Tupolev Tu-75
The Tupolev Tu-75 was a military transport variant of the Tu-4 bomber, an unlicensed, reverse engineered copy of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. The Tu-75 was similar to the Tu-70 airliner, both using a new, purpose-designed fuselage. The first Soviet military machine of this class, it was equipped with a rear fuselage loading ramp. It was not placed into production because the VVS decided it would be cheaper to modify its existing Tu-4s for the transport mission and to use its existing Lisunov Li-2 and Ilyushin Il-12 transports.
Design and development
The Tupolev OKB began work in September 1946 on a military transport version of the Tupolev Tu-70 airliner and this was confirmed by the Council of Ministers on 11 March 1947 with state trials to begin in August 1948. To expedite the process, maximum use was made of components of the Tu-70. Its engines were the uprated Shvetsov ASh-73TKFN or TKNV fuel-injected version. A new, narrower fuselage was designed, which included a rear cargo hatch, a vehicle loading ramp and paratroop exit doors. Three gun turrets, were to be adapted from the Tu-4, although they were not fitted on the prototype. It had a crew of six.The aircraft was intended for three different roles; transport, parachute transport and aerial ambulance. In the first role it was designed to carry two assault guns, two STZ NATI artillery tractors, six or seven GAZ-67B jeeps or five guns without their prime movers or any combination of equipment up to. To facilitate the loading of cargo, a winch was mounted on the ceiling of the cargo hold with a capacity of. It could carry either 120 troops, 96 fully loaded paratroopers or 64 standard parachute loads. As an aerial ambulance it could carry 31 stretchers and four medical attendants.