Tupolev ANT-37

The Tupolev ANT-37 (or DB-2) was a Soviet twin-engined long-range bomber designed and built by the Tupolev design bureau,[1] the design team operating under the guidance of Pavel Sukhoi.[2] The aircraft did not enter production, but three examples of the type were used for research and record breaking flights.[1]

ANT-37 (DB-2)
Role Long-range bomber
National origin Soviet Union
Manufacturer Tupolev
Designer Pavel Sukhoi
First flight 16 Jun 1935
Primary user Aeroflot
Number built 4
Developed from Tupolev DB-1

Design and development

Based on the unbuilt Tupolev ANT-36 (DB-1) single-engined bomber, the ANT-37 was a twin-engined monoplane[1] of stressed skin, dural construction,[3] fitted with a high-aspect-ratio wing[4] and tailwheel landing gear, the main units retracting into the engine nacelles.[5]

Powered by 800 hp (597 kW) Gnome-Rhône 14K radial engines, the prototype first flew on 16 June 1935.[1] The program suffered a setback when the prototype crashed the following month, after the tail splintered into pieces during flight.[5] A re-designed second prototype was built, designated as the DB-2D, in an attempt to overcome the design problems encountered during flight testing, particularly with the tail unit.[1]

It was decided not to order the type into production, the Ilyushin DB-3 being selected for Soviet Air Force service instead.[1] Despite this, three aircraft were built, designated ANT-37bis (or DB-2B), for research and record breaking purposes. These three aircraft would survive into the 1940s.[1]

Operational history

The first of the three DB-2B aircraft was given the name Rodina ("Motherland"), and, flown by an all female crew (Valentina Grizodubova, Polina Osipenko, and Marina Raskova) between 24 and 25 September 1938, it was used to establish a distance record of 5,908 km (3,671 mi)[1][5] before ending in an emergency landing.[3] This set a world's record for distance flown by a woman crew.[6]

Operators
 Soviet Union

Specifications (DB-2)

Data from [1][5]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 3
  • Length: 15.00 m (49 ft 2 in)
  • Wingspan: 31.00 m (101 ft 8 in)
  • Wing area: 84.9 m2 (913 sq ft)
  • Empty weight: 5,855 kg (12,908 lb)
  • Gross weight: 12,500 kg (27,558 lb)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Gnome-Rhône 14K , 597 kW (800 hp) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 342 km/h (213 mph, 185 kn)
  • Range: 5,000 km (3,105 mi, 2,698 nmi)
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See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Related lists

References
Notes
  1. Orbis 1985, p. 3017.
  2. Higham, Greenwood and Hardesty 1998, p. 184.
  3. Donald 1997, p. 880.
  4. Gordon and Rigmant 2006, p. 67.
  5. Vaclav 1986, pp 138–139.
  6. Soviet Military Review, Issues 1–10; Issue 12.

Bibliography
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). Orbis Publishing.
  • Donald, David, ed. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Orbis, 1997. ISBN 0-7607-0592-5.
  • Gordon, Yefim and Vladimir Rigmant. OKB Tupolev: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft. Midland, 2006. ISBN 1-85780-214-4.
  • Higham, Robin, John Greenwood and Von Hardesty. Russian Aviation and Air Power in the Twentieth Century. Routledge, 1998. ISBN 0-7146-4380-7.
  • Nemecek, Vaclav (1986). The History of Soviet Aircraft from 1918. London: Willow Books. ISBN 0-00-218033-2.
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