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| Tupolev Tu-4
|
Tu-4, spitting image of the B-29
|
| Description
|
| Role | Heavy bomber
|
| Crew | seven
|
| First Flight | July 3 1947
|
| Entered Service | 1948
|
| Manufacturer | Tupolev
|
| Dimensions
|
| Length | 30.18 m | ft in
|
| Wingspan | 43 m | ft in
|
| Height | 8.5 m | ft in
|
| Wing area | 162 m² | ft²
|
| Weights
|
| Empty | 35,270 kg | lb
|
| Loaded | kg | lb
|
| Maximum takeoff | 65,000 kg | lb
|
| Powerplant
|
| Engines | 4x Shvetsov ASh-73TK radial engines
|
| Power | 7,160 kW | hp
|
| Performance
|
| Maximum speed | 558 km/h | mph
|
| Combat range | 5,400 km | miles
|
| Ferry range | 6,200 km | miles
|
| Service ceiling | 11,200 m | ft
|
| Rate of climb | m/min | ft/min
|
| Wing loading | kg/m² | lb/ft²
|
| Power/Mass | kW/kg | lb/hp
|
| Avionics
|
| Avionics |
|
| Armament
|
| Guns | 10x 23mm Nudelman NS-23 machine guns
in four turrets and tail barbette
|
| Bombs | 6x 454 kg (1,000 lb) or
1x atomic bomb
|
| Missiles | 2x standoff missiles in place of bombs
|
The Tupolev Tu-4 is a piston-engined Russian strategic bomber which served the Soviet Air Force from the late 1940s to mid 1960s.
Background
Towards the end of World War II, the Soviet Union was envious of the strategic bombing capability of the USAAF. The US regularly conducted bombing raids on Japan, virtually in the Soviet Union's backyard, from distant Pacific forward bases using B-29 Superfortresses. Stalin ordered the development of a comparable bomber.
During 1945, four B-29s were forced to land in Russian territory. The Soviets seized the bombers, and Tupolev OKB dismantled and studied them. The bombers were copied bolt-by-bolt where possible and reverse engineered where necessary. An unconfirmed report states that all TU-4s were chromate-green inside until the end of the rear pressure bulkhead, whereapon they were painted in simple white lead. The last B-29 seized by the Soviets was built in Kansas during a shortage of chromate green (a common rust-proofing paint for aircraft of the time). White lead was substituted as a "quick fix", which was promptly institutionalized by the duplicators.
The resulting bomber was the Tu-4, NATO named Bull, which first flew on 19 May, 1947. Serial production started immediately, and the type entered large scale service in 1949. Entry into service of the Tu-4 threw the USAF into a virtual panic, since the Tu-4 possessed sufficient range to attack Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City with a worthwhile load on a one-way "suicide" mission. Some limited attempts to
develop midair refueling systems were made to extend the bomber's range,
but these were fitted to few aircraft.
The development of the Soviet atomic bomb in 1949 gave the air defense program a new urgency, since the United States was itself now in danger of a nuclear attack with the Tu-4 as the delivery platform. This forced the United States to develop an extremely costly air-interception capability involving ground radar installations, a Ground Observer Corps, radar picket planes, surface-to-air missiles, and fleets of jet interceptor fighters, which eventualy became NORAD in 1957.
In Service
847 Tu-4s have been built in the Soviet Union by the time production
ended in 1952, with some going to China during the later 1950s. Many experimental variants were built and the valuable experience launched the strategic Soviet bomber program. Tu-4s were withdrawn in the 1960s, replaced by their more capable successors, the Tupolev Tu-95 (starting in 1956) and Tupolev Tu-16 (starting in 1954). At the beginning of the 1960s
the only remaining Tu-4s were used in transport aviation and as airborne
laboratories.
Variants
Tu-70
Multiple view of Tu-70 airliner and Tu-75 freighter versions of the Tu-4
A passenger variant of Tu-4, using a new pressurized fuselage designed for 72 passengers, first flying 27 November 1946. The aircraft was successfully tested, was recommended to serial production, but was not produced because of more pressing military orders and Aeroflot was not ready to operate such an aircraft.
Tu-75
A transport variant of Tu-4,using new fuselage designed for transport. The first Soviet machine of this class; it was equipped with rear fuselage ramp hatch. It was successfully tested, with its first flight on 21 January, 1950. It was not put into serial production because Air Force was not ready to accept such a machine.
Tu-80
Modernized Tu-4 with improvements on aerodynamics such as wing area increase, aircraft systems, weapon and equipment. The work done allowed to increase designed flight range in comparison with that of Tu-4 by 20-25%. Its first flight was on 1 December 1949. However it is still not up to expectations and hence not produced.
Tu-85 "Barge"
The final refinement of Tu-4, the Tu-85
The final version of Tu-4, overcoming the shortcomings of the Tu-4 especially with regards to range. Intercontinental strategic bomber. Only two machines were built, with the first flying on 9 January 1951. In the course of tests, an intercontinental flight range of 6,500 nautical miles was achieved with a bomb payload of five tonnes. However, by then it was already vulnerable to US jet fighters. The aircraft was thus not produced and the focus is now towards higher performance strategic bombers such as turbojet (Tupolev Tu-16) and the turbo-prop (Tupolev Tu-95)
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