TUPOLEV TU-91 "BOOT"

The Tupolev Tu-91 (NATO code: Boot) was a Soviet prototype in-flight bomber-attack aircraft from the post-war period. A prototype flight took place in 1954 or 1955, but the machine never entered production. The drive was provided by a single Izotov TV2M turboprop engine with a capacity of 7,650 HP. The machine was 17.7 meters long with a wingspan of 16.4 meters. The deck armament was to consist of four 23 mm cannons. The machine could also carry a load of bombs or rockets weighing up to 1,500 kilograms. The Tu-91 aircraft was developed in the design office of Andrei Tupolev in connection with the dynamic development of the Soviet Navy after 1945, which at the turn of the 1940s and 1950s aimed at introducing a classic aircraft carrier into service. The Tu-91 was to be the basic offensive force of this unit, and at the same time had the longest possible range of operation and the ability to operate in all weather conditions. In 1953, changes were made to the specification and efforts were made to obtain a strike aircraft, but intended to operate from land bases. Despite the fact that the machine showed excellent flight properties during the tests and more than met the requirements, the entire project was canceled.