "Fishpot" used a 53° [[delta wing]] with conventional [[slab tailplane]]s. It shared Sukhoi features like the rear-fuselage [[air brake (aircraft)|air brake]]s as well as the Su-7's [[Lyulka AL-7]] [[turbojet]] engine and nose intake. The translating [[shock cone]] contains the [[radar]] set.

The Su-9 was developed from earlier work on a developmental aircraft designated T-3, to which the Su-9 was nearly identical. Internally at Sukhoi, the Su-9 was known as the T-43.

The delta wing of the Su-9 was adopted because of its lower [[Aerodynamic drag|drag]] in the [[supersonic]] flight regime. Its greater volume also allowed a modest fuel capacity increase compared to the Su-7. The Su-9 was capable of Mach 1.8 at altitude or about Mach 1.14 with missiles. However, its [[fuel fraction]] remained minimal, and its operational radius was limited. Furthermore, rotation speeds were even higher than the Su-7, which was already high at 360&nbsp; km/h (225&nbsp; mph). Unlike the Su-7, which had cumbersome controls but docile handling characteristics, the "Fishpot" had light and responsive controls but was unforgiving of pilot error.

The Su-9 had primitive R1L ([[NATO reporting name]] "High Fix") radar in the shock cone and was armed with four [[K-5 missile (AA-1 Alkali)|K-5]] (AA-1 "Alkali") [[beam-riding]] [[air-to-air missile]]s. Like all beam-riders, the K-5 was so limited as to be nearly useless for air-to-air combat.<ref name="airwar.ru">{{cite web |title=K-5, RS-1U (product SHM) |url=https://www.airwar.ru/weapon/avv/k5.html |website=airwar.ru |publisher=airwar.ru |access-date=10 July 2024 |ref=airwar.ru}}</ref> Unlike the Su-7 and later [[Su-15]], Su-9 carried no [[cannon]] armament, although two fuselage pylons were reserved for the carriage of [[drop tank]]s.

A two-seat trainer version designated '''Su-9U''' was also produced in limited numbers (about 50 aircraft). It received the NATO reporting name "'''Maiden'''." It had a full armament and radar system with displays in both cockpits, allowing trainees to practice all aspects of the interception mission. Still, because the second seat further reduced the already meager fuel fraction, it was not genuinely combat-capable.

The Su-9 has been frequently mistaken for the [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21|MiG-21]] due to the many similarities in design. The primary distinguishing features are the Su-9's size and its bubble canopy.

==Variants==
:Development of the Su-9.
;T-405
:Prototype model of the Su-9.
;Su-9
:Production variant, about 1,100 built.
;Su-9U
:Training variant, mounting the standard avionics suite without weapon systems or hardpoints. About 50 units were manufactured.
;T-431
:A specially modified Su-9 for setting the [[Aircraft records|world record]] for absolute height in 1962.
;[[Sukhoi Su-11]]
:A upgraded design based on the Su-9. It was slightly lengthened compared to the Su-9. However, it was outmoded by the [[Sukhoi Su-15]], which offered vastly increased range and aerodynamic performance.

==Operators==
;{{USSR}}
*[[Soviet Anti-Air Defense]]
:894th Fighter Aviation Regiment, [[Ozerne (air base)|Ozernoye]], Ukraine, 1959-1979.<ref>Michael Holm, http://www.ww2.dk/new/air%20force/regiment/iap/894iap.htm, accessed December 2012.</ref>

==Specifications (Su-9)==
[[File:Sukhoi Su-9.svg|thumb|Sukhoi Su-9]]
{{Aircraft specs
|ref=''OKB Sukhoi : a history of the design bureau and its aircraft'' <ref name=Antonov>{{cite book |last1=Antonov |first1=Vladimir |last2=Gordon |first2=Yefim |last3=Gordyukov |first3=Nikolai |last4=Yakovlev |first4=Vladimir |last5=Zenkin |first5=Vyacheslav |last6=Carruth |first6=Lenox |last7=Miller |first7=Jay |title=OKB Sukhoi : a history of the design bureau and its aircraft |date=1996 |publisher=Midland Publishing |location=Earl Shilton |isbn=9781857800128 |pages=110–128 |edition=1st}}</ref>
|prime units?=met
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=1 ('''Su-9U''' 2)
|length m=16.772
|length note=
|span m=8.536
|span note=
|height m=4.82
|height note=
|wing area sqm=34
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=7675
|empty weight note=<br />
*'''Landing weight:''' {{cvt|8658|kg|0}}
|gross weight kg=10755
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=12512
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity={{cvt|3100|kg|0}} internal <big>+</big> {{cvt|2160|kg|0}} in external tanks
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number= 1
|eng1 name=[[Lyulka AL-7F-1-100]]
|eng1 type=[[afterburning turbojet]] engine
|eng1 lbf=14987
|eng1 note=
|eng1 lbf-ab=21158

<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed kmh=2120
|max speed note= / Mach 2.0 at {{cvt|13000|m}}
::::{{cvt|2230|km/h|mph kn}} over {{cvt|13000|m}}
*'''Landing speed:''' {{cvt|305|-|310|km/h|mph kn}}
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed note=
|range km=1350
|range note=internals
|combat range km=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=1800
|ferry range note=with external tanks
|endurance=1 hour 18 minutes on internal fuel
::::2 hours with external tanks
|ceiling m=20000
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<big>+</big>7
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|wing loading kg/m2=316
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|thrust/weight=0.89
|more performance=<br />
*'''Landing run:''' {{cvt|1150|-|1250|m}} without brake parachute
<!--
        Armament
-->
|hardpoints=2 × under-fuselage hardpoints for drop tanks and 4 × under-wing hardpoints for {{convert|500|kg|lb|abbr=on}} of disposable stores<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sukhoi.org/eng/planes/museum/su9_11_13/lth/|title=Sukhoi Company (JSC) - Airplanes - Museum - Su-9, 11, 13 - Specifications|last=www.3ebra.com|first=IT-Bureau Zebra -|website=www.sukhoi.org|access-date=2017-09-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925083402/http://www.sukhoi.org/eng/planes/museum/su9_11_13/lth/|archive-date=2017-09-25}}</ref>
|hardpoint missiles=4 × [[K-5 (missile)|K-5]] [[air-to-air missile]]s

|avionics=
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Aviation}}
{{Aircontent
|related=
*[[Sukhoi Su-7]] 
*[[Sukhoi Su-11]]
|similar aircraft=
*{{lwc|CAC CA-23}}
*{{lwc|Convair F-106 Delta Dart}}
*{{lwc|Dassault Mirage III}}
*{{lwc|English Electric Lightning}}
*{{lwc|Lockheed F-104 Starfighter}}
*{{lwc|Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21}}
*{{lwc|Saab 35 Draken}}
|see also=
|lists=
* [[List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS]]
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Sukhoi Su-9}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060720153511/http://napo.ru/eng/?id=26 Su-9 from NAPO (Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association)]
* [http://www.globalaircraft.org/planes/su-9_fishpot.pl Su-9 from Global Aircraft]
* [http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/airdef/su-9.htm Su-9 from FAS]

{{Sukhoi aircraft}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sukhoi aircraft|Su-09]]
[[Category:1950s Soviet fighter aircraft]]
[[Category:Single-engined jet aircraft]]
[[Category:Delta-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1956]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear]]
[[Category:Mid-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Second-generation jet fighters]]