- Covers the Tu-95 'Bear', a machine with impressive speed--unique in that it combined turboprop engines with swept wings. The aircraft quickly became a symbol of the Soviet threat. - This book covers the Bear's development and service from inception to present day--some of the Bear's versions remain in service today. - Contains approximately 200 black & white and color photos.

During the 1940s, the Soviet government, knowing of the American nuclear program, elected to begin work on its own nuclear weapon program. The goal was to create and test the first Soviet atomic bomb within a short time interval to counter a major postwar threat from the West. An important secondary concern became apparent: how to deliver that weapon to the target. Thus, the Tu-95 Bear and the Tu-142, its close relative, were born. The Tu-95 is a large, heavy strategic bomber with a slim fuselage, swept wings, and four powerful turboprop engines driving counter-rotating propellers. It remained in production as a maritime patrol aircraft and cruise missile carrier more than 30 years after it was first produced. The aircraft was revolutionary in the application of a swept wing and turbine powerplants. Yefim Gordon and Peter Davison are the authors of other Specialty Press titles such as Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-15 Fagot, Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29 Fulcrum, and Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker. Together they use over 200 photos to illustrate the story of the Tu-95. Topics covered include design, development, structural detail, international production, trials, comparisons, and much more.

In September 1976, Viktor Belenko defected to Japan in his MiG-25 Foxbat jet fighter, one of the most well-known defections from the Soviet block. But in that same year, there was another defection so embarrassing to the Soviets that its particulars remained a secret for more than twenty-five years. All media accounts of Soviet TU-95 flights participating in the Okean 76 naval maneuvers mention only two planes. Whenever they were confronted in private, however, the Soviets acknowledged that in reality, three planes took off from Russia, with the third aircraft crashing at sea, killing everyone aboard. Since it sank in deep waters, no one attempted to salvage the wreck. But what the Soviet authorities never acknowledged¿publicly or privately¿was that the third TU-95 made a bold and risky flight from the USSR to Canada. Because its crew defected, the Soviets never admitted that such an event happened. Bear: Flight to Liberty tells the third crew¿s thrilling story. BEAR is the product of Vargas-Caba¿s meticulous research into the Soviet Armed Forces and provides an authenticity few books on the subject can match. His careful marshalling of real-world facts to develop his work of fiction makes BEAR an exciting read for anyone who wants to remember how much was at stake during the Cold War.¿ ¿Nate Braden, co-author of The Last Sentry After years of distinguished service for the country¿s air force¿Mikhail is court-martialed, demoted and sent to finish his career in the backwaters of the mother country. Deemed ¿politically unreliable, ¿ Mikhail¿forever a Russian but never a Communist Party member¿bridles under Soviet rule and eventually plans a daring airborne escape. To do so, he must convince his crew to leave with him, develop a viable flight plan and avoid the potentially fatal attention of innumerable Soviet military officers and KGB stooges. The author tells Mikhail¿s tale with meticulous care; his account is thoroughly detailed and filled with the depth of research that turns rough histories into credible recreations. ¿Kirkus Discoveries

First flown in 1952, the Tu-95--known to the western world as the Bear--had its share of teething troubles with a change of engine type being necessary before the aircraft could go into production. Eventually, however, it became the backbone of the Soviet strategic aviation, in spite of having a competitor in the shape of the four-turbojet Myasishchev M-4 and its 3M series of derivatives. The Bearfilled such roles as nuclear bomb delivery, cruise missile strike and long-range maritime reconnaissance. It later evolved into an anti-submarine warfare aircraft that was different enough to have a separate designation, Tu-142. Moreover, the Tu-95 also served as the basis for the first Soviet intercontinental airliner, the majestic Tu-114--which, in turn, evolved into the first Soviet AWACS, the Tu-126. More than 500 Tu-95s and Tu-142s were built for the Soviet Air Force and the Soviet Navy in over 50 versions. The final Tu-95MS missile carrier rolled off the assembly line in 1992 following the intervention of high-level politics. This book charts the Tu-95's development and service history from the 1950s to the present day, featuring fully revised and updated material.All known versions are described with detailed line drawings, color side views and many previously unpublished photos, to provide a comprehensive insight for modelers and historians alike.

With the end of World War II and the dawn of the nuclear age, the world's new superpowers (while allied for the defeat of Germany) entered a period of hostility marked by sharply opposing ideologies, proxy wars and the continuing threat of nuclear confrontation. The so-called Cold War spawned rapid development of dozens of new aircraft whose purpose was to enable one side to mount a devastating nuclear attack on the other, or protect against just such a strike from the opposing side. Russia's Tupolev design bureau was tasked with creating a series of long-range nuclear bombers capable of penetrating U.S. defenses. All of them captured the imagination of those with a professional or personal interest in military aviation-and continue to fascinate, even today. This title offers in-depth profiles of Russia's infamous long-range nuclear bombers, including the Tu-16 'Badger', Tu-95MS 'Bear-H', Tu-142 'Bear-F', Tu-22 'Blinder', Tu-22M 'Backfire', and Tu-160 'Blackjack'. '

This popular and highly-acclaimed series includes an abundance of photos, accurate line drawings, fascinating evaluations of aircraft design, and complete histories of aircraft manufacturers.

The history of Soviet strategic bombers after the Second World War is a fascinating one: from the reverse-engineering of interned American Boeing B-29 bombers into the first Soviet strategic bomber, the Tu-4; to the huge jet and turbo-prop powered aircraft of today's Russian Air Force. This comprehensive history of these aircraft will deal not just with the development of aircraft that entered service, but of experimental aircraft as well, and projects that were never even built will also be explored. The service life of these bombers will be covered, including both active and retired aircraft, and their use outside of the Soviet Union, in places such as the Middle East and Afghanistan, will be described in detail. The Soviet Union built some of the first jet-powered strategic bombers, and the Tu-95 Bear, the only swept-winged turbo-prop bomber to ever enter service, remains in service to this day. Less successful aircraft, like the graceful but problem-plagued supersonic Tu-22 Blinder, and the Mach 3 Sukhoi T-4 will also be examined.