Tupolev Tu-91

The Tupolev Tu-91 (NATO reporting name Boot) was a Soviet naval attack bomber. It was only built in prototype form, and cancelled after Stalin's death.

Stalin ordered an aggressive naval expansion to counter the US naval superiority. It called for building extra warships and a fleet of aircraft carriers. A fleet of bombers to effectively attack and destroy the US naval flotilla was required, the basis of Tu-91 a carrier-borne bomber. It was practically a flying tank, heavily armed and armoured. However after the death of Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev cancelled such plans, concentrating instead of ICBMs and strategic nuclear forces.

pecifications (Tu-91)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=
jet or prop?=
crew=
length main=17.70 m
length alt=58 ft 1 in
span main=16.40 m
span alt=53 ft 10 in
height main=5.06 m
height alt=16 ft 7 in
area main=47.5 m²
area alt=511 ft²
empty weight main=
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main=12,850 kg
loaded weight alt=28,270 lb
max takeoff weight main=14,400 kg
max takeoff weight alt=31,680 lb
engine (prop)=Izotov TV-2TV-2M
type of prop=6 blade Contra-rotating propellers
number of props=1
power main=5,709 kW
power alt=7,650 shp

max speed main=800 km/h
max speed alt=430 kt, 500 mph
range main=2,350 km
range alt=1,270 nm, 1,470 mi
ceiling main=8,000 m
ceiling alt=26,000 ft
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=265 kg/m²
loading alt=55 lb/ft²
power/mass main=440 W/kg
power/mass alt=0.27 hp/lb

armament=
* Guns: 3× 23 mm (0.91 in) cannon in wings and tail barbette
* Bombs:
** 6× 100 kg (220 lb) "or"
** 1× anti-submarine bomb "or"
** 3× RAT-52 torpedoes "or"
** assortment of naval mines "or"
* Rockets: 120× APS-85 unguided rockets

ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=

sequence=
* Tu-88 - Tu-89 - Tu-90 - Tu-91 - Tu-95 - Tu-96 - Tu-98

lists=
* List of attack aircraft
* List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS

see also=