Jet powered Tu-95 studies

[lancer21]

Just curious if there are any drawings of a jet engine powered Tu-95. As i understand such a configuration was considered at the design stage before settling for turboprops? And any info as to what jet engines were considered, same as the M-4 or something else? Thanks.

 

[Michel Van]

The Issue with Tu-95 was range
It had to reach USA and drop nuke or launch cruise missile or 7000-9000 km and return.
The Soviet Jet engines were very thirsty in time the Tu-95 went to service.
The Myasishchev M-4 was just able to reach US east coast (The West coast only with NO return to USSR)
The Tu-95 turboprop engines Kusnezow NK-12 needed less fuel compare to Mikulin AM-3M of M-4

 

[Sarastro]

Just curious if there are any drawings of a jet engine powered Tu-95. As i understand such a configuration was considered at the design stage before settling for turboprops? And any info as to what jet engines were considered, same as the M-4 or something else? Thanks.

Hi,
around 2008, the Russian magazine Aviacija и космонавтика published very interesting articles about the Tupolev design bureau.
The author was Vladimír Rigmant, then director of the A. N. Tupolev Museum. The article on the Tu-95 literally states, "After the crash of the first Tu-95 prototype in May 1953, A. N. Tupolev for Tu-95 alternative engines. One of the options was to install four Dobrynin VD-7 engines of 110 kN thrust. Another alternative was the installation of six Lyulka AL-7 engines of 65 kN thrust. The engines were to be installed on pylons under the wing (as in the Boeing B-47 type). A further refinement of this variant of the Tu-95 resulted in the Tu-99 type (see picture). The Kuznetsov NK-12 engines were further improved and the Tu-99 project was cancelled..."

 

[lancer21]

Thanks Sarastro, very interesting. Don't quite think i've heard of Tu-99 until now.

 

[lancer21]

While looking for more info on the Tu-99 found this (scroll towards the end for the section about various Tu-99 variants). Unfortunately, no drawings/images.

Межконтинентальный бомбардировщик Туполев Ту-95

Ту-95 наряду с американским В-52 относится к первому поколению газотурбинных самолетов с межконтинентальным радиусом действия, тем не менее, пройдя долгий путь развития, он и сейчас продолжает составлять основу стратегического потенциала России. В этом разделе Справочника читайте о первых...

naukatehnika.com

And found a little bit more here, on page 16, one of the initial jet configurations with wingroot mounted stacked engines.

https://www.slideshare.net/TahirSadikovi/tupolev-95

 

[flateric]

There were dozens of "99" configuration studied. You'd separate early project definition stage and post 95/1 crash new attempts to look for jet alternatives to turboprops. Of much later studies NK-93 powered Bear comes to mind.
*I'm not quite sure with all models attribution and timeframe though, still they all fell into jet-powered 95 studies category

 

[lancer21]

Great stuff Flateric, thanks! Are those pictures from your collection or there's a site with pictures of all those models (not limited to just Tu-95 studies)?

 

[Antonio]

As i understand such a configuration was considered at the design stage before settling for turboprops?

According to Soviet Secret Projects (Buttler/Gordon) preliminary studies embraced different power plant options:

4 x AM-3 jets
4 x TV-10 turboprops
4 x TV-10 turboprops + 2 x TR-3A jets
4 x TV-10 turboprops + 2 x AM-3 jets

The VVS Command favoured the pure jet option but the pure turboprop option offered more range, which was the primary consideration (Tu-95 range is 14000 Km vs M-4 9000 Km)

Alternative jet engines were again considered later, as an outcome of the loss of the Tu-95 prototype which almost ended with the cancelation of the project. All of this studies were brought under the designation Aircraft 99.

4x Dobrynin VD-5
4x Dobrynin VD-7 (Estimated range 12000 to 13000 Km)
6x Lyulka AL-7

The twin engined variant at picture "99" from Flateric post#6 can be found at "Unflown Wings" by Gordon/Komissarov

 

[flateric]

Great stuff Flateric, thanks! Are those pictures from your collection or there's a site with pictures of all those models (not limited to just Tu-95 studies)?

This is Tupolev museum annex.

 

[Antonio]

Text from "Bombers of the USSR and Russia 1945-2000" Ed Bastion

 

[Chunks]

99-6, 8 engines and twin stabs!!

 

[flateric]

Just all variants stitched together to not miss extra parts.