The Tupolev Tu-2 (development names ANT-58 and 103;

NATO reporting name NATO uses a system of code names, called reporting names, to denote military aircraft and other equipment used by post-Soviet states, former Warsaw Pact countries, China, and other countries. The system assists military communications by providi ...

Bat) is a twin-engined Soviet high-speed daylight and frontline bomber aircraft used during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The Tu-2 was tailored to meet a requirement for a high-speed bomber or dive-bomber, with a large internal bomb load and speed similar to that of a single-seat fighter. Designed to challenge the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

Junkers Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a twin-engined multirole combat aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works. It was used extensively during the Second World War by the ''Luftwaffe'' and became one o ...

, the Tu-2 proved comparable and was produced in

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...

interceptor Interceptor may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Interceptor'', a British drama series on BBC One * Interceptor (game show), ''Interceptor'' (game show), a British television game show that ran during 1989 * Interc ...

and

reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...

versions. The Tu-2 was an effective combat aircraft and it played a key role in the final offensives of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

.Jackson 2003, p. 154.

Design and development

In 1937,

Andrei Tupolev Andrei Nikolayevich Tupolev (; – 23 December 1972) was a Russian and later Soviet aeronautical engineer known for his pioneering aircraft designs as the director of the Tupolev Design Bureau. Tupolev was an early pioneer of aeronautics i ...

, along with many Soviet designers at the time, was arrested on trumped-up charges of activities against the State. Despite the actions of the Soviet government, he was considered important to the war effort and following his imprisonment, he was placed in charge of a team that was to design military aircraft. Designed as ''Samolyot'' (Russian: "aircraft") 103, the Tu-2 was based on earlier ANT-58, ANT-59 and ANT-60 light bomber prototypes. A bigger and more powerful ANT-60 powered by AM-37 engines, the first prototype was completed at Factory N156, and made its first test flight on 29 January 1941, piloted by Mikhail Nukhtinov.Bishop 2002, p. 317 Mass production began in September 1941, at Omsk Aircraft Factory Number 166, with the first aircraft reaching combat units in March 1942. Modifications were made based on combat experience, and Plant Number 166 built a total of 80 aircraft. The AM-37 engine was abandoned to concentrate efforts on the AM-38F for the

Il-2 The Ilyushin Il-2 (Russian language, Russian: Илью́шин Ил-2) is a Ground attack aircraft, ground-attack plane that was produced by the Soviet Union in large numbers during the World War II, Second World War. The word ''shturmovík'' (C ...

, which required Tupolev to redesign the aircraft for an available engine. Modifications of this bomber to the ASh-82 engine as well as improving the general design for simpler manufacturing took well into 1943 with production restarting in late 1943. Wartime production of the new variant was about 800 aircraft (up to June 1945) with an overall production of 2460 aircraft until 1952, the majority of them built by aircraft factory number 23 in Moscow.

Operational history

Built from 1941 to 1948, the Tu-2 was the USSR's second most important twin-engine bomber after the

Petlyakov Pe-2 The Petlyakov Pe-2 ( — nickname «Пешка» (Pawn); NATO reporting name: Buck) was a Soviet Union, Soviet twin-engine dive bomber used during World War II. One of the outstanding tactical attack aircraft of the war,Ethell 1996, p. 152. it ...

. The design brought Andrei Tupolev back into favour after a period of detention. Crews were universally happy with their Tupolevs. The aircraft was fast and maneuverable like a fighter and it could survive heavy damage.Ethell 1995, p. 161. The first Soviet unit to be equipped with the Tu-2 was the 132nd Bomber Aviation Regiment of the 3rd Air Army. The aircraft had its baptism of fire over

Velikiye Luki Velikiye Luki ( rus, Вели́кие Лу́ки, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪjə ˈlukʲɪ; lit. ''great meanders''. Г. П. Смолицкая. "Топонимический словарь Центральной России". "Армада-� ...

, where the bomber flew 46 sorties from November to December 1942. On 11 February 1943, 132 BAP was transferred to 17 VA to support the drive toward River Dnepr and it flew another 47 sorties - attacking airfields and rail junctions - until April 13, when the unit was removed from frontline. In that time, only three Tu-2s were lost in action, while seven were damaged.Bergstrom 2019, p. 191. The Tu-2 remained in service in the USSR until 1950. Some surplus Tu-2s were provided to the Chinese

People's Liberation Army Air Force The People's Liberation Army Air Force, also referred to as the Chinese Air Force () or the People's Air Force (), is the primary aerial warfare service of the People's Liberation Army. The PLAAF controls most of the PLA's air assets, includi ...

for use in the

Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led Nationalist government, government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Armed conflict continued intermitt ...

. Some Chinese Tu-2s were shot down by

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

airmen during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. In the 1958–1962 'counter-riot actions' in the

1959 Tibetan uprising The 1959 Tibetan uprising or Lhasa uprising began on 10 March 1959 as a series of protests in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, fueled by fears that the Chinese government planned to arrest the Dalai Lama. Over the next ten days, the demonstratio ...

in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau covering

Qinghai Qinghai is an inland Provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. It is the largest provinces of China, province of China (excluding autonomous regions) by area and has the third smallest population. Its capital and largest city is Xin ...

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

, southern

Gansu Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...

, and western

Sichuan Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...

, Chinese

PLAAF The People's Liberation Army Air Force, also referred to as the Chinese Air Force () or the People's Air Force (), is the primary aerial warfare service of the People's Liberation Army. The PLAAF controls most of the PLA's air assets, includi ...

Tu-2s took on the roles of ground-attack, reconnaissance and liaison. The Chinese Tu-2s were retired at the end of the 1970s. After World War II, the Tu-2 was used as a

testbed aircraft A testbed aircraft is an aeroplane, helicopter or other kind of aircraft intended for flight research or testing the aircraft concepts or on-board equipment. These could be specially designed or modified from serial production aircraft. Use of ...

for various engines, including the first generation of Soviet jet engines.

Variants

Tupolev-Tu-2-at-War-Eagles-Air-Museum-NM-USA

;"Aircraft 103" (ANT-58): The initial three-seat version. Top speed at . Two Mikulin AM-37 (water cooled V-12), 1941. ;"Aircraft 103U" (ANT-59): Redesigned for four-seat crew (influenced by Junkers Ju 88). Top speed dropped to . It used the same engines as the ANT-58. ;"Aircraft 103S" (ANT-61): Final pre-production version of the Tu-2, based on the 103V. ;"Aircraft 103V" (ANT-60): As ANT-59 but powered by air-cooled

Shvetsov ASh-82 The Shvetsov ASh-82 (M-82) is a Soviet 14-cylinder, two-row, air-cooled radial aircraft engine developed from the Shvetsov M-62, which in turn was the result of development of the M-25, a licensed version of the Wright R-1820 Cyclone. Design ...

engines after the AM-37 was cancelled. ;"Aircraft 104": Tu-2S modified for interceptor role. ;ANT-64: Long-range four-engine heavy bomber project developed from the Tu-2, cancelled in favor of the Tu-4. ;ANT-66: 52-seat airliner variant of ANT-64. ; Tu-1 (ANT-63R): Prototype three-seat night fighter version. ;Tu-2: Two Shvetsov ASh-82 (air cooling) with bigger drag, 1942. ;Tu-2ACh-39VF (ANT-67): A diesel-engined version powered by two Charomskiy ACh-39VF engines, 1946. Despite producing 1900 hp, speed dropped to , but range increased to . It was also much heavier than most Tu-2s. The ANT-67 was cancelled due to engine problems. ;Tu-2D (ANT-62): Long-range version powered by two 1900 hp Shvetsov ASh-83 engines, it appeared in October 1944. It had an increased span and a crew of five aviators.Jackson 2003, p. 155. Powered by two Shvetsov ASh-82FN, 1943 ;Tu-2DB (ANT-65): High-altitude reconnaissance bomber version developed from the Tu-2D, powered by two turbo-supercharged Mikulin AM-44TK engines. ;Tu-2G: High-speed cargo transport version. ;Tu-2K: Only two aircraft were built for testing ejection seats. ;Tu-2LL: Tu-2's modified as testbeds. ;Tu-2M (ANT-61M): Powered by two ASh-83 radial piston engines. ;Tu-2N: Engine testbed, built to test the

Rolls-Royce Nene The Rolls-Royce RB.41 Nene is a 1940s British centrifugal compressor turbojet engine. The Nene was a complete redesign, rather than a scaled-up Rolls-Royce Derwent,"Rolls-Royce Aero Engines" Bill Gunston, Patrick Stephens Limited 1989, , p.111 ...

turbojet The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and ...

engine. ;Tu-2 Paravan: Two aircraft built to test barrage balloon cable cutters and deflectors. ;Tu-2P/Tu-2R/Tu-6 (ANT-63): Photo-reconnaissance version of the Tu-2, powered by two ASh-82FN engines. The wingspan was increased by 10.9 feet to 72.9 feet, allowing extra fuel tanks to be fitted, increasing range. Cameras were fitted in the bomb bays and could be daylight or infrared cameras for use at night. Built in small numbers and were in service until the mid-1950s. ;Tu-2RShR: Prototype, armed with cannon in the forward fuselage. ;Tu-2S: Powered by two Shvetsov ASh-82FN radial piston engines, 1943. ;TU-2SDB (ANT-63): High-speed day bomber prototype. ;Tu-2S RLS PNB-4: Secretive night-fighter prototype developed under leadership of the NKVD special section of V. Morgunov and P. Kuksenko. Equipped with the Soviet Gneiss 5 (Гнейс 5) radar. Armed with two NS-45 autocannons. Development presumed to have started in 1943. Precursor of the Tu-1. ;Tu-2Sh: Experimental ground-attack version. Two variants were tested in 1944: one with a centerline gun and another with a battery of 88

PPSh-41 The PPSh-41 () is a selective-fire, open-bolt, blowback submachine gun that fires the 7.62×25mm Tokarev round. It was designed by Georgy Shpagin of the Soviet Union to be a cheaper and simplified alternative to the PPD-40. The PPSh-41 saw ...

submachine guns fixed in the bomb bay, directed to fire ahead at a 30-degree angle. Another version under this designation was tested in 1946; this one had a frontal armament consisting of two NS-37 and two NS-45 autocannons. ;Tu-2T (ANT-62T): Torpedo-bomber variant based on the Tu-2S, was tested between February and March 1945, and issued to Soviet Naval Aviation units. ;Tu-2U: Trainer version. ; Tu-8 (ANT-69): Long-range bomber similar to the Tu-2D, but with a larger wing area. Four-blade propellers were fitted, and it was armed with two wing-mounted 23 mm NS-23 cannons and rear-facing 20 mm cannons replacing the previous machine guns. One built at the end of 1946. ;Tu-10 (ANT-68): It was a high-altitude variant that saw limited service, 1943. ; Tu-12: Medium-range jet bomber prototype; first Soviet jet bomber, 1947. Also known as Tu-77. ;UTB: Bomber trainer with

Shvetsov ASh-21 The Shvetsov ASh-21 is a seven-cylinder single-row air-cooled radial aero engine. Design and development The ASh-21 is basically a single-row version of the Shvetsov ASh-82. The ASh-21 also incorporates a number of parts from the ASh-62 rad ...

engines of created by the

Sukhoi The JSC Sukhoi Company (, ) is a Russian aircraft manufacturer headquartered in Begovoy District, Northern Administrative Okrug, Moscow, that designs both civilian and military aircraft. Sukhoi was founded in the Soviet Union by Pavel Sukhoi ...

OKB in 1946

Operators

; * Bulgarian Air Force ; *

– Imported 33 UTB-2 and 29 T-2U trainers at the end of 1949. The last four UTB-2s retired in 1965. Imported 311 Tu-2s from the end of 1949 to 1952. The last 30 Tu-2s retired in 1982. ; * Hungarian Air Force ; *

Indonesian Air Force The Indonesian Air Force (, sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF) is the Air force, aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The Indonesian Air Force is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, and is headed by the Chief of Staff of th ...

– 12 ex-Chinese Tu-2S delivered in 1959. ; * North Korean Air Force ; *

Polish Air Force The Polish Air Force () is the aerial warfare Military branch, branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 26,000 military personnel an ...

– Eight aircraft in 1949-early 1960s. * Polish Navy ; *

Romanian Air Force The Romanian Air Force (RoAF) () is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, five air bases, a logistics base, an air defense brigade, an air defense regiment and an ISR (Intel ...

– Six delivered in 1950: two Tu-2s, two Tu-2 trainers and two Tu-6s. ; *

Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...

Aircraft on display

;Bulgaria * On static display at the Bulgarian Museum of Aviation in

Plovdiv Plovdiv (, ) is the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, second-largest city in Bulgaria, 144 km (93 miles) southeast of the capital Sofia. It had a population of 490,983 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is a cultural hub ...

. It is a Tu-2T, tactical number 27. ;China * On static display at the Beijing Air and Space Museum in

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

. * On static display at the

Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution The Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution is the national military museum of China, located in Haidian, Beijing. The collection mainly focuses on military equipments and cultural relics reflecting the military history of the Peopl ...

in Beijing. * On static display at the Chinese Aviation Museum in Beijing. * On static display at the Chinese Aviation Museum in Beijing. ;Poland * Tu-2S on static display at the

Polish Aviation Museum The Polish Aviation Museum () is a large museum of historic aircraft and aircraft engines in Kraków, Poland. It is located at the site of the no-longer functional Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny Airport. This airfield, established by Austr ...

in Kraków, Lesser Poland. It was used for testing

ejection seats In aircraft, an ejection seat or ejector seat is a system designed to rescue the pilot or other crew of an aircraft (usually military) in an emergency. In most designs, the seat is propelled out of the aircraft by an explosive charge or rocket ...

. * Tu-2S on static display at the Museum of the Polish Army in Warsaw, Mazovia. It was used by the 7th Independent Dive Bomber Regiment ("7 samodzielny pułk lotniczy bombowców nurkujących"). ;Russia * On static display at the

Central Air Force Museum The Central Air Force Museum () is an aviation museum in Monino, Moscow Oblast, Russia. A branch of the Central Armed Forces Museum, it is one of the world's largest aviation museums, and the largest for Soviet aircraft, with a collection includi ...

in Monino, Moscow. * Under restoration to airworthy condition for the Wings of Victory Foundation in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. ;United States * On static display at the War Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. * In storage at the

Fantasy of Flight Fantasy of Flight is an aviation museum in Polk City, Florida. It opened in November 1995, to house Kermit Weeks' collection of aircraft that, until Hurricane Andrew damaged many in 1992, were housed at the Weeks Air Museum in Kendall-Tamiami E ...

Polk City, Florida Polk City is a city in Polk County, Florida, Polk County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Lakeland, Florida, Lakeland–Winter Haven, Florida, Winter Haven Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, metropolitan s ...

Specifications (Tu-2 2M-82)

Notes

Bibliography

* Bergström, Christer. ''Black Cross – Red Star, Air War over the Eastern Front. Volume 4. Stalingrad to Kuban''. Vaktel Books, 2019. * Bishop, Chris. ''The Encyclopedia of Weapons of WWII: The Comprehensive Guide to Over 1,500 Weapons Systems, Including Tanks, Small Arms, Warplanes, Artillery, Ships, and Submarines''. New York: Sterling, 2002. . * * Ethell, Jeffrey L. ''Aircraft of World War II''. Glasgow: HarperCollins/Jane's, 1995. . * Jackson, Robert. ''Aircraft of World War II: Development, Weaponry, Specifications'': Leicester, UK: Amber Books, 2003. . * Leonard, Herbert. ''Encyclopaedia of Soviet Fighters 1939–1951''. Paris: Histoire & Collections, 2005. . * Munson, Kenneth. ''Aircraft of World War II''. New York: Doubleday and Company, 1972. .

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20110605015707/http://www.aviation.ru/Tu/#2
Walkaround of Tu-2 from Monino Museum, Russia

Photo of Tu-2 with PPSh in bomb bay
{{Authority control Tu-0002 1940s Soviet bomber aircraft Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft Mid-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1941 Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear