Tupolev Tu-160
The Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack is the largest and heaviest supersonic military aircraft ever built, a variable-sweep strategic bomber developed as the Soviet counterpart to the American B-1 Lancer. Its four massive engines can push it to supersonic speed even at low altitude, a capability few other bombers, supersonic or not, can match. Russia restarted production of new-build Tu-160s decades after the type's Soviet-era debut, an unusual decision reflecting how few modern alternatives exist for genuinely supersonic long-range bombing. Its immense size and speed have made it a recurring symbol of Russian strategic air power on long-range patrol flights.
.jpg){kind=link}
Did you know?
The Tu-160 Blackjack is the largest and heaviest supersonic bomber ever built, able to push past the sound barrier even at low altitude.
Specifications
| Length | 54.1 m (177 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 55.7 m (183 ft) |
| Height | 13.1 m (43 ft) |
| Persons on board | 4 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 275 t |
| Range | 7,643 NM (14,155 km) |
| Maximum speed | 1,160 kt (2,148 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 52,000 ft (15,850 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 45,000 ft (13,716 m) |
| Rate of climb | 13,780 ft/min (70 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 2,200 m (7,218 ft) |
| Landing distance | 1,600 m (5,249 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 171,000 l |
| Engines | 4x Kuznetsov NK-32 |
| Units built | 41 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Tupolev Tu-160 starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Tupolev, the Tu-160 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
Browse all aircraft types, or learn to tell Airbus from Boeing.