Tupolev Tu-70

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The Tupolev Tu-70 was a passenger variant of the Tu-4 bomber with a pressurized fuselage designed for 72 passengers, first flying on 27 November 1946. The aircraft was successfully tested, recommended for serial production, but ultimately not produced because of more pressing military orders and because Aeroflot was not ready to operate such an aircraft.

[edit] Design and development

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Its presence in a postwar public flyover with four Tu-4 bombers stunned western observers as it indicated that the Soviets had an unexpected production and engineering capability. Three or four Tu-4s alone would have been unremarkable as it was well known that they were in possession of three intact USAF B-29 bombers and one wreck, and the airframes of the Tu-4s were identical copies — the flyover aircraft could merely be the original B-29s with new insignia. This would not be possible with the Tu-70 as it was substantially different in its fuselage configuration and had the low wing mounting typical of an airliner.^[1] In fact, the Tu-4s were new production, with the production tooling created by disassembly of the captured B-29s and application of both the Chinese copy method and reverse engineering, as well as substantial original engineering and development.

[edit] Specifications (Tu-70)

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General characteristics

• Crew: 6
• Capacity: 72 passengers
• Length: 35.4 m (116 ft)
• Wingspan: 44.5 m (146 ft)
• Height: ()
• Wing area: 166 m² (1,785 ft²)
• Empty weight: 38,290 kg (84,238 lb)
• Loaded weight: 60,000 kg (130,000 lb)
• Powerplant: 4× Shvetsov ASh-73TK radial engines, 1,800 kW (2,400 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 568 km/h (307 kt, 355 mph)
• Range: 5,000 km (2,700 nm, 3,130 mi)
• Service ceiling 11,000 m (36,000 ft)
• Wing loading: 361 kg/m² (74 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 120 W/kg (0.070 hp/lb)

[edit] See also

Related development

• B-29 Superfortress
• Tupolev Tu-4
• Tupolev Tu-75
• Tupolev Tu-80
• Tupolev Tu-85
  

Related lists

• List of airliners
  

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Substantial web article with timeline.

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