| 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 naval attack aircraft. It was only built in prototype form, and cancelled after Joseph Stalin's death.
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 upswept wings. It was powered by an Isotov TV2 engine mounted mid-fuselage and 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: Two (Pilot and Observer)
- Length: 17.70 m (58 ft 0⅞ in)
- Wingspan: 16.40 m (53 ft 9⅝ in)
- Height: 5.06 m[4] (16 ft 7⅛ in)
- Wing area: 47.5 m² (511 ft²)
- Empty weight: 8,000 kg (17,600 lb)
- Max. takeoff weight: 14,400 kg (31,746 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Isotov TV2M turboprop, 5,709 kW (7,650 shp)
- Propellers: 6 blade Contra-rotating propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 800 km/h (432 kn, 497 mph)
- Cruise speed: 250–300 km/h (135–162 kn, 155–186 mph)
- Range: 2,350 km (1,270 nmi, 1,460 mi)
- Service ceiling: 11,000 m (36,000 ft)
Armament
- Guns:
- 2 × 23mm (0.91 in) NR-23 cannon with 100 rounds each in wing roots
- 2 × 23mm (0.91 in) NR-23 cannon in a DK-15 remotely controlled tail barbette
- Bombs: up to 1,500 kg (3,307 lb) of bombs, rockets or a single torpedo
See also[]
- Tu-88
- Tu-89
- Tu-90
- Tu-95
- Tu-96
- Tu-98
- List of attack aircraft
- List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS
Notes[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tupolev aircraft. |
References[]
- Duffy, Paul; Kandalov, Andrei (1996). Tupolev: The Man and His Aircraft. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-728-X.
- 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.
- Gunston, Bill (1995). Tupolev Aircraft since 1922. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-882-8.
- Gunston, Bill (1995). The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995. London: Osprey. ISBN 1-85532-405-9.
The original article can be found at Tupolev Tu-91 and the edit history here.