Tupolev Tu-95 Bear
Summary
| Category | Bombers |
| Origin country | 🇨🇳 Ex-USSR |
| Manufacturer | Tupolev |
| First flight | 12 November 1952 |
| Year introduced | 1956 |
| Number produced | 500 units |
| Average unit price | $60 million |
Technical specifications
| Version: Tu-95MS Bear-H | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 8 members |
| Operational range | 15,000 km (9,321 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 920 km/h (572 mph) |
| Wing area | 310 m² (3336.8 sqft) |
| Wingspan | 50.1 m (164.4 ft) |
| Height | 12.1 m (39.8 ft) |
| Length | 46.2 m (151.6 ft) |
| Service ceiling | 13,716 m (45,000 ft) |
| Empty weight | 90,000 kg (198,416 lbs) |
| Max. takeoff weight | 188,000 kg (414,469 lbs) |
| Climb rate | 10.0 m/s (32.8 ft/s) |
| Powerplant | 4 x turboprops Kuznetsov NK-12M delivering 8950 kW each |
Current operating countries
| Country | Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Russia | 79 | |
Armament
Description
This gigantic strategic bomber is one of the most successful aircraft in the Soviet aerospace industry, with an exceptional lifespan and a remarkable number of versions.
The main challenge encountered during the development of this aircraft was the contra-rotating propeller engines. The Tu-95 was indeed the only strategic bomber in the world equipped with propeller engines, which gave it exceptional endurance, albeit at a slightly lower speed compared to other heavy jet-powered bombers. It was capable of covering 13,000 km at a speed exceeding 800 km/h at an altitude of 10,000 meters.
The Tu-95 Bear has been developed in nearly twenty versions, including the Tu-95M, a conventional strategic bomber capable of carrying 9,000 kg of offensive payload, the Tu-95V, capable of carrying a 58-megaton H-bomb (for comparison, the one dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 had a power of 15 kilotons), the Tu-95RT Bear-D, equipped with electronic reconnaissance equipment, and the Tu-142, designed for anti-submarine warfare.