Tupolev TB-6

Tupolev TB-6 (internal designation ANT-26; Russian: Туполев ТБ-6/АНТ-26) was a proposal for a 1930s heavy bomber that did not advance beyond blueprints. Inspired by the success of ANT-20/PS-124, Tupolev in 1929 began work on an even larger aircraft powered by 12 engines and with a takeoff weight of 70 tons (155,000 lb). A 1/20 scale two-seat glider was built and test-flown to evaluate the aerodynamic soundness of the design and work was started on the first prototype. By mid-1930s, the trend in military aviation shifted towards smaller and faster aircraft and TB-6 was canceled. ANT-28 was a proposed cargo version.^[1]

Specifications (TB-6)

Data from Shavrov 1985^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 17
• Length: 39 m (127 ft 11 in)
• Wingspan: 95 m (311 ft 8 in)
• Height: 10 m (32 ft 9.7 in)
• Wing area: 800 m² (8611.1 ft²)
• Empty weight: 50,000 kg (110,231 lb)
• Loaded weight: 70,000 kg (154,324 lb)
• Powerplant: 12 × Mikulin AM-34FRN V12 engines, 671 kW (900 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 300 km/h (162 kn, 186 mph) (estimated)
• Wing loading: 88 kg/m² (18 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 115 W/kg (0.07 hp/lb)

• Guns:
  
  • 1 x 37-millimeter (1.5 in) cannon
  • 4 x 20-millimeter (0.79 in) ShVAK cannons
  • 1 x 7.62-millimeter (0.300 in) DA machine gun
  • 4 x 2 7.62-millimeter (0.300 in) ShKAS machine guns
• Bombs: 15,000 kg (33,000 lb) normal load, 24,600 kg (54,200 lb) max

References

Duffy, Paul and Andrei Kankdalov. (1996) Tupolev The Man and His aircraft. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers.

Gordon, Yefim; Rigamant, Vladimir (2005). OKB Tupolev: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft. Hinckley, England: Midland Publishing.