Tu-160

Tupolev · Soviet Union · first flew 1981 · bomber

The Tu-160 Blackjack is a supersonic, variable-sweep strategic bomber and the largest and heaviest combat aircraft ever built.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, swept
E — Engines	4 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Four engines in paired underbody ducts
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Variable-sweep blended wing
Four engines in paired underbody ducts
Sleek white airliner-like fuselage

Identify it by the blended variable-sweep wing, the four turbofans paired in two underbody nacelles, and the long, smooth white fuselage that gives it an airliner-like elegance at high sweep.

Specifications

The Tu-160 has a length of 54.1 m (177 ft).
It has a wingspan of 55.7 m (183 ft).
Its maximum speed is 2220 km/h (1379 mph).
Typical crew: 4.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1981 and in service from 1987, the Tu-160 was the Soviet counterpart to the US B-1, designed for high-speed penetration and long-range cruise-missile attack. Production was restarted in modernised form as the Tu-160M.

Variants

The baseline Tu-160 has been joined by the upgraded Tu-160M and M2 with new engines, avionics and weapons. The fleet was split between Russia and Ukraine after the Soviet collapse, with several later returned to Russia.

Where you'll see it

A front-line Russian strategic bomber, the Tu-160 has occasionally flown long-range sorties that drew NATO and RAF attention, though it is not seen in UK skies in the way the Tu-95 is. Its size and sleek white finish make it instantly distinctive.

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