Tupolev

Tupolev is a Russian aerospace and defence company. Officially known as PSC Tupolev, it is the sucessor of the famed Tupolev OKB or Tupolev Design Bureau headed by the renowned Soviet aerospace engineer A. N. Tupolev. It celebrated its 80th anniversary on October 22, 2002.

Table of contents

1 Introduction
2 History
3 Post Soviet times
4 Directors
5 Tupolev aircraft

5.1 Early Piston-powered series
5.2 Experimental Types and Dead-ends
5.3 Series Bombers and other Military types
5.4 Series Fighters
5.5 Series Airliners/Transport
5.6 Unmanned Aircraft

6 See also
7 External links

Introduction

In addition to aircraft, Tupolev Design Bureau is also involved in the Russian space program, like the shuttle Buran shown here

The capability of PSC Tupolev includes development, manufacturing and overhaul for both civil and military aerospace products such as aircraft and weapons systems. It is also active in missiles and naval aviation activities. Throughout its existance, more than 300 projects has been realised and more than 18,000 Tupolev aircraft served the USSR and the Eastern Bloc.

History

Tupolev OKB was founded by A.N.Tupolev in 1922. Its facilities are specifically tailored for aeronautics research and aircraft design only, manufacturing is handled by other firms. It undertook research on all-metal aeroplanes in the 1920s. Among its notable result during the period is the heavy bomber which layout and design approaches defined for many years ahead trends of heavy aircraft development of both civil and military.

In the World War II, the twin-engined, all-metal Tupolev Tu-2, was one of the best front-line bombers of the Soviets. It was produced in big quantities from 1942. The various variants of this bomber served various roles in the Russian front. In the war, however, it used wooden rear fuselage due to metal shortage.

In 1945, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress was forced to land in Soviet territory after a mission in Japan. It was quickly copied by the design bereau and formed the basis of the first Soviet intercontinental strategic bomber, the Tu-4 which first flew in 1947 and was produced in substantial numbers.

Tu-16s being chased off by F-14s during the Cold War

This was later followed by the development of the jet-powered Tu-16 bomber which employed sweptback wings for good subsonic performance. As the turbojets are not fuel efficient, a turboprop version , the Tu-95 became the definitive Soviet intercontinental bomber, with intercontinental range and jet-like performance. It is the Soviet equivalent of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Many variants including reconnaisence and the anti-submarine Tu-142 has been produced.

The Tu-16 was developed into the Tu-104 jetliner, which for some time the only jetliner flying follwing the temprorary grounding of the De Havilland Comet. The Tu-95 became the basis of the unique Tu-114 medium to long range airliner, the fastest turboprop aircraft ever.

In the 1960s onwards, the design bereau designed the supersonic bomber ,the Tu-22 which is an analogue to the B-58 Hustler. However compared to the Hustler it was in service for a longer period. The ?K? Department was formed in the Design Bureau with the task of designing various types of unmanned aircraft such as the Tu-139 and the Tu-143 unmanned reconnaissance aircraft.

Tu-144, the finest moment of the Soviet aviation

It was also an intresting period during which saw the ascendence of A.N.Tupolev's son, A.A.Tupolev. His role includes the development of the world's first supersonic airliner, the Tu-144, the popular Tu-154 airliner and the Tu-22M strategic bomber. All these developments enabled Soviet Union to achieve strategic military and civil aviation parity with the West.

In the 1970's development were concentated in improving the performance and lethality of the Tu-22M bombers which spawned many capable variants including maritime versions. It is the presence of these bombers in quantity that brought about the SALT I and SALT II treaties. On the parallel, the economics and performance of the Tu-154 was improved culminating in the efficient Tu-154M.

Tu-160, the last of the Soviet bomber

In the 1980's the design bureau developed the Tu-160 strategic bomber. It is supersonic and features variable-geometry wings and is much more capable than its weatern equivalent, the Rockwell B-1. However the disintegration of Soviet Union slowed its development.

Post Soviet times

Research works were concentrated in the area of subsonic civil aircraft with the end of the Cold War, mainly on areas of operating economics and alternative fuels. The developments include fly-by-wire, use of efficient high bypass turbofans and advanced aerodynamic layouts for the 21st century transport aircraft such as the Tu-204/214, Tu-330 and Tu-334.

Among its current projects include

further development of TU-204/214 and TU-334 aircraft family
development of cargo aircraft TU-330, regional and executive TU-324 aircraft;
research on practical aspects of aircraft operation using alternative fuels
modernization of Russian naval aviation and her air force.

Directors

Andrei Nikolayevich Tupolev was a leading designer at the Moscow-based Central Aero-Hydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) from 1929 until his death in 1972. This design bureau produced mostly bombers and airliners.
Alexei Tupolev, son of Andrei Tupolev, was also a famous aircraft designer. His most famous design was the supersonic airliner Tupolev Tu-144.

Tupolev aircraft

Many designs have come out from the design bureau. Those in production series may have runs up to 4,500 as in Tu-2. However many are also dead-ends or experimental, with as little as a single copy being produced. They were orphaned either by changing military or political scenarios. Many of these experimental variants pave the way for series production versions. In the West, Soviet aircraft are better known in their NATO code-names. The code-names are shown where applicable.