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So much power coming off of those engines! Also amazing aesthetics on that plane.
A short post on the TU–22M backfire, my favorite Aircraft in the Russian armed forces: The TU-22 was first flown in 1959 and saw extensive use in the Soviet Air Force, and still does today in the Russian Air Force as the TU-22M3. The TU-22M3, varies drastically from the TU-22 that first flew in 1959. The M model first saw combat in 1987 in Afghanistan, since then it has seen fighting throughout the world. The Russian Air Force currently fields 66 of these impressive airplanes. These planes have seen combat in Chechnya, Syria, and most of all in Ukraine. The bomber sports a crew of four, a pilot, copilot, navigator, and weapon systems officer. It has a length of 139 feet, a wingspan of 112 feet; it's maximum takeoff weight is 277,000 pounds and it is powered by two Kuznetsov MK-25 after burning turbo fan engines. These are some of the most powerful after burning engines on the planet, and they produce a beautiful blue flame. The aircraft has a maximum speed of Mach 1.88 (about 1,241 mph), It has a combat range of 1,600 miles and service ceiling of 43,000 feet. The TU–22M has an impressive 53,000 pound payload, it can carry up to 18 FAB-500 general purpose bombs, 3 KH-22/32 missiles, 6 KH–15 missiles, or up to four hyper sonic Kinzhals. But in the Ukraine conflict it has mainly been used as a missile carrier. The missiles, that the Russians have these bombers firing, have ranges that are hundreds to thousands of miles. Due to this these bombers are able to bring their payloads into the combat area while remaining completely impervious to Ukrainian air defense. In this way the TU-22M's have seen massive volumes of action in the past two years of this terrible conflict. The Russian Air Force is one of the most advanced and largest in the world, and these planes are likely to see action for decades to come. This aircraft is massive, powerful, and beautiful, one day I hope to see one of these beasts in an airshow.