Soviet Air Force Tupolev TU95MS "1226th Regiment Heavy Bombers"

Herpa Wings 1:200 / HE573832

The Soviet Air Force (VVS) and the long-range aviation branch fielded highly strategic regiments during the Cold War, such as the 1226th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, which was subordinate to the 79th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division based in Dolon (Semipalatinsk) in Kazakhstan. This unit operated the legendary Tupolev Tu-95MS, a pillar of the nuclear triad. The 1226th Regiment & the 79th Division: Stationed at the Dolon Air Base in Kazakhstan, the crews of the 79th Division were located in the immediate vicinity of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. The 1,226th Regiment played a leading role in maintaining constant alert patrols over the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. Upon the dissolution of the USSR, these aircraft and facilities were briefly managed before being repatriated or dismantled as part of Kazakhstan’s denuclearization agreements.

The Tupolev TU95MS, nicknamed “Bear,” is one of a kind. Faced with the first turbojet engines of the 1950s, which were too fuel-hungry, Andrei Tupolev opted for giant turboprop engines. This hybrid design (propellers combined with a swept-wing configuration typical of jets) gives the aircraft minimal fuel consumption combined with a speed close to that of a jet aircraft. The counter-rotating propellers generate a constant supersonic airflow. The roar is so intense that NATO fighter pilots could hear it from their cockpits during intercepts, and rumor had it that the sonar systems of submerged Western submarines could detect the aircraft in flight. Like the American B-52, the Tu-95 has stood the test of time. Modernized into the Tu-95MSM variant by the Russian Aerospace Forces, the aircraft saw its first actual combat deployments in Syria (2015) and then in Ukraine, and its fleet is expected to remain operational until 2040.

This Herpa Wings 1:200 scale model faithfully captures this unique aircraft with accurate markings and a high-quality finish.

HERPA Wings 1:200 diecast airplanes feature:

• Molded metal construction with plastic components.
• Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
• Inscriptions and posters printed with a stamp that do not fade or fall off like decals.
• Extended / retracted interchangeable landing gear.
• Display stand to display the aircraft "in flight".