Tupolev Tu-195 JetBear

The Tupolev design bureau was one of the most important aircraft manufacturers in the Russian empire since the beginnings of aviation in the empire. The design bureau played an important part in creating the aircraft that defeated the German invaders in the second world war. Starting with the licence build of US fighters like the P-40 and P-51, they quickly started developing a line of own designs like the Tu-1, Tu-3 and Tu-7.

After the armistice with Germany they stayed an important aircraft produces for both the Imperial Air Force and the Imperial Russian Airways. The contacts with the US aircraft producers were maintained and many designs were developed in cooperation with various US manufacturers.

The Tupolev Tu-95 Bear entered service in 1956as a strategic bomber capable of delivering nuclear bombs over the entire German Reich. It served with distinction in the cold war in the 60s and 70s. In the 70s the need for a more modern aircraft arose and Tupolev proposed a jet engine version of the Bear. A first prototype flew in 1977 and the first production aircraft was delivered to the Imperial Russian Air Force in 1979.

In the early nineties the aircraft was replaced with a joint US/Russian development, the Rockwell/Tupolev Tu-160, named B-1 in US service.