Tupolev Tu-126
Tupolev / Aviakor · Soviet Union · first flew 1962 · transport aircraft
The Tupolev Tu-126 (NATO reporting name 'Moss') was the Soviet Union's first operational airborne early warning and control aircraft, based on the Tu-114 airliner airframe and fitted with a large rotodome housing the Liana early warning radar. It provided the USSR with an organic AEW capability from the mid-1960s.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Soviet AEW aircraft with large rotodome above fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Soviet AEW aircraft with large rotodome above fuselage
- Tu-95-derived airframe with mushroom-shaped radar rotodome
- Four Kuznetsov turboprop engines with contra-rotating propellers
Unmistakable due to the large saucer-shaped rotodome mounted above the rear fuselage on a pylon; the Tu-95-derived swept wing with four massive contra-rotating turboprop engines and a conventional airliner fuselage complete the profile.
Specifications
- The Tupolev Tu-126 has a length of 57.3 m (188 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 51.2 m (168 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 790 km/h (491 mph).
- Typical crew: 12.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed in the early 1960s to meet a Soviet requirement for an airborne warning platform, the Tu-126 first flew in 1962 and entered service in 1965. Eight aircraft were built, serving with the Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO). Its radar had significant limitations compared to contemporaneous Western systems, but it remained the only Soviet AEW type until replaced by the Ilyushin A-50 in the 1980s.
Variants
A single production standard was built; no major sub-variants. The Tu-126 was directly succeeded by the Ilyushin Il-76-based A-50.
Where you'll see it
Served exclusively with the Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO Strany) from 1965 until withdrawal in the late 1980s; never exported.
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- Tupolev Tu-142
- Aero Spacelines Pregnant Guppy
- Aérospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon
- BAe 125 / HS.125
- Boeing CH-113 Labrador
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