Tupolev TB 6

Updated on Nov 10, 2023

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Top speed 300 km/h Manufacturer Tupolev		Length 39 m Designer Andrei Tupolev

Tupolev TB-6 (internal designation ANT-26; Russian: Туполев ТБ-6/АНТ-26) was a proposal for a 1930s heavy bomber that did not advance beyond blueprints. Inspired by the success of the ANT-20/PS-124, Tupolev began work in 1929 on an even larger aircraft, powered by 12 engines and with a takeoff weight of 70,000 kg (150,000 lb). By the mid-1930s, the trend in military aviation shifted towards smaller and faster aircraft and the TB-6 was cancelled. The ANT-28 was a proposed cargo version.

A 0.21:1 scale two-seat glider was built by AGOS ([otdel] Aviatsii, Ghidroaviahtsii i Opytnovo Samolyotostroyeniya - [section for] aviation, hydro-aviation and experimental construction) and test-flown by B.N. Kudrin, to evaluate the aerodynamic soundness of the design before work was started on the first prototype.

Specifications (TB-6 estimated)

Data from Istoriia konstruktskii samoletov v SSSR do 1938, The Osprey Encyclopaedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995

General characteristics

Crew: 17

Length: 39 m (127 ft 11 in)

Wingspan: 95 m (311 ft 8 in)

Height: 10 m (32 ft 10 in)

Wing area: 800 m² (8,600 sq ft)

Airfoil: modified TsAGI 6

Empty weight: 50,000 kg (110,231 lb)

Gross weight: 70,000 kg (154,324 lb)

Max takeoff weight: 76,000 kg (167,551 lb)

Powerplant: 12 × Mikulin AM-34FRN V-12 liquid-cooled piston engines (10x tractor, 2x pusher), 890 kW (1,200 hp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 300 km/h (186 mph; 162 kn)

Range: 1,000 km (621 mi; 540 nmi) with 20,000 kg (44,000 lb) bomb load 2,500 km (1,300 nmi; 1,600 mi) with 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) bomb load

Armament

Guns:

Bombs: 15,000 kg (33,000 lb) normal load, 24,600 kg (54,200 lb) max

References

Tupolev TB-6 Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA