Revell 1/144 Tupolev TU-95 "Bear D"

[Pinchydoesmodels]

The Tupolev Tu-95 is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Soviet Union in 1956 and is expected to serve the Russian Air Force until at least 2040, A naval development of the bomber is designated Tu-142.
The aircraft has four Kuznetsov NK-12 engines, developed by the Kuznetsov Design Bureau with participation of Ferdinand Brandner and other captured German engineers, each driving contra-rotating propellers. An airliner variant, the Tu-114, holds the record as the world's fastest propeller-driven aircraft. Some experimental aircraft were designed for theoretically higher speeds, but none attained or registered them. It also remains the only turboprop-powered strategic bomber in operational use. Its distinctively swept-back wings are at 35°, a very sharp angle by the standards of propeller-driven aircraft, and justified by its operating speeds and altitudes. Its blades, whose tips move faster than the speed of sound, according to one media source, make it arguably the noisiest military aircraft on earth, with only the experimental 1950s era Republic XF-84H "Thunderscreech" turboprop powered American fighter design as a likely rival. It was reportedly so loud that the underwater hydrophones of submerged submarines and SOSUS could detect it.

Tu-95

Role Strategic bomber, missile carrier, airborne surveillance
Manufacturer Tupolev
First flight 12 November 1952
Introduction 1956 (MS variant – 1981)
Status Active in service
Primary users Soviet Air Forces
Soviet Navy
Russian Air Force
Produced 1952–1994
Number built 500+
Variants Tupolev Tu-114
Tupolev Tu-119
Tupolev Tu-142


The design bureau led by Andrei Tupolev designed the Soviet Union's first intercontinental bomber, the 1949 Tu-85, a scaled up version of the Tu-4, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress copy.
A new requirement was issued to both Tupolev and Myasishchev design bureaus in 1950: the proposed bomber had to have an un-refueled range of 8000 km (4,970 mi) — far enough to threaten key targets in the United States. Other goals included the ability to carry an 11,000 kg (11 ton) load over the target.[citation needed]
The big problem for Tupolev was the engine choice: the Tu-4 showed that piston engines were not powerful enough to fulfill that role, while the fuel-hungry AM-3 jet engines of the proposed T-4 intercontinental jet bomber did not provide adequate range. Turboprops offered more power than piston engines and better range than jets, with a top speed in between.
Tupolev's proposal was selected and Tu-95 development was officially approved by the government on 11 July 1951. It featured four Kuznetsov coupled turboprops fitted with eight-bladed contra-rotating propellers, producing a nominal 8,948 kW (12,000 eshp) power rating. Unlike the advanced engine design, the fuselage was conventional: a mid-wing cantilever monoplane with 35 degrees of sweep, an angle which ensured the main wing spar passed through the fuselage in front of the bomb bay. Retractable tricycle landing gear was fitted, with all three gear strut units retracting rearwards, with the main gear units retracting rearwards into extensions of the inner engine nacelles.[citation needed]
The Tu-95/I, with 2TV-2F engines, first flew 11 November 1952 with test pilot Alexey Perelet at the controls. After six months of test flights this aircraft suffered a propeller gearbox failure and crashed, killing Perelet. The second aircraft, Tu-95/II featured four of the 12,000 ehp Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprops which proved more reliable than the coupled 2TV-2F. After a successful flight testing phase, series production of the Tu-95 started in January 1956.



For a long time, the Tu-95 was known to U.S./NATO intelligence as the Tu-20. While this was the original Soviet Air Force designation for the aircraft, by the time it was being supplied to operational units it was already better known under the Tu-95 designation used internally by Tupolev, and the Tu-20 designation quickly fell out of use in the USSR.[citation needed] Since the Tu-20 designation was used on many documents acquired by U.S. intelligence agents, the name continued to be used outside the Soviet Union.[citation needed]
Initially the United States Department of Defense evaluated the Tu-95 as having a maximum speed of 644 km/h (400 mph) with a range of 12,500 km (7,800 mi).These numbers had to be revised upward numerous times.
Like its American counterpart, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, the Tu-95 has continued to operate in the Russian Air Force while several subsequent iterations of bomber design have come and gone. Part of the reason for this longevity was its suitability, like the B-52, for modification to different missions. Whereas the Tu-95 was originally intended to drop free-falling nuclear weapons, it was subsequently modified to perform a wide range of roles, such as the deployment of cruise missiles, maritime patrol (Tu-142), and even civilian airliner (Tu-114). An AWACS platform (Tu-126) was developed from the Tu-114. An icon of the Cold War, the Tu-95 has served not only as a weapons platform but as a symbol of Soviet and later Russian national prestige.

In 1992, newly independent Kazakhstan began returning the Tu-95 aircraft of the 79th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division at Dolon air base to the Russian Federation. The bombers joined those already at the Far Eastern Ukrainka air base.

All Tu-95s now in Russian service are the Tu-95MS variant, built in the 1980s and 1990s. On August 18, 2007, then-President Vladimir Putin announced that Tu-95 patrols would resume, 15 years after they had ended.
NATO fighters are often sent to intercept Tu-95s as they perform their missions along the periphery of NATO airspace, often in close proximity to each other.
Russian Tu-95s reportedly took part in a naval exercise off the coasts of France and Spain in January 2008, alongside Tu-22M3 Backfire strategic bombers and airborne early-warning aircraft.
During the Russian Stability 2008 military exercise in October 2008, Tu-95MS aircraft fired live air-launched cruise missiles for the first time since 1984. The long range of the Raduga Kh-55 cruise missile means Tu-95MS Bears can once again serve as a strategic weapons system.
On 8 July 2011, two Russian Tu-95 turboprop bombers flew an 11-hour flight over the northeast Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan. Japan sent two fighter pairs of F-15 and F-2 aircraft to intercept and escort the Russian bombers over portions of the flight. On 8 September 2011, two Russian Tu-95 bombers flew near Japanese airspace, and Japan Air Self Defense Force fighters were sent to intercept them.[22]
During 2012, according to U.S. military sources, two different incidents took place involving Russian Tu-95 Bear-H bombers flying near United States airspace. The first occurred in mid-June during Russian military exercises near Alaska, prompting NORAD to send U.S. F-15s and Canadian CF-18 fighters to intercept and escort the two Russian bombers from the area. The second occurred on July 4 when two Tu-95's were intercepted by U.S. aircraft off the west coast of the United States, and U.S. fighters again escorted the Russian bombers from the area.
In February 2013, two Russian Tu-95 Bear-H bombers were intercepted by US jets while circling the western Pacific island of Guam. The incident is considered highly unusual because Russian strategic bombers have not been known to conduct operations in the vicinity of Guam from bases in the Russian Far East.
In April 2013, two Russian Tu-95 Bear-H bombers were detected flying into the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone ADIZ. Two US Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors intercepted and visually identified the bombers on April 28.
In July 2013, two Russian Tu-95 Bear-H bombers were detected flying north near the Korean peninsula and Japan's northern Hokkaido Island. Three Japanese jets and a South-Korean jet intercepted and escorted the Russian bombers.
In the near future, the strategic bombers Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 will receive their orders and instructions according to the principle of telegraph or SMS.

[Pinchydoesmodels]

I will hopefully start the build next week
ive had a quick look in the box and there is absolutely no cockpit what have I got myself into?

[Pinchydoesmodels]

Just putting up some sprue pics

[DBMiller]

The Bear! Nice to see a Russian plane here! At 1/144 scale is there room for a cockpit?

[Pinchydoesmodels]

More pics

[Pinchydoesmodels]

The Bear! Nice to see a Russian plane here! At 1/144 scale is there room for a cockpit?

I dont think so because you have to have a 30g weight and the fuselage is very very skinny

[T3hGuppy]

Great subject dude.

These cold war bombers are great looking birds.

[Pinchydoesmodels]

UPDATE 1
Wings done ,inner nacelles a bit of a pain to get on but went on eventually there was a bit of a gap but a bit of glue sorted that out. There is a few minor gaps to sort out but hopefully the glue will fill them up. Its going together really quickly, i should be able to do this in about 4 updates.

Useless trivia:
The engines were reportedly so loud that submerged submarines could pick them up on sonar.

ADDIOS

[Pinchydoesmodels]

UPDATE 2
Fuselage together still needs a bit of work as it lines up awfully
Other than that nothing done

ADDIOS

[Pinchydoesmodels]

UPDATE 3
Top half of the fuselage and wings painted (Humbrol11)
And landing gear in place.mNothing to small as the landing struts were one big piece just had to add on the wheels ready to paint the bottom half next weekend then we can get to decaling and weathering.

ADDIOS

[Trainboy153]

That last photo. That fork seems quite threatening towards your plane!

[DBMiller]

Not threatening, he's just serving up some bear for dinner!

[Pinchydoesmodels]

Lol
Who needs nuclear missles when you can have forks the size of the plane

[Pinchydoesmodels]

Update 4 some decals done ( they are aweful) most of the paint done and that is it

[Pinchydoesmodels]

DONE
photos on final reveal page