Tupolev Tu-91

The Tupolev Tu-91 (NATO reporting name Boot) was a Soviet naval attack bomber. It was only built in prototype form, and cancelled after Stalin's death.

Stalin ordered an aggressive naval expansion to counter the US naval superiority. It called for building extra warships and a fleet of aircraft carriers. A fleet of bombers to effectively attack and destroy the US naval flotilla was required, the basis of Tu-91 a carrier-borne bomber. It was practically a flying tank, heavily armed and armoured. However after the death of Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev cancelled such plans, concentrating instead of ICBMs and strategic nuclear forces.

Specifications (Tu-91)

General Characteristics

• Length: 17.70 m (58 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 16.40 m (53 ft 10 in)
• Height: 5.06 m (16 ft 7 in)
• Wing area: 47.5 m² (511 ft²)
• Empty: kg ( lb)
• Loaded: 12,850 kg (28,270 lb)
• Maximum takeoff: 14,400 kg (31,680 lb)
• Powerplant: 1x Izotov TV-2m turboprop, 5,709 kW (7,650 shp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 800 km/h (500 mph)
• Range: 2,350 km (1,469 miles)
• Service ceiling: 8,000 m (26,240 ft)
• Rate of climb: m/min ( ft/min)
• Wing loading: 265 kg/m² (55 lb/ft²)
• Power/Mass: 0.44 kW/kg (0.27 hp/lb)

Armament

• 3x 23 mm cannon in wings and tail barbette
• 6x 100 kg (220 lb) bombs or
• anti-submarine bomb or
• 3x RAT-52 torpedoes or
• assortment of naval mines or
• 120x APS-85 unguided rockets

Related content

Related development:

Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence: Tu-88 - Tu-89 – Tu-90 - Tu-91 - Tu-95 - Tu-96 - Tu-98