Tupolev Tu-74

Tupolev Design Bureau

Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1922
Headquarters	Moscow , Soviet Union

The Tupolev Tu-74 was a conceptual aircraft project initiated by the Tupolev Design Bureau in 1947.

History and specifications

The Tupolev Tu-74 series is frequently regarded as a transitional design bridging piston-engine and jet-powered aircraft eras. The original plan called for manufacturing 72 units; however, it was ultimately superseded by a comparable model, the Ilyushin Il-28. Based on preliminary designs, the aircraft would have featured a wingspan measuring 22.36 meters, an overall length of 16.35 meters, a height of 4.9 meters, and a wing area totaling 60.2 square meters. Its typical operational weight was projected at 13.5 tons, with an overloaded flight weight reaching 15.1 tons, while the empty mass was estimated at 10.14 tons. Performance specifications included a maximum horizontal speed of 620 km/h at an altitude of 12,200 meters, a climb time to 10,000 meters in approximately 21.4 minutes, a service ceiling near 13,200 meters, and a range capability of about 3,200 kilometers. The propulsion system would have consisted of either an M-93 or DB-84TK engine. Armament included three NR-23 cannons: one forward-firing gun with an ammunition capacity of 100 rounds and two remotely operated turrets equipped with a total of 200 rounds for rear defense. The Tupolev Tu-74 is sometimes referred to as the Tu-73R variant due to its close resemblance to the earlier Tupolev Tu-73 model.