Tupolev ANT-37
| Industry | Aerospace, defense |
|---|---|
| Founder | Andrei Tupolev |
| Headquarters | Soviet Union |
The Tupolev ANT-37, also known as the DB-2, was a Soviet twin-engine long-range bomber conceptualized and constructed by the Tupolev design bureau under the leadership of Pavel Sukhoi. Although it never entered mass production, three units were produced and utilized for experimental and record-setting missions.
Design and development
Derived from the uncompleted Tupolev ANT-36 (DB-1), a single-engine bomber, the ANT-37 featured a twin-engine monoplane configuration. Its airframe employed stressed skin construction using duralumin, complemented by a high-aspect-ratio wing design and tailwheel undercarriage with main landing gear retracting into the engine nacelles.
Equipped with two 800 hp (597 kW) Gnome-Rhône 14K radial engines, the prototype conducted its maiden flight on 16 June 1935. However, the program encountered a major obstacle when the prototype crashed in July after structural failure caused the tail to disintegrate mid-flight. To address these issues, a second prototype, designated DB-2D, was developed with modifications focusing on the tail assembly.
Ultimately, production was not pursued as the Ilyushin DB-3 was chosen for service within the Soviet Air Force. Nonetheless, three additional aircraft, known as ANT-37bis or DB-2B, were constructed for experimental research and record-breaking endeavors. These units remained operational into the 1940s.
Operational history
The initial DB-2B model, named Rodina ("Motherland"), was piloted by a female crew consisting of Valentina Grizodubova, Polina Osipenko, and Marina Raskova during a flight from 24 to 25 September 1938. This mission achieved a distance milestone of 5,908 km (3,671 mi) before concluding with an emergency landing. This accomplishment established a new world record for the longest distance flown by an all-woman crew.
Operators
Specifications (DB-2)
See also
References
- Notes
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- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). Orbis Publishing.
- Donald, David, ed. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Orbis, 1997. ISBN 0-7607-0592-5.
- Gordon, Yefim and Vladimir Rigmant. OKB Tupolev: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft. Midland, 2006. ISBN 1-85780-214-4.
- Higham, Robin, John Greenwood and Von Hardesty. Russian Aviation and Air Power in the Twentieth Century. Routledge, 1998. ISBN 0-7146-4380-7.
- Nemecek, Vaclav (1986). The History of Soviet Aircraft from 1918. London: Willow Books. ISBN 0-00-218033-2.
External links
Template:Tupolev aircraft Template:Soviet bomber-attack designations