Tupolev Tu-16 Badger

Tupolev Tu-16 Badger
Country	Soviet Union
Type	Twin-engined jet strategic bomber
First flight	27 April 1952
Built	1509

Photo gallery of a Tupolev Tu-16 Badger, The Tupolev Tu-16 (NATO reporting name: Badger) was a twin-engined jet strategic bomber used by the Soviet Union. It has flown for more than 60 years, and the Chinese licence-built Xian H-6 remains in service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

Source: Tupolev Tu-16 Badger on Wiki

Tupolev Tu-16 Badger
Photographers	Martin Zahаlka, Lukas Tlaskal
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	48

Tupolev Tu-16 Badger 01

Tupolev Tu-16 Badger 02

Tupolev Tu-16 Badger 03

Tupolev Tu-16 Badger 04

Tupolev Tu-16 Badger 05

Tupolev Tu-16 Badger 06

Tupolev Tu-16 Badger 07

Tupolev Tu-16 Badger 08

Tupolev Tu-16 Badger 09

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Tu-16 RM Walk Around
Photographer	Unknow
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	33

Tupolev Tu-16 RM 01

Tupolev Tu-16 RM 02

Tupolev Tu-16 RM 03

Tupolev Tu-16 RM 04

Tupolev Tu-16 RM 05

Tupolev Tu-16 RM 06

Tupolev Tu-16 RM 07

Tupolev Tu-16 RM 08

Tupolev Tu-16 RM 09

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The Jet Age Leap

The Tupolev Tu-16 was the aircraft that truly brought the Soviet Union into the jet-powered strategic era. Replacing the piston-engined Tu-4, the Tu-16 featured sleek, swept wings and two of the most powerful engines of its day. It was designed to deliver nuclear weapons at high subsonic speeds, but it found its true calling as a versatile missile carrier, electronic warfare platform, and maritime scout. While it retired from Russian service in the 1990s, its Chinese-built descendant, the H-6, remains a cornerstone of the PLAAF today, proving the timelessness of its design.

Attribute	Technical Specification (Tu-16)
Role	Strategic Bomber / Missile Carrier
Crew	6–7 (Pilots, Navigator, Bomb-aimer, Gunners)
First Flight	April 27, 1952
Powerplant	2 × Mikulin AM-3 M-500 turbojets
Thrust	20,900 lbf (93 kN) each
Maximum Speed	1,050 km/h (652 mph)
Range	7,200 km (4,470 mi)
Armament	7 × 23 mm AM-23 cannons; up to 9,000 kg bombs or missiles

Design Engineering: The “Tupolev” Aesthetic

Wing-Root Engine Integration: To minimize drag while avoiding the complexity of pylon-mounted engines, Tupolev buried the AM-3 engines directly into the wing roots. The massive intakes give the aircraft its distinctive “broad-shouldered” look.
Compound Sweep: The wings feature a “compound” sweep—sharper at the root (approx. 41°) and shallower toward the tips (35°). This optimized the aircraft for high-speed stability while maintaining good low-speed handling for landing.
The “Glass Dog” Nose: Like the Tu-4 before it, early Tu-16s featured a heavily glazed nose for the navigator/bomb-aimer. This provided excellent visual targeting but was eventually supplemented by a large chin-mounted radar for missile guidance.
Remote Defensive Turrets: The Badger was protected by a sophisticated system of three remote-controlled twin-cannon turrets (dorsal, ventral, and tail), controlled by gunners using periscopic sights.

The Maritime Menace and the H-6

Carrier Killer: The Tu-16KS and Tu-16K variants were the primary threat to US Navy carrier groups. Carrying massive anti-ship missiles like the AS-1 “Kennel” or the AS-6 “Kingfish”, they could strike from hundreds of miles away.
Electronic Warfare (Badger-J): The “J” variant was a dedicated jammer, easily spotted by the large “canoe” fairing under the fuselage which housed electronic countermeasures meant to blind NATO radar networks.
The Chinese H-6: China began producing the Tu-16 under license as the Xian H-6. Decades of upgrades have turned the 1950s airframe into a modern cruise missile carrier (H-6K/N) with digital cockpits and turbofan engines, capable of launching hypersonic weapons.
Tu-104 Airliner: The Tu-16’s wings, engines, and tail were so successful they were used to create the Tupolev Tu-104, the world’s second jet airliner to enter regular service (and the only one flying for a time after the Comet’s grounding). [Image comparing the Tu-16 bomber and the Tu-104 jet airliner airframes]