Tupolev Tu-12

what is it?

The Tupolev Tu-12 (development designation Tu-77) was an experimental Soviet jet-powered medium bomber developed from the successful piston-engined Tupolev Tu-2 bomber after the end of World War II. It was designed as an interim aircraft to familiarize Tupolev and the Soviet Air Forces (VVS) with the issues involved with jet-engined bombers.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 jet engines · mid wing · retractable tricycle gear · 18.9 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 783 km/htop speed
• range 2,200 kmwithout refuelling
• size 15.7 tmax take-off weight
• built 6made 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 79 years ago, in 1947.
• 🏎️Top speed is 6.0× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 18.9 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🐘Fully loaded it can weigh as much as 3 African elephants (~6 t each).
• 🌍Range of 2,200 km: 12× Amsterdam to Brussels.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.3× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

jet: Gas turbine pushing air out the back (turbofan or turbojet): fast and high-flying.

spec sheet

first flight

1947-07-27

number built

6

role

five-seat medium bomber

origin

🇷🇺 Soviet Union

makers

Tupolev, Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center

engines

2× Rolls-Royce Nene I turbojet / Klimov VK-1

length

16.5 m

wingspan

18.9 m

max take-off weight

15.7 t

top speed

783 km/h

range

2,200 km

ceiling

11,370 m

wings

mid wing

landing gear

retractable tricycle gear

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