Самолет Ту-4 — Техническое Описание

Tupolev Tu-4 — Technical Description Collection

The Tupolev Tu-4 (NATO reporting name: Bull) was the Soviet Union's first true strategic heavy bomber — a meticulous, reverse-engineered adaptation of the American Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Under the direction of Andrei Tupolev, Soviet engineers undertook one of the most ambitious reverse-engineering programs in aviation history, converting every imperial measurement to metric, substituting Soviet materials and manufacturing standards, and replacing the American powerplant with indigenous Soviet engines. The result was an aircraft that looked identical to the B-29 but was, in engineering terms, a distinctly Soviet machine.

This collection brings together four original Soviet factory technical manuals issued between 1949 and 1953 by the State Publishing House of the Defense Industry (Государственное Издательство Оборонной Промышленности / Оборонгиз), covering the full technical description of the Tu-4 across its service life.

✈️ Aerodynamic Profile & Structural Engineering

While the Tu-4 was visually indistinguishable from the B-29, its structural and aerodynamic profile carried unique Soviet engineering signatures:

• The Metric Conversion: Every dimension was converted from imperial to metric, altering aluminum skin thicknesses and producing a slightly stiffer, marginally heavier airframe.
• Wing Geometry: High-aspect-ratio straight wing retained at AR 11.5, optimized for long-range, high-altitude cruise performance.
• Weight Profile: Empty weight increased to 36,850 kg — approximately 1% heavier than the B-29 — with wing loading adjusted to 400 kg/m².

⚙️ Powerplant — Shvetsov ASh-73TK

The most significant mechanical departure from the B-29 was the powerplant. Soviet engineers rejected the unreliable Wright R-3350 in favor of a purpose-developed Soviet radial:

• Engine: Four Shvetsov ASh-73TK — 18-cylinder, air-cooled radial piston engines
• Power Output: 2,400 hp per engine at takeoff
• Supercharging: Twin TK-19 turbosuperchargers per engine for sustained high-altitude performance
• Propellers: Four-bladed V3-A3 / V3B-A5 variable-pitch propellers, 5.06 m diameter, with R-18A governor for full feathering capability

🕹️ Handling, Stability & Systems

• Flight Controls: High control-column forces during hard maneuvers — characteristic of large pre-hydraulic-era bombers
• Pressurization: Advanced split-compartment system — separate nose, mid, and tail pressure zones connected by a pressurized crawl tunnel
• Defensive Armament: Five dual 23mm NS-23/NR-23 cannon turrets (replacing the original US 12.7mm machine guns), with precise electrical bus calibration to prevent voltage drops affecting autopilot stability during firing sequences

📊 Flight Performance Data

🛠️ Engineering Testbed Role — Tu-4LL

As the largest and most stable Soviet lifting platform of the early 1950s, the Tu-4 became the USSR's premier flying laboratory (Tu-4LL — Летающая Лаборатория). Dozens of engineering bulletins were issued to adapt the airframe for propulsion testing:

• Jet Engine Testbed: Mid-fuselage and outer nacelles modified to test early Soviet turbojets including the Mikulin AM-3 (later used on the Tu-16 bomber)
• Turboprop Testbed: Used to flight-test the Kuznetsov NK turboprops and Ivchenko AI-20 engines
• Chinese PLAAF Conversion (1966): Surviving Chinese Air Force Tu-4s were re-engined with Ivchenko AI-20K turboprops, dramatically altering speed, vibration, and fuel efficiency — and laying the groundwork for China's first AWACS prototype, the KJ-1

📂 Documents in This Collection

This collection contains 4 unique original Soviet technical manuals issued 1949–1953:

1. Самолет Ту-4 — Техническое Описание, Книга Третья, Часть I
   Aircraft Tu-4 — Technical Description, Book Three, Part I
   Оборонгиз, Москва — 1949
2. Самолет Ту-4 — Техническое Описание, Книга Вторая, Часть II
   Aircraft Tu-4 — Technical Description, Book Two, Part II
   Ref: П24–А4–Ту-4–№190–49
   Государственное Издательство Оборонной Промышленности, Москва — 1949
3. Самолет Ту-4 — Техническое Описание, Книга Первая, Часть III
   Aircraft Tu-4 — Technical Description, Book One, Part III
   Государственное Издательство Оборонной Промышленности, Москва — 1950
4. Самолет Ту-4 — Техническое Описание, Книга Первая — Основные Данные
   Aircraft Tu-4 — Technical Description, Book One — General Data
   Государственное Издательство Оборонной Промышленности, Москва — 1953

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