The Tupolev Tu-91 (NATO reporting name Boot) was a Soviet naval attack bomber. It was only built in prototype form, and cancelled after Stalin's death.

Tupolev Tu-91

Stalin ordered an aggressive naval expansion to counter the US naval superiority. It called for building extra warships and a fleet of aircraft carriers. A fleet of bombers to effectively attack and destroy the US naval flotilla was required, the basis of Tu-91 a carrier-borne bomber. It was practically a flying tank, heavily armed and armoured. However after the death of Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev cancelled such plans, concentrating instead of ICBMs and strategic nuclear forces.

Specifications (Tu-91)

General Characteristics

• Length: 17.70 m (58 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 16.40 m (53 ft 10 in)
• Height: 5.06 m (16 ft 7 in)
• Wing area: 47.5 m² (511 ft²)
• Empty: kg ( lb)
• Loaded: 12,850 kg (28,270 lb)
• Maximum takeoff: 14,400 kg (31,680 lb)
• Powerplant: 1x Izotov TV-2m turboprop, 5,709 kW (7,650 shp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 800 km/h (500 mph)
• Range: 2,350 km (1,469 miles)
• Service ceiling: 8,000 m (26,240 ft)
• Rate of climb: m/min ( ft/min)
• Wing loading: 265 kg/m² (55 lb/ft²)
• Power/Mass: 0.44 kW/kg (0.27 hp/lb)

Armament

• 3x 23 mm cannon in wings and tail barbette
• 6x 100 kg (220 lb) bombs or
• anti-submarine bomb or
• 3x RAT-52 torpedoes or
• assortment of naval mines or
• 120x APS-85 unguided rockets

Related content

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Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence: Tu-88 - Tu-89 - Tu-90 - Tu-91 - Tu-95 - Tu-96 - Tu-98