Could Blackjack bombers reach USA?

On Sat, 17 Jan 2004 20:42:21 +0000, Ken Duffey
wrote:

Mike wrote:

Remember the Soviet "Blackjack" bomber that the U.S.S.R. started to
deploy in the late 1980s?

First flight 18 December 1981. First production flight 10 October 1984.
Operational with 184th GvTBAP at Priluki, Ukraine, 17 April 1987.

Currently approx 15 operational at Engels, Russia.

Wasn't this plane a virtual copy of the American B-1 in many ways?

Same general shape, very much larger and supersonic. Max take-off weight
606,260lb - (B-1B - 477,000lb).

Max speed 1,242mph - (B-1B 789mph).

What about it's range? Could the BlackJack bomber have taken off in
the Soviet Union and bombed the United States?

Range, loaded on internal fuel - 7,640 miles (B-1B - 3,444 miles)
Equipped for IFR.


Those are brochure numbers for the Blackjack. In the real world (at
least as far as FAI records go) the B-1 has the Blackjack beat in the
paylaod/range department.