Tupolev’s progress in the development of aircraft design rarely came about by huge technical leaps; rather it was a progressive, but time-consuming, step by step advancement. Thus when work began on the Tu-98 at the beginning of 1954, it was not intended for production; instead it was a bridge to evaluate the problems of supersonic flight, and a stepping stone to the Tu-105 and the Tu-128 programmes which would follow later.

Chief designer on the project was Dmitri Markov. He based the wing design on that of the earlier Tu-16, but cleaned it up and moved the engines back into the fuselage, with two large air intakes located just behind and on either side of the cockpit. The engines selected were Lyulka’s AL-7Fs, which developed 10,000kg static thrust, and were fitted with afterburners. With a maximum takeoff weight of 39,000kg, the Tu-98 was close in size to the Tu-16, but the extra power, and particularly the afterburners, gave it the extra energy to go through the sound barrier.

The first aircraft was completed by early 1956, and, as usual, after road transfer, it was reassembled at Zhukovski and made ready for flight. The first flight was made in spring 1956. A second aircraft joined the first in the state trials. Performance was measured at a maximum speed of 1238km/h (with afterburners on) at 12,000m.

Engine: 2 x AL-7F turbofans, 6850-8000kg
Max take-off weight: 39000 kg / 85981 lb
Wingspan: 17.27 m / 57 ft 8 in
Length: 32.06 m / 105 ft 2 in
Height: 8.63 m / 28 ft 4 in
Wing area: 87.5 sq.m / 941.84 sq ft
Max. speed: 1238 km/h / 769 mph
Ceiling: 12750 m / 41850 ft
Range: 2440 km / 1516 miles
Crew: 3

The work done on the Tu-72, -73, -74, -78 and –79 projects were all stages in the development of Soviet jet bombers. Next step was the Tu-81, which would later enter service with the VMS (Voenno Morskie Sili = Navy) as the Tu-14.

Sergei Yeger was again programme leader, but the Tu-81 went back to the twin-engined Tu-72 rather than stay with the three-engined designs of the Tu-73, -74, -78 and –79. This came about because of Klimov’s improved Nene/RD-45, the VK-1, which offered an increase in power from the 2,270kg static thrust of the Rolls-Royce Nene and the RD-45 to 2,740kg, which, combined with a lower empty weight, allowed the third engine to be omitted.

Work on the design and construction began in July 1944. Tupolev and Yeger aimed to keep the aircraft as light as possible, so an uncomplicated result was achieved. Still showing some considerable resemblances to the Tu-72, the Tu-81 was a mid-winged twin-jet bomber still without wing sweep. It was completed in factory N 156 in 1948, and its first flight was made on 13 October 1949. State tests were completed by autumn 1950, and the aircraft was approved for production under the military designation Tu-14T for a VMS role as a torpedo carrier.

Test results showed the Tu-14T as having a performance of 860km/h, a range of 3,000km, and a service ceiling of 11,200m. Some eighty-seven aircraft were built in Irkutsk between 1950 and 1952, and the first examples entered service in 1951. They were armed with two fixed-fire NK-23 cannons and two machine-guns mounted on a tail turret. It served in a patrol role, with the ability to bomb naval targets.
Entering Soviet service in 1951, the NATO code name ‘Bosun’.

Tupolev Tu-14 (Tu-81)
Crew: 3
Engines: 2 x VK-1, 26.5kN
Max take-off weight: 24000 kg / 52911 lb
Empty weight: 10000 kg / 22046 lb
Wingspan: 21.7 m / 71 ft 2 in
Length: 21.9 m / 72 ft 10 in
Height: 6.0 m / 20 ft 8 in
Wing area: 67.4 sq.m / 725.49 sq ft
Max. speed: 861 km/h / 535 mph
Cruise speed: 800 km/h / 497 mph
Ceiling: 11200 m / 36750 ft
Range w/max.fuel: 4800 km / 2983 miles
Range w/max.payload: 3000 km / 1864 miles
Armament: 4 x 23mm cannons
Bombload: 1000kg

Continuing his development of jet bombers, the next Tupolev aircraft was the light twin-engined Tu-82, which was the first Soviet bomber to feature swept wings.

Sergei Yeger continued as project leader, and he incorporated a wing with a sweep of 35 degrees. The Tu-82 also had the fin swept at an angle of 40 degrees. Engines were two Nene derivative VK-1s of 2,740kg.

The Tu-82 was provisionally given the designation Tu-22 by the VVS. This was not used for long, although there are photographs available to show that it was painted on the aircraft for a while. Later the Tu-22 designation would be used again (and again).

Conceived as a test and development aircraft for the purpose of determining the flight qualities of large swept-wing aircraft, only the single example constructed at the design works was built. Construction began at the end of 1947, and the aircraft was completed at the beginning of 1949. It made its first flight from Zhukovski on 24 March 1949.

Its performance was good. Maximum speed was established to be 934km/h, service ceiling was an excellent 14,000m, and range 2,750km. A relatively small aircraft, the Tu-82 had an empty weight of just 9,526kg, compared to the more than 14,000kg of the three-engine jets of the family. Its normal take-off weight was 13,000kg, but it had little difficulty in performance when this was increased to 18,000kg. A production version of the Tu-82 was planned, the slightly bigger Tu-86, but the programme was cancelled.

Engines: 2 x 2270kg RD-45F turbojets
Max take-off weight: 18340 kg / 40433 lb
Empty weight: 9520 kg / 20988 lb
Wingspan: 17.81 m / 58 ft 5 in
Length: 17.57 m / 58 ft 8 in
Height: 6.2 m / 20 ft 4 in
Wing area: 45.0 sq.m / 484.38 sq ft
Max. speed: 934 km/h / 580 mph at 13,125 ft (4000 m)
Ceiling: 11400 m / 37400 ft
Range: 2395 km / 1488 miles
Bombload: 1000kg
Crew: 3

The Tu-12 was the last derivative of the Tu-2, better known as the Tu-77, really as a follow-on of the ANT numbering sequence. The VVS gave it the designation Tu-12. The Tu-12 was the Soviet Union’s first jet bomber. Tupolev intended it as an interim measure to develop later aircraft and to train crews in the handling of larger jet aircraft. Sergei Yeger, working under Tupolev’s supervision, led the programme. He took the basic Tu-2 fuselage, wings and tailplane, and adapted them only for the higher speeds of a jet. It was one of very few jets of the 1940s to feature a twin tail. The undercarriage was changed from a tailwheeler to a tricycle, and under the wings were fitted Rolls-Royce Derwent engines; for several years after the war, the British government allowed engines, and some other aviation components, to be sold to the USSR. Although Soviet designers were hurriedly developing jet engines, by the time of the Tu-12 in 1947 even MiG-15s were using either Rolls-Royce engines or licence-built copies of them. Only Lyulka’s jet engines were of Soviet design and manufacture, and these at that time had hardly half the power of the Nenes fitted on the Tu-12, which gave a static thrust of 2,270kp/5,0041b. The first Tu-12 was built at factory N156, the new title for the former KOSOS TsAGI works attached to the design offices. It was completed in May 1947, and after transfer to Zhukovski and reassembly, Aleksei Pereliot flew it on its first flight on 27 June. There were no major difficulties found in the test programme. For an interim aircraft its performance was reasonable: maximum speed was 783kph/487mph, range was 2,200km/l,367 miles, and its service ceiling was ll,300m/37,075feet. The VVS accepted the prototype Tu-12, and production began at factory N23 in Moscow with an order for five. However, only three were completed. These were completed by 1950, and were used by the Air Force in a training role for a short while. One was used as a flight test aircraft by the LII for experimental work with rocket engines, which were mounted on a pylon above the centre fuselage.

Engine: 2 x Rolls-Royce Nene I turbojets, 5000-lb (2272-kg)
Max take-off weight: 15720 kg / 34657 lb
Empty weight: 8993 kg / 19826 lb
Wingspan: 18.86 m / 62 ft 11 in
Length: 15.75 m / 52 ft 8 in
Height: 4.19 m / 14 ft 9 in
Wing area: 48.8 sq.m / 525.28 sq ft
Max. speed: 783 km/h / 487 mph
Ceiling: 11360 m / 37250 ft
Range: 2200 km / 1367 miles
Crew: 4

The bureau developed the Tu-72 as a contender for the Soviet air force’s main light bomber requirement, which was ultimately met by the cheaper Il-28. It was to be a mid-winged, twin-engined aircraft without sweep, and the engines were due to be hung under the wings. Rolls-Royce Nenes were the chosen powerplants, but Air Force worries over the adequacy of two engines to power an aircraft of this size and weight led Tupolev to design a similar, but slightly larger aircraft, the Tu-73, with a third engine, this time a 3500-lb / 1600kg Rolls-Royce Derwent, fitted in the tail but with an S-shaped duct air intake noticeable at the front of the fin. While design work of both aircraft continued in parallel, it was the three-engined Tu-73 that was actually built.

Its first flight was made on 29 December 1947. It went well. During state tests, its performance was measured as top speed 870km/h, range 2,800km, and service ceiling 11,500m.

The Tu-74 (or Tu-73R) was a proposed photo-reconnaissance version which was not developed.

The Tu-78 and Tu-79 were essentially the Tu-73 but with Soviet licence-built Rolls-Royce engines.

Tu-73
Engines: 2 x 2270kg Rolls Royce Nene I and 1 x 1589kg Derwent V turbojet
Max take-off weight: 24200 kg / 53352 lb
Empty weight: 14340 kg / 31614 lb
Wingspan: 21.71 m / 71 ft 3 in
Length: 20.32 m / 67 ft 8 in
Wing area: 67.36 sq.m / 725.06 sq ft
Max. speed: 872 km/h / 542 mph
Range: 2810 km / 1746 miles
Armament: 6 x 23mm cannon
Bombload: 3000kg