Tupolev Tu2s imported into Great Britain

[ETOPS]

In this weeks Pilot magazine is the somewhat amazing news that nine - yes 9 - Tu 2 Bats have arrived in the UK from China. It reports that a midlands based Aviation business has acquired them and plans to make some airworthy.

As a total aviation person I'm keen to know more as I've long admired the Tu 2 ranking it up near the Mosquito.

Surely some pics exist? That much metalwork arriving somewhere must have caused a stir....

[treadigraph]

Hmmm, wonder if they are at a certain Northamptonshire aerodrome? Great news if true...

Saw an un-restored and dismantled example in Kermit Weekes' facility at Tamiami back in 1990 - wonder how it fared in Hurricane Andrew?

[evansb]

There is an ex-China Tupolev TU-2 Bat at the War Eagles Museum in Santa Teresa, New Mexico:

Tupolev Tu-2 at War Eagles Air Museum (http://worldwar2headquarters.com/HTML/museums/war-eagles/tupolev-war-eagles.html)

[Franek Grabowski]

I find it rather hard to believe, as it would be quite a lot of them. Otherwise, returning them to flying condition may mean rebuilding them anew, and this would be quite tricky. Mind you, Soviet aerial alloys were performance oriented, and not longevity.

[Quemerford]

Sounds unlikely: either quantity or type incorrect I'd suggest. One would have to question the viability of any restoration, bearing in mind how hard it's been to sell F7Fs to a UK airshow audience in the past.

[treadigraph]

Geoff Goodall lists 11 in China, so possibly correct from that point of view. Looking at pics of the Tu-2 and its size I was beginning to think it must have been a Pe-2 I saw at Tamiami, but looks though Kermit does have several Tu-2s but no Pe-2.

Shame about the Tigercats going home, an absolute favourite of mine and I'm fairly certain Pete Kynsey delighted in displaying TFC's example! I'm trying to recall anyone else flying it when I've seen it, possibly Carl Schofield.

[Franek Grabowski]

For an untrained eye, Pe-2 and Tu-2 are nearly identical, the former having inline engines and the latter radial.
The number of aircraft seems hard to believe. Anyway, they are big, and there is short demand for big warbirds, especially with limited combat use. I guess few countries could be interested in static aircraft for their museums, but they could be not able to afford them.