Russian Tu-95MS Bears to visit U.S. in 2013

[Boeing666]

I'm really surprised that Wright Patterson AFM didn't try to get an older model from Russia to put in their Cold War hangar. This plane I think is the definition of Russia's part in the Cold War. This was the plane that Americans feared back in the 1950s/60s. This was the plane you would see pictures of sneaking into American territory being escorted by an F-4 or an A-7. I would think that Russia especially after the Cold War ended would have tried selling some for relatively cheap and the AFM could have picked one up. Wright Patt unfortunately has a lack of Soviet equipment in their cold war museum - Mig-15 (in Korean War hangar), Mig-17, Mig-19, Mig-21, I believe there is a Mig-23 and Mig-25 in storage or restoration, and last time I was there they did have a Mig-29 on display.

The Bears are not just part of the Cold War. They are current Russian military Aircraft just like the B-52H's are current USAF aircraft. They fall under Strategic Arms Limitations and it's not the type of aircraft you could see being sold for a museum any more than the U.S. would or could sell a B-52 to the Russians or someone else for a msueum.

In any case they are unique airplanes and I would love to see and hear one flying. Seeing one as a static museum piece doesn't interest me nearly as much.

Well I would rather see just about any plane fly than see one in a museum too. Seeing them in a museum is better than not seeing them at all - and that is what I have to settle with for the B-36, B-58, B-47, B-66, F-105, F-101, C-124, C-133 etc since I was way too young to see any of those fly. I am fortunate enough to say I have seen the A-7, F-4, F-111, F-106 fly, I would travel several miles to see a TU-95 fly.

As someone else says there are plenty of B-52s in museums. We have one on static display at my home airport MCO. Other countries have them. I am sure there are plenty of older model Bears sitting in a field somewhere just like there are plenty of B-52s sitting out at Davis Monthan getting parted out. I don't see why Russia couldn't trade a TU-95 for a B-52, both early models like a B-52D that they could have on display at Wright Patt and Russia could have at Monino (I am assuming that that is the place that is the Russian version of Wright Patt where they have a lot of the Russian types on display outside.

[The Inspector]

98% of the sound comes from the propellers and not the engines, the B-36 (which I have heard as a kid, think of 9 HUEYS in formation as far as 'pop') sound comes from the square ended flat tipped props and the BEARS comes from the air being slapped around by the contra rotating props and the mixing of the tip noise with the turbulence of air being twisted by the interaction between the props.

As to the condition of the ramp in the Rodina, they get quite a chuckle out of Western visitors who gather buckets full of F.O.D. before engine start so the western designed engines won't be damaged, the Russians take a more practical approach figuring that if the flag was to go up, no one would be out clearing the ramp and runways in a combat zone so their engines are designed with rock crusher capabilities, that's why amongst other reasons, the Mig-29 has inlet covers linked to the nose wheel strut extension and auxiliary inlets on top of the inlet trunk so that cubic yards of mud aren't chucked into the inlets by the nosewheels on takeoff from a dirt or an unmaintained runway. Also part of why front line fighters are/were designed to be overhauled @ a depot every 100 hours, they were pretty sure the airplane wouldn't last that long in a heavy combat situation. And like their armor, they built a lot of them to even out the odds and few were ever 'retired from service' as newer stuff came along it went in the center of the battle plan ring of defense the oldest stuff went to the edges of the frontier as one more layer for the invaders to have to fight through.