Warbird Information Exchange

Good luck We had to jump threw so many hoops with the US government just to export Tango Tango a replica ME 262 to Germany because it was a "modern war machine"

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" excuse me stewardess I speak jive"

That was an export issue. This would be an import issue. Totally different problems.

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"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass..."
Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto

Also you have to realize that several models of the TU-95 are NOT considered Bombers under SALT I and II.

They are considered trainers and maritime recon aircraft. The TU 95U has a permenantly closed Bomb Bay. Which I think would nullify any problems in that regard.

And; again with the compactness of some nucular weapons even a Cesna would be considered as Nucular capable.

I think the biggest issue would be feeding it. Though I guess if you can afford to buy it,....

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"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass..."
Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto

Big difference here Jack. No one had to intercept FiFi on an overflight into their airspace in the last ten years. THey are still using the Bear, and just recently turned some away with F-18's and another occasion with F-22's. While I think it would be cool to see one in a museum, or flying, I think the first comment here is very correct.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

My point being Tango is more Lear jet then war machine. So importing a nuke capable bomber might be more difficult to get into civil registration.

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" excuse me stewardess I speak jive"

In my humble opinion, I believe the idea of getting a TU-95 on the civil register is a moot point. It's not like we have anyone exactly lining up to attempt to get a B-47, early B-52, B-36, or even a B-57 (though thank goodness AUS has a flyer) for that matter. The cost of restoring and operating even a medium-level bomber is prohibitive and not for 99.9% of current museums and operators. Look at the Vulcan project and you have proof.

Plus, if I am not mistaken, though the Bear would probably have no problem with certification as an experimental aircraft, the FAA has limited the types of aircraft that can be flown under an exemption letter to non-turbine pre-1946 models (RickH, can you clarify?). With that, the means to fund an operation of that caliber would be significantly decreased.

I DO believe it would be interesting to see an example at NMUSAF and/or Pima... however, the funding to ferry a TU-95 to each would not be easy and surely would not be a profit-making proposition for an importer.

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Ryan Keough
Stow, MA

So but for the presence of F-18s or F-22s, exactly what would have happened? "They" would have bombed the US? "They" probably just wanted some close up F-22 photos is my guess...

a nuclear delivery platform pretty soon!

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EVERYTHING that CAN fly should be ALLOWED to FLY!
IWO JIMA'S best narative..."GOD ISN'T HERE"
http://www.amazon.com/God-Isnt-Here-Ame ... 0976154706


P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.

S: Took hammer away from midget.

You are correct, sir. I've spoken with pilots who've flown intercept missions such as the ones we're speaking of. While our pilots are busy shepherding the Bear away from our airspace, the Bear's crew members are busy clicking away with cameras, taking closeup shots of whatever fighter jets we send up to meet them, monitoring our pilots' radio transmissions, analyzing our radar signal signatures, and so forth. The Bears are unarmed recon platforms, and they're only here to check us out and keep up to date on our latest capabilities and tactics.

It would be very cool to have a Bear flying here in North America, although, as many have said, the cost would be astronomical. Having one on static display would be a great second choice. That's the only way most of us would ever have the chance to see one in person.

Cheers!

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

Too bad Putin's concentrating on chest-beating nowadays. He could go back to the good ol' days
of Perestroika and send the Bear on a "sales tour" of US airshows making a few goodwill points with
me! He He He...

Since they've essentialy stifled the privatization of their petro industry...he could go
a step further in the goodwill department and pay the Bears fuel bill during the visit!

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He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

I'm just saying that there is a difference.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Don't know about your side of the pond, but we have had a problem with those pesky bears for a while now!!!









Persistant , aren't they!

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If the first casualty of war is innocence, the second is sobriety - Hawkeye.
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws - Plato.
Lies get halfway round the world before the truth has a chance to get it's pants on - Churchill
If you are going through he11 - keep going - Churchill

Aren't they still the world's fastest production propeller driven airplanes?

Gary

I think it is at 575 m.p.h. although I think it may be the civil version (Tu-114) that holds the record.

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If the first casualty of war is innocence, the second is sobriety - Hawkeye.
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws - Plato.
Lies get halfway round the world before the truth has a chance to get it's pants on - Churchill
If you are going through he11 - keep going - Churchill