TB-5 | |
---|---|
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Role | Heavy bomber |
National origin | Soviet Union |
Designer | Grigorovich |
First flight | 1 May 1931 |
Status | Retired |
Primary user | Soviet Union |
Number built | One |
The Grigorovich TB-5 (Russian: Григорович ТБ-5) was an experimental heavy bomber designed and tested in the Soviet Union in the early 1930s. Designed as a competitor for the Tupolev TB-3, the TB-5 was intended to be powered by two FED 24-cylinder X engines of 746 kW (1,000 hp) each. When these were canceled, the underwing pods were revised to each house a pair of Bristol Jupiter engines in a push-pull configuration. Despite projected performance inferior to TB-3, it was hoped that TB-5 would gain an advantage by using less metal (in short supply at the time) thanks to its mixed construction of fabric-covered metal frame.[1]
Test flights began on 1 May 1931 with disappointing results, in part due to poor thrust of the rear-facing engines.[1] The prototype TB-5 was wrecked in a crash landing following the in-flight detachment of an engine in the spring of 1932,[2] and with the entry into service of the superior TB-3 that year, the TB-5 project was abandoned.[1]
Specifications (TB-5)
[edit]![](Https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/%D0%A2%D0%91-5_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BC_%D0%B0%D1%8D%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B5.jpg/220px-%D0%A2%D0%91-5_%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BC_%D0%B0%D1%8D%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B5.jpg)
Data from Shavrov 1985[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: Six[3]
- Length: 22.1 m (72 ft 6 in)
- Wingspan: 31 m (101 ft 8 in)
- Wing area: 150 m2 (1,600 sq ft)
- Airfoil: root: TsAGI R-II (18%); tip: TsAGI R-II (12%)[4]
- Empty weight: 7,483 kg (16,497 lb)
- Gross weight: 12,535 kg (27,635 lb)
- Powerplant: 4 × Bristol Jupiter V 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 336 kW (451 hp) each in tandem nacelles
- Propellers: 2-bladed variable-pitch propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 180 km/h (110 mph, 97 kn)
- Range: 2,600 km (1,600 mi, 1,400 nmi)
- Wing loading: 84 kg/m2 (17 lb/sq ft)
- Power/mass: 0.107 kW/kg (0.065 hp/lb)
Armament
- Guns: Two turrets, each with 2× 7.62 mm (0.3 in) PV-1 machine guns
- Bombs: Up to 2,500 kg (5,512 lb) of bombs
See also
[edit]Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
[edit]- Gunston, Bill (1995). The Osprey Encyclopedia of Russian Aircraft 1875–1995. London: Osprey. ISBN 1-85532-405-9.