My entry for Nuclearbomber36’s Heavy Bomber Challenge

This aircraft needs this VTOL engine attached to it to fly.

This is one of many preliminary projects into a long range heavy/strategic bomber that could replace the Tu-4 “Bull”. Because this is my first build on the computer, I decided to put as much effort into it as I could.

Features

• Custom wings and control surfaces (First try!)
• Accurate model with near-exact dimensions of original proposal.
• FunkyTrees synchronized landing gear
• Forty 500 kg FAB-500 M-62 bombs
• Ten 23mm NS-23 cannon
• Six Klimov VK-2 turboprop engines
  
  

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Controls

• AG-1 - Open bomb bay doors and activate bombs
• AG-2 - Dorsal guns
• AG-3 - Ventral guns
• AG-4 - Tail guns
• AG-7 - Navigation lights
• AG-8 - Toggle engine exhaust and turboprop thrust ATTENTION this needs to be on in order to fly!
• VTOL - Flaps
  

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History

The need to deliver a nuclear weapon to North America prompted some more studies for a successor to the Tu-4, powered either by piston or jet engines. The initial designs were given numbers in the 480-series, the first being ‘Project 485’ on which work began in the summer of 1948. Variants were considered with four or six engines, either Shvetsov ASh-2TK or Dobrynin M-251TK (VD-3TK) power units, and they were to be armed with guided bombs or cruise missiles up to 15,432 lbs (7,000 kg) in weight. Ten or twelve crew would be carried, a “Kobalt” bombing radar was fitted, maximum range was 3,729 miles (6,000 km) and service ceiling 49,213 ft (15,000 m). [1]

Tupolev ‘Project 485’ with six Shvetsov ASh-73TK piston engines [1]

The work progressed onto ‘Project 489’, a derivative of the ‘485’ initiated in mid-1948. Comparative studies were made, jointly between the Tupolev OKB and TsAGI, of six and eight-engined designs for a long-range strategic bomber, the objective being to find the optimum size, wing area and powerplant arrangement. The alternatives looked at an aircraft with piston engines only plus turbo-superchargers (ASh-2TK or M-251TK), Dobrynin M-224 (developed Junkers Jumo-224) diesel engines combined with Klimov RD-45 turbojets, various piston engines in unison with RD-45 jets, or a turboprop-only arrangement using 5,000 hp (3,729 kW) Klimov VK-2 engines. The defensive armament, which became standard for all of these pre-projects and the resulting Tu-85, was was four remote-controlled turrets on the upper or lower fuselage and another in the tail, each fitted with two 23mm cannon. Maximum range was 7,458 miles (12,000 km) and service ceiling 36,089 ft (11,000 m). The ‘489’ never progressed beyond paper studies. [1]

Tupolev ‘Project 489’ with VK-2 turboprop engines. [1]

Yet another set of designs were embraced by ‘Project 487’ which covered long-range and extra-long-range alternatives, the latter featuring outer wing panels of greater span. The ‘487’ design team was lead by B. M. Kondorsky and its work made use of ‘Aircraft 80’ (Tu-80) experience. With four ASh-2TK engines the range of the extra-long-range bomber with a 11,023 lb (5,000 kg) bomb load was 8,080 miles (13,000 km) and service ceiling of 36,089 ft (11,000 m). One version with four M-35s offered a range of 11,063 miles (17,800 km) while four 5,000 hp (3,729 kW) VK-2 turboprops gave an estimated 7,147 miles (11,500 km). At the end of 1948 work of the long-range ‘487’ was halted, leaving only the extra-long-range variant that was eventually made into a real airplane, the ‘Aircraft 85’ [1] (Tu-85, NATO: “Barge”).

Sadly, no illustration of ‘Project 487’ has ever been found. Maybe one day something may resurface.

• Sources: [1] Tony Buttler & Yefim Gordon, Soviet Secret Projects Bombers Since 1945 (Midland Publishing, 2004), pp. #12-13.

Personal Opinion:

Ever since I released my Ilyushin IL-58, my phone’s performance has decreased exponentially. I had to do something to keep building aircraft, so I decided to get SimplePlanes off of Steam. I took advantage of my huge upgrade and made this very accurate and beautiful creation. I know it doesn’t have turnable turrets and a lot of small decorations, and that’s because I chose to focus more on techniques I had not used before like custom wings and control surfaces. I found ‘Project 489’ very exciting to recreate, knowing that I was more-or-less resurrecting an old design forgotten by new developments in bomber technology. For me, this is just the beginning of a new start into making great airplanes.