Tupolev TB-3

what is it?

The Tupolev TB-3, OKB designation ANT-6, was a monoplane heavy bomber deployed by the Soviet Air Force in the 1930s and used during the early years of World War II. It was one of the world's first cantilever wing four-engine heavy bombers. Despite obsolescence and being officially withdrawn from service in 1939, the TB-3 performed bomber and transport duties throughout much of World War II. The TB-3 also saw combat as a Zveno project fighter mothership and as a light tank transport.

🔎How to recognise it: 4 piston engines with propellers · low wing · 41.8 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 212 km/htop speed
• range 2,000 kmwithout refuelling
• size 19.3 tmax take-off weight
• built 818made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 96 years ago, in 1930.
• 🏎️Top speed is 1.6× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 41.8 m: about 9 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🐘Fully loaded it can weigh as much as 3 African elephants (~6 t each).
• 🌍Range of 2,000 km: 11× Amsterdam to Brussels.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1930-12-22

introduced

1932

retired

1946

status

retired

number built

818

role

heavy bomber

makers

Tupolev

engines

4× Mikulin M-17F / AM-34

crew

8

length

24.4 m

wingspan

41.8 m

height

8.5 m

max take-off weight

19.3 t

top speed

212 km/h

range

2,000 km

ceiling

4,800 m

wings

low wing

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.