Tupolev Tu-91
| Tu-91 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Naval attack aircraft |
| National origin | Soviet Union |
| Manufacturer | Tupolev OKB |
| First flight | 17 May 1955 |
| Status | Prototype only |
| Number built | 1 |
The Tupolev Tu-91 (NATO reporting name Boot) was a Soviet carrier-borne attack aircraft. It was built only in prototype form, and was converted into a land-based aircraft after Joseph Stalin's death in 1953 cancelled the aircraft carriers being designed.
Development and design
Following the end of World War II, Stalin ordered an aggressive naval expansion to counter the US naval superiority. It called for building extra warships and a fleet of aircraft carriers. In order to equip the proposed carriers, Soviet Naval Aviation required a long-range carrier-based strike aircraft, capable of attacking with bombs or torpedoes. The Tupolev Design bureau decided on a single-engined turboprop aircraft, designated Tu-91 to meet this requirement.[1]
The Tu-91 was a low-winged monoplane with dihedral wings. It was powered by an Kuznetsov TV-2 engine mounted mid-fuselage, driving a six-bladed contra-rotating propeller in the nose via a long shaft. The crew of two sat side by side in a cockpit in the aircraft's nose, protected by armour plating. It could carry a heavy load of torpedoes or bombs on pylons under the fuselage and under the wings, and had a gun armament of two cannon in the wing roots and two more in a remotely-controlled tail turret.[1]
After the death of Stalin in 1953, the planned fleet of carriers was cancelled, but development of the Tu-91 continued as a land-based aircraft, the design being revised to eliminate wing-folding and arresting gear. It first flew on 17 May 1955,[1] demonstrating excellent performance, resulting in production being authorized. However, after the aircraft was ridiculed by Nikita Khrushchev when inspecting the prototype, the Tu-91 was cancelled.[2]
Specifications (Tu-91)
Data from The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995[3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2 (pilot and observer)
- Length: 17.7 m (58 ft 1 in)
- Wingspan: 16.4 m (53 ft 10 in)
- Height: 5.06 m (16 ft 7 in) [4]
- Empty weight: 8,000 kg (17,637 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 14,400 kg (31,747 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Kuznetsov TV-2M turboprop engine, 5,709 kW (7,656 hp)
- Propellers: 6-bladed contra-rotating propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 800 km/h (500 mph, 430 kn)
- Cruise speed: 250–300 km/h (160–190 mph, 130–160 kn)
- Range: 2,350 km (1,460 mi, 1,270 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,000 ft)
Armament
- Guns:
- Bombs: up to 1,500 kg (3,306.9 lb) of bombs, rockets or a single torpedo
See also
Related lists
References
Bibliography
- Duffy, Paul; Kandalov, Andrei (1996). Tupolev: The Man and His Aircraft. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-728-X.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|lastauthoramp=ignored (|name-list-style=suggested) (help) - Gordon, Yefim; Rigamant, Vladimir (2005). OKB Tupolev: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft. Hinckley, England: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-214-4.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|lastauthoramp=ignored (|name-list-style=suggested) (help) - Gunston, Bill (1995a). Tupolev Aircraft since 1922. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-882-8.
- Gunston, Bill (1995b). The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995. London: Osprey. ISBN 1-85532-405-9.