Tupolev Tu-4
The Tupolev Tu-4 was a Soviet strategic bomber developed by reverse-engineering the American Boeing B-29 Superfortress. First flown in 1947, the Tu-4 became the Soviet Union’s first nuclear-capable bomber and played a key role in the early years of the Cold War. Its introduction marked a significant advance in Soviet long-range aviation.
Fact Sheet
| Role | Strategic Bomber |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Tupolev Design Bureau |
| First Flight | May 19, 1947 |
| Service Entry | 1949 |
| Crew | 11 |
| Number Built | 847 |
Specifications
| Length | 30.18 m (99 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 43.05 m (141 ft 3 in) |
| Height | 8.46 m (27 ft 9 in) |
| Wing Area | 161.28 m² (1,736 sq ft) |
| Empty Weight | 33,800 kg (74,500 lb) |
| Loaded Weight | 54,400 kg (120,000 lb) |
| Max Takeoff Weight | 65,600 kg (144,600 lb) |
| Powerplant | 4 × Shvetsov ASh-73TK radial engines (2,400 hp each) |
| Max Speed | 558 km/h (347 mph) |
| Cruise Speed | 350 km/h (217 mph) |
| Range | 5,100 km (3,170 mi) |
| Service Ceiling | 11,000 m (36,100 ft) |
Armament & Defensive Equipment
| Guns | 10 × 23 mm NR-23 cannons in remote and manned turrets |
|---|---|
| Bomb Load | Up to 12,000 kg (26,455 lb) |
| Aiming Equipment | Optical bombsight, radar navigation |
Notable Features
- Reverse-engineered from captured Boeing B-29s
- First Soviet bomber capable of delivering nuclear weapons
- Served as the backbone of Soviet long-range aviation in the late 1940s and early 1950s
- Used as a testbed for various Soviet aviation technologies
- Exported to China as the Xian H-6 (license-built variant)
The Tupolev Tu-4 (NATO reporting name: “Bull”) was a piston-engined strategic bomber that served the Soviet Air Force from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s. Its story is a famous example of reverse engineering and a testament to the Soviet Union’s determination to rapidly close the strategic bomber gap with the United States.
A “Stolen” Superfortress
The Tu-4 was a near-exact copy of the American Boeing B-29 Superfortress. This came about when, during World War II, four B-29 bombers on missions against Japan were forced to make emergency landings in Soviet territory. Due to the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact, the U.S.S.R. interned the crews and kept the aircraft, despite American demands for their return.
Josef Stalin, recognizing the B-29 as the pinnacle of long-range bomber technology, ordered the Tupolev design bureau to reverse-engineer and duplicate the aircraft. The directive was so strict that every single component, down to the smallest bolt, was meticulously copied and converted from Imperial to metric measurements. One of the B-29s was completely dismantled, while another was used for flight testing and a third as a reference.
This monumental effort involved over 900 factories and research institutes. The project successfully replicated the B-29’s complex systems, including its pressurized cabin, remote-controlled gun turrets, and sophisticated avionics. The resulting Tu-4 weighed only slightly more than the B-29, a remarkable feat of engineering.
Operational History
The Tu-4’s first flight was on May 19, 1947. Its public reveal came during a flyover at a Moscow air parade in August 1947. Western observers initially thought they were seeing the three B-29s that had been interned, but when a fourth aircraft appeared, they realized with alarm that the Soviets had successfully copied the B-29 and now possessed a strategic bomber with the range to strike key U.S. cities like Chicago and Los Angeles on a one-way mission.
The Tu-4 became the backbone of the Soviet Union’s Long-Range Aviation. It was the first Soviet aircraft capable of delivering a nuclear weapon, with a Tu-4A variant successfully dropping the nation’s first air-dropped atomic bomb in 1951.
Retirement and Legacy
The Tu-4’s service life as a frontline bomber was relatively short-lived. The arrival of jet-powered bombers like the Tu-16 and Tu-95 made the piston-engine bomber obsolete. By the early 1960s, the Tu-4 was largely withdrawn from Soviet service, though many were converted to serve as transports, trainers, and airborne laboratories.
The Tu-4’s most enduring legacy lies in its role as a technological stepping stone. The experience gained from its development launched the Soviet Union’s strategic bomber program, which would go on to produce iconic aircraft like the Tu-95 “Bear.”
A number of Tu-4s were also sold to China, where they served until the late 1980s and were even converted into the KJ-1, a prototype airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft. The Tu-4’s success demonstrated the Soviet Union’s ability to quickly replicate and produce complex technology, a feat that fundamentally shifted the balance of power at the dawn of the Cold War.
