Tupolev TB-6

Tupolev · Soviet Union · first flew 1930 · bomber

The Tupolev TB-6 was a gigantic Soviet six-engine heavy bomber of the early 1930s, representing the pinnacle of Soviet strategic bombing ambition in that decade. With a 95-metre wingspan it was among the largest aircraft built up to that time.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	4 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	39 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Massive 1930s Soviet six-engine heavy bomber — actual engine count 6, capped at 4 here
Enormous cantilever monoplane with corrugated duralumin skin
95 m wingspan — one of the largest aircraft of its era

An immense corrugated-skin cantilever monoplane with six engines (shown as four per rules cap) mounted in the thick wings; the sheer scale — 95 m wingspan — sets it apart from any contemporary.

Specifications

The Tupolev TB-6 has a length of 39 m (128 ft).
It has a wingspan of 95 m (312 ft).
Its maximum speed is 200 km/h (124 mph).
Typical crew: 8.

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

History

Designed by Andrei Tupolev's bureau, the TB-6 flew around 1930 but proved too large and technically demanding for Soviet production capabilities of the era. The programme did not advance to serial production, and the TB-3 remained the standard Soviet heavy bomber.

Variants

No production variants were built; the TB-6 was a single design study and prototype programme. It shared the corrugated-skin construction philosophy of the TB-3.

Where you'll see it

The TB-6 never entered operational service with the Soviet Air Force; it remained a prototype and is significant mainly as evidence of Soviet strategic aviation ambitions in the interwar period.

Related aircraft

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