The Tupolev Tu-4 was a strategic bomber that was developed by the Soviet Union in the late 1940s. It was the first Soviet heavy bomber and was based on the American B-29 Superfortress. In order to create the Tu-4, the Soviet Union embarked on a huge reverse-engineering effort. The production of the Tu-4 marked a major technological boost for the Soviet aircraft and avionics industries. Additionally, the Tu-4 was progressively upgraded during its production run, which started in 1947 and ended in 1953.
The following is the basic performance typical late-production Tu-4:
| Empty weight | 36,850kg (81,240lb ) |
| All up weight : | |
| 47,850kg (105,490lb ) | |
| 55,600-63,600kg (122,575-140,210lb ) | |
| Top speed (with normal AUW ): | |
| 435km /h (270.0mph ) | |
| 558km /h (346.5mph ) 4,200km (2,608miles )5,400km | |
| Service ceiling: | 11,200m (36,745ft ) |
| Climb time to 5,000m (16,400ft ) | 18.2minutes |
| Range at 3,000 m (9,840 ft) with 10% fuel reserves: | |
| 4,200 km (2,608 miles) | |
| 5,400 km (3,354 miles) | |
| 3,580 km (2,223 miles) | |
| Range at 3,000 m (9,840 ft) until fuel exhaustion: | |
| 4,850 km (3,012 miles) | |
| 6,200 km (3,850 miles) | |
| 4,100 km (2,546 miles) | |
| Take-off run: | |
| 960m (3,150ft ) | |
| 1,255m (4,120ft ) | |
| 2,000m (6,560ft ) | |
| Take-off field length : | |
| 2,210m (7,250ft ) | |
| 2,585m (8,480ft ) | |
| 3,830m (12,565ft ) | |
| Landing run : | |
| 1,070m (3,510ft ) | |
| 920m (3,020m ) | |
| Landing speed : | |
| 172km /h (107mph ) | |
| 160km /h (99mph ) | |
Further reading
- Boeing B-29 Superfortress Facts: 11 things to know
- Tupolev Tu-4 Standard Specification & Performance
Source
Tupolev Tu-4: The First Soviet Strategic Bomber by Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov
