The Imperial Russian Air Foce and Airline

[TomZ]

The Imperial Russian Air Foce and Airline





The Tupolev design bureau was one of the most important aircraft manufacturers in the Russian empire since the beginnings of aviation in the empire. The design bureau played an important part in creating the aircraft that defeated the German invaders in the second world war. Starting with the licence build of US fighters like the P-40 and P-51, they quickly started developing a line of own designs like the Tu-1, Tu-3 and Tu-7.
After the armistice with Germany they stayed an important aircraft produces for both the Imperial Air Force and the Imperial Russian Airways. The contacts with the US aircraft producers were maintained and many designs were developed in cooperation with various US manufacturers.

Tupolev Tu-116 Airliner



In 1955 Tupolev started with the design of an airliner based on the Tu-95 strategic bomber. Early on in the development a deal was struck with Boeing where Boeing would produce the fuselage and Tupolev the wings. This aircraft was named Tu-116 in the Russian empire and Boeing 606 in the United States. The Tu-116 entered service in the Imperial Russian Airline in 1961 it stayed in service until 1991. The powerful turboprop engines provided a long range although they proved to be very noisy and passengers did not like the aircraft very much. In the United States the Boeing 606 was replaced with the all jet 616 rather soon.






Tupolev Tu-195 JetBear



The Tupolev Tu-95 Bear entered service in 1956as a strategic bomber capable of delivering nuclear bombs over the entire German Reich. It served with distinction in the cold war in the 60s and 70s. In the 70s the need for a more modern aircraft arose and Tupolev proposed a jet engine version of the Bear. A first prototype flew in 1977 and the first production aircraft was delivered to the Imperial Russian Air Force in 1979.
In the early nineties the aircraft was replaced with a joint US/Russian development, the Rockwell/Tupolev Tu-160, named B-1 in US service.





Models:
I had a 1/144 Revell Tu-95 Bear and an Airfix Boeing 707 in my stash and somehow the parts became mixed up 

TomZ

[Wardukw]

Dont know how those parts got mixed up mate but funny how it worked out so well huh? 
Hell they look like their always ment to be like that ..the bear looks amazing with jets and if anything the 707 looks better with turbo props 

[ericr]

Beautiful kitbash 

[royabulgaf]

Truly awesome.  A bit of backstory?  How did the Russian Empire go to Black/Yellow/White?   Putin's favorite colors"

[perttime]

Imperial Russia used black, yellow ( = gold) and white for quite a while. For the flag, it was only used between 1858 and 1896. For the Imperial Standard, a black two-headed eagle on a yellow background was used between 1703 (Peter the Great) and 1917.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Russian_flags#Historical_flags_of_Russia

[NARSES2]

Tremendous builds Tom 

I've a scenario where the Austro-Hungarian Empire survives, Arch Duke Ferdinand's driver doesn't get lost in Sarajevo and there's no First World War, but haven't thought of the impact that might have had on the Russian Empire ?

I've built a couple of 1920/30's models around it, on here somewhere, but nothing much. Need to get the thinking cap back on again 

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice cross-kitbashing. 

[TheChronicOne]

What he said...  this is glorious! 

[Tophe]

  The Boeing 606 is gorgeous

[loupgarou]

Both beautiful aircraft indeed.

[PR19_Kit]

........and somehow the parts became mixed up 

Don't you just LOVE it when that happens?   

[McColm]

Well done 

[Firefox]

Very nice! 

[royabulgaf]

Thanks for the explanation  Perttime.