Tupolev

Tupolev refers to one of the Soviet and Russian aerospace design organizations responsible for a wide range of military and civilian aircraft. The design bureau, known as OKB-156, was founded by Andrei Nikolayevich Tupolev and became one of the leading entities in its field. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the bureau became part of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC).

From the 1920s onward, Tupolev produced experimental and operational aircraft that advanced long-range aviation and mass production capabilities. Its early lines included the ANT series and various bomber designs. In the postwar era, Tupolev built several famous bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, including the Tu-4 (a reverse-engineered copy of the B-29), as well as the Tu-16 and the Tu-95 turboprop, which remained in service for decades.

The bureau also developed civil airliners, such as the Tu-104 jetliner, the Tu-114 turboprop airliner, the Tu-134, and later the Tu-204/214 family. It produced advanced strategic bombers in later decades, notably the supersonic Tu-144 transport and the subsonic Tu-22M Backfire and Tu-160 Blackjack. The Tu-144 had a brief service life in the Soviet era but marked a significant phase in high-speed air travel.

Today Tupolev operates as part of Russia's UAC, with production and modernization programs carried out at facilities across the country. The bureau's legacy includes a broad catalog of military and civilian aircraft that shaped Soviet and Russian aviation throughout the 20th century and into the modern era.