Russian bomber jets resume Cold War sorties

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070809/pl_nm/russia_military_flights_dc ^

[FormerACLUmember]

looks like a DC-6-ski.

If my aviation history is correct, I believe the Tupolev Bear is basically a reverse engineered captured WW2 US Superfortress.

[RSmithOpt]

Putin hoping Iran’s “ImMadinTheHead” will pull something just as idiotic, but, the consequences to be different from a US response to similar Iranian crap?

[darkwing104]

The reversed engineered B-29 Superfortress was the TU-4 Bull. The TU-95 Bears were the Russian response to the B-52s and I don't belive it was a copy of anything.

[Badeye]

Putin hoping Iran’s “ImMadinTheHead” will pull something just as idiotic, but, the consequences to be different from a US response to similar Iranian crap?

Hmmmm. No, I think this is about Russian Ego more than anything else, and the former KGB agents desire to return to the time when the Soviet Union was feared.

It won’t work.

[sukhoi-30mki]

If these ever went to war,they would’nt need to get anywhere near an enemy given they can fire cruise missiles with a range of almost 1,500 miles or new supersonic anti-ship weapons with range of almost 200 miles.

[Inwoodian]

I agree totally with your assessment, including that of Bush vis-a-vis Putin. It seems that the Russkies also are making claim on the North Pole.

[FormerACLUmember]

The reversed engineered B-29 Superfortress was the TU-4 Bull. The TU-95 Bears were the Russian response to the B-52s and I don't belive it was a copy of anything.

You are 100% correct. The Tu-4 Bull was the reverse engineered Superfortress, copied from a plane forced to land in the Soviet Far East in WW2.

[RSmithOpt]

Do you think today’s Russian KGB is still feared? I do.

[Veeram]

We ought to revive a couple of Tomcats to meet these clowns at some point.

Anyone know if the AIM-54 is being carried by any Navy fighters ?

[sukhoi-30mki]

The Phoenix was retired before the Tomcat itself.

[darkwing104]

I build model airplanes as a hobby and I get paid to work on the real things. It's cool when you can get paid for something you like to do.

[Badeye]

‘Do you think today’s Russian KGB is still feared? I do.’

Not to the extent the old KGB was, with some professional exceptions in Russia (the media in particular).

But outside Russia?

Nope, not even close.

[Tommyjo]

That is a Russian Navy Tu-142 Bear F. The Tu-95MS are new-build airframes. The last one came off the production line in the early 1990s. Their role is stand-off air-launched cruise missile carrier. Incomparison the youngest USAF B-52H came off the production line in 1962.

[Tommyjo]

All the Tu-95MS are new build airframes. The youngest Bear H airframe is approx 30 years younger than the oldest B-52H airframe.

The range of the Bear H is incredible. Its sole role today is ALCM carrier with the longest range ALCMs in any airforces inventory.

[Calvin Locke]

From what I remember reading, they even copied a poorly designed motor or pump, even to the point of carrying a spare or two.

The US eventually fixed that shortcoming, but obviously not on the one that the Soviets declined to return.

[Tommyjo]

Looks like the Tu-95s never came close enough to warrant an intercept.

http://www.kuam.com/news/23950.aspx

http://www.kuam.com/news/23941.aspx

[rmlew]

Too bad we just finished chopping up our last F-14’s, which were designed to deal with Soviet Bombers.