Tupolev Tu-95/142 Bear
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Tupolev Tu-95/142 Bear
Role:
Four-turboprop long-range bomber and maritime
reconnaissance aircraft.
DESIGN FEATURES:
Unique large, high-performance, four-turboprop combat
aircraft; all-swept, high aspect ratio mid-wing
configuration; fuselage same diameter as US Boeing
B-29/Soviet Tu-4; main landing gear retracts into wing
trailing-edge nacelles; contraprops with high tip
speeds; slight wing anhedral; sweepback at
quarter-chord 37 degrees on inner wings, 35 degrees
outer panels.
LANDING GEAR:
Hydraulically retractable tricycle type; main units
consist of four-wheel bogies, with tyres approx 1.50 m
(5 ft) diameter and hydraulic internal expanding
brakes; twin-wheel steerable nose unit; all units
retract rearward, main units into nacelles built on to
wing trailing-edge.
POWER PLANT:
Four KKBM Kuznetsov NK-12MV turboprops, each 11,033 kW
(14,795 ehp); eight-blade contra-rotating
reversible-pitch Type AV-60N propellers. Fuel in wing
tanks, normal capacity 95,000 litres (25,100 US
gallons; 20,900 Imp gallons). Flight refuelling probe
above nose extends forward further 0.5 m (1 ft 7 in) as
it enters probe; fuel flows through duct on starboard
side of front fuselage to main tanks; flush light each
side of probe in upper part of nose aids night
refuelling.
ACCOMMODATION:
Crew of seven: pilots side by side on pressurised
flight deck; other four crew in forward compartment
face rearward; com operator behind pilot, nav/defensive
systems operator further aft on port side; flight
engineer behind co-pilot, with spare seat for an
observer; sixth flight crew member, equivalent to US
bombardier/navigator, aft on central seat; gunner in
rear turret compartment, with entry via ventral hatch.
Remainder of crew enter through hatch in top of
nosewheel bay. No ejection seats. Conveyor in flight
deck floor carries crew members to hatch in nosewheel
bay, with landing gear lowered, in emergency. Astrodome
in roof over sixth crew member.
AVIONICS:
('Bear-D'): Large I-band radar ('Big Bulge') in blister
fairing under centre-fuselage, for reconnaissance and
to provide data on potential targets for anti-shipping
aircraft or surface vessels; in latter mode, PPI
presentation is data linked to missile launch station.
Four-PRF range J-band circular and sector scan
navigation radar ('Short Horn'); I-band tail warning
radar (originally 'Bee Hind'; later 'Box Tail') in
housing at base of rudder; SRO-2 IFF ('Odd Rods'),
A-321 ADF, A-322Z Doppler radar, A-325Z/321B Tacan/DME
and ILS.
AVIONICS:
('Bear-H'): Nav/bombing radar ('Clam Pipe') under nose;
weather radar above, with ECM fairing each side; duct
for cooling air from rear of lower radome to rear
fuselage on port side; gun fire control radar ('Box
Tail') at base of rudder; RSBN short-range nav system
'bow and arrow' antenna under 'Box Tail' radome; small
pylon-mounted ECM pod each side at base of tail
gunner's compartment. Triangular D-band IFF antenna on
top of nose refuelling probe; IR warning domes, each
with about 200 discrete circular windows, under nose
and above wings on top of fuselage; 'Ground Bouncer'
ECM jamming system with tooth-shape antennae to port
side of undernose IR warning dome and under rear
fuselage; RWR each side of front fuselage and fin.
Aircraft Measures:
Length:62 ft., 5 in.
Height: 36 ft., 9 in.
Wingspan: 167 ft., 8 in.
Loaded Weight: 414,470 lbs
Aircraft Performance:
Maximum Speed: 575 mph
Service Ceiling: 44,300 ft.
Range: 5,185 miles
Thrust:N/A