1:200 Tupolev TU-95 Bear Bomber

A highly detailed 1:200 scale Tupolev TU-95 Bear model. The TU-95 Bear was introduced in the mid-to-late 1950's in Soviet Russia and is still being widely used today. It was designed to intercept the American B-52 Bombers during the Cold War. The TU-95 is one of the fastest propeller-driven aircraft built, given it's swept back wing design and powerful 15000SHP Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprop engines turning contra-rotating propellers. The Tupolev TU-114 Commercial Airliner, a variant of the TU-95, holds the record as the fastest prop plane. The TU-95 has a cruising speed of MACH 0.8, close to most modern jetliners, and a 15000km range. The Kuznetsov NK-12NV engines give better fuel economy than turbojet engines from that era. However, two main drawbacks were the limited service lifetime of the contra-rotating prop system, and the noise. The TU-95 (as well as it's variants, and the Antonov AN-22 which use the same engines) is considered the noisiest airplane ever built. It's so loud that American submarines underwater can detect a TU-95 flying overhead at 33000ft from the noise. Despite these facts, the TU-95 has been a real workhorse and forms the backbone of the Soviet Air Force fleet.