Grigorovich TB-5
Grigorovich design bureau · Soviet Union · first flew 1931 · bomber
The Grigorovich TB-5 was an experimental Soviet heavy bomber designed and tested in the early 1930s as a competitor for the Tupolev TB-3.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 22.1 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Experimental heavy bomber with four engines in tandem push-pull pairs in underwing pods
- Rear-facing pusher engines that gave poor thrust
- Two gun turrets, each with a pair of 7.62 mm machine guns, on a fabric-covered metal frame
A large monoplane bomber with a pod under each wing holding a tractor and a pusher engine, two gun turrets and a fabric-covered metal structure.
Specifications
- The Grigorovich TB-5 has a length of 22.1 m (73 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 31 m (102 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 180 km/h (112 mph).
- Typical crew: 6.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The TB-5 was intended to use two FED 24-cylinder X engines of 746 kW (1,000 hp) each. When these were cancelled, each underwing pod was revised to house a pair of Bristol Jupiter engines in a push-pull arrangement. Its mixed construction of fabric-covered metal frame was meant to save scarce metal.
Variants
Only one prototype was built.
Where you'll see it
Test flights began on 1 May 1931 with disappointing results, partly because of the poor thrust of the rear-facing engines. The prototype was wrecked in a crash landing after an engine detached in flight in spring 1932, and the project was abandoned as the TB-3 entered service.
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