Tupolev Tu-2 (Bat)

History of Tupolev Tu-2 (Bat)

Russian aerospace engineer Andrei Tupolev lent his surname to various Soviet-era aircraft after founding his OKB company Tupolev in 1922. In the late 1930s, following the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, the world was at war, officially marking the beginning of World War II.

By 1940, the Soviet Air Force's interest in high-speed medium bomber platforms added a modern offensive "heavy punch" to various Red Army initiatives - the result was the brilliant twin-engine "Tu-2", which recorded its The first flight took place on January 29, 1941, and the series was officially launched in March 1942. After the formation of NATO in 1949, the Tu-2 was code-named "Bat" in Western nomenclature.

Light twin-engine bombers definitely had a place in the aircraft inventory during WWII. They provide a powerful high-speed flying dedicated fighter platform and the firepower of a heavier bomber type in one complete package. As such, they can be equipped with a variety of weapon layouts, including machine guns, artillery, bombs, and torpedoes, while being required to perform various types of missions, including reconnaissance, ground attack, interception, and torpedo/dive bombing.

In this way, many of the twin-engine heavy fighter designs of the war became the first true "multi-role" fighter platforms, a typical example of which was produced by all the major powers of the time - Britain exhibited their famous German Haviland "Mosquito" while the Soviets showed their Tu-2. The Americans defeated their Northrop P-61 "Black Widow" night fighters, while the Japanese used their Ki-45 "Tony" followed.

There are many recognized variants of the Tu-2, starting with the three-seat ANT-58 prototype in 1941. This was followed by a four-seat ANT-59 prototype and a five-seat ANT-67 installed in 1946 with: interestingly, diesel engines.

The "Tu-2" was the final production mark in 1942, with 2 Shvetsov ASh-82 air-cooled engines producing 1,450 hp. The Tu-2S was an updated 1943 design with 2 x Shvetsov ASh-82FN 1,850 hp radial piston engines. The long-range model Tu-2D was introduced in October 1944, with larger wings and a crew of five. The Tu-2DB is a high-altitude reconnaissance bomber variant, while the Tu-2F is a photographic reconnaissance platform with camera equipment. The Tu-2G proved to be a fast, limited-capacity cargo carrier, while the Tu-2R was a dedicated, fast reconnaissance aircraft.

The Tu-2K was used as a development series for early powered ejection seat testing, while the Tu-2N was used to evaluate the British Rolls-Royce Inner turbojet engine. Another test vehicle, the Tu-2 "Paravan", was used to test the "cable cutting" system against tethered ground enemy barrier balloons.

The Tu-2M is equipped with two 1,900 hp Shvetsov ASh-83 radial piston engines. The Tu-2RShR was used to test the 57mm internal gun assembly, although this would never go into mass production. The Tu-2Sh was a prototype ground attack platform armed with various weapons, but it failed. The Tu-2/104 became an all-weather interceptor, and the Tu-2T was born as a dedicated torpedo bomber platform (the latter was used in Soviet naval aviation). The Tu-6 was a more advanced reconnaissance variant, the Tu-8 was a long-range bomber from 1947, and the Tu-10 was a high-altitude version from 1943.

Tu-2 crews are trained by a downgraded "UTB" type from 1946, they are powered by 2 690 hp Shvetsov ASh-21 engines.

"Tu-1" is used to denote a one-off prototype that was discontinued in 1947. This is a dedicated twin-engine, three-seater night fighter based on the British de Havilland Mosquito.

Specification

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