Tupolev Tu-75

Tupolev

Industry	Aerospace, Defense
Founded	1922
Headquarters	Moscow , Soviet Union

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The Tupolev Tu-75 (Russian: Туполев Ту-75) represented a military transport adaptation of the Tu-4 bomber, itself an unlicensed, reverse engineered version of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. Sharing design similarities with the Tu-70 airliner, both aircraft featured a newly engineered fuselage tailored for their specific roles. Distinguished as the Soviet Union's first military transport aircraft of this kind, the Tu-75 incorporated a rear cargo ramp for loading. Despite its innovative design, it never entered mass production because the VVS opted to convert existing Tu-4 bombers for transport duties and continue utilizing their current fleet of Lisunov Li-2 and Ilyushin Il-12 transports.

Design and development

Development work on a military transport derivative of the Tupolev Tu-70 airliner commenced at the Tupolev OKB in September 1946. This initiative was officially endorsed by the Council of Ministers on 11 March 1947, with state trials scheduled to start by August 1948. To accelerate development, extensive reuse of Tu-70 components was implemented. The powerplant consisted of enhanced versions of the Shvetsov ASh-73TKFN or TKNV fuel-injected engines. The aircraft featured a newly designed, narrower fuselage that included a rear cargo door with an integrated vehicle loading ramp as well as dedicated paratrooper exit points. Although three gun turrets—dorsal, ventral, and tail—were planned to be adapted from the Tu-4, these were omitted from the prototype. The crew complement consisted of six members: two pilots, three gunners, a radio operator, and a navigator.

The Tu-75 was intended to fulfill three primary functions: cargo transport, parachute deployment, and medical evacuation. In its cargo capacity, it could accommodate two ASU-76 assault guns, two STZ NATI artillery tractors, six or seven GAZ-67B jeeps, or five 85 mm (3.3 in) artillery pieces without their towing vehicles—or any combination of equipment weighing up to 12,000 kg (26,000 lb). To aid cargo handling, a ceiling-mounted winch with a load capacity of 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) was installed within the hold. For personnel transport, it could carry 120 soldiers, 96 fully equipped paratroopers, or 64 standard parachute loads. In its role as an aerial ambulance, the aircraft could accommodate 31 stretchers along with four medical staff.

Operational history

The assembly of the initial prototype extended over a considerable period; completion occurred in November 1949, followed by its maiden flight on 21 January 1950. Manufacturer’s trials concluded in May of that year; however, Tupolev elected not to proceed with State acceptance trials since the Soviet Air Force had resolved to rely on existing transport aircraft and adapt Tu-4 bombers for logistical missions instead. The sole prototype remained under use by the MAP (Russian: Ministerstvo Aviatsionnoy Promyshlennosti – Ministry of Aviation Industry) until it was lost in an accident in October 1954.