Tupolev Tu-70

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.

Design and development

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. [ [http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/misc/ram/tu-70.html Website] with image from History of aircraft construction in the USSR", V.B.Shavrov; ISBN 5-217-02528-X] 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 direct copy method and reverse engineering, as well as substantial original engineering and development.

pecifications (Tu-70)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

crew=6
capacity=72 passengers
length main=35.4 m
length alt=116 ft
span main=44.5 m
span alt=146 ft
height main=
height alt=
area main=166 m²
area alt=1,785 ft²
empty weight main=38,290 kg
empty weight alt=84,238 lb
loaded weight main=60,000 kg
loaded weight alt=130,000 lb
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=

number of props=4
engine (prop)=Shvetsov ASh-73TK
type of prop=radial engines
power main=1,800 kW
power alt=2,400 hp

max speed main=568 km/h
max speed alt=307 kt, 355 mph
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main=5,000 km
range alt=2,700 nm, 3,130 mi
ceiling main=11,000 m
ceiling alt=36,000 ft
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=361 kg/m²
loading alt=74 lb/ft²
power/mass main=120 W/kg
power/mass alt=0.070 hp/lb

ee also

aircontent
related=
* B-29 Superfortress
* Tupolev Tu-4
* Tupolev Tu-75
* Tupolev Tu-80
* Tupolev Tu-85

similar aircraft=

sequence=

lists=
* List of airliners

References

External links

* [http://aeroweb.lucia.it/rap/RAFAQ/Tu-4.html Substantial web article] with timeline.