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Tupolev ANT-7

Experimental · Interwar (1919–1938)

Tupolev ANT-7 — Experimental
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The Tupolev ANT-7 (military designation R-6) was a Soviet twin-engine multipurpose reconnaissance / heavy fighter / torpedo bomber developed at TsAGI in 1928-1929. The prototype first flew on 11 September 1929. About 412 R-6s were built between 1931 and 1936 at Moscow Plant No. 22 and Komsomolsk-na-Amure. The aircraft served the Soviet Air Forces and Soviet Naval Aviation through the 1930s; surviving airframes continued in Aeroflot Arctic / Siberian transport service through World War II.

The ANT-7 used Kolchugaluminium construction in the Tupolev all-metal lineage. Two Mikulin M-17F V-12 engines (700 hp each, later M-34 at 750 hp). Maximum speed 240 km/h, range 800 km, service ceiling 5,620 m. Crew: 5 (pilot + co-pilot + navigator + radio operator + two gunners). Defensive armament: five DA-2 7.62 mm machine gun positions. Could carry up to 500 kg of bombs or a 940 kg torpedo as the KR-6 torpedo-bomber variant.

ANT-7 service was diverse. Soviet Air Forces operated R-6s in long-range reconnaissance, escort fighter, and bomber roles 1931-1939. Soviet Naval Aviation's KR-6 floatplane variant served Black Sea Fleet and Pacific Fleet maritime patrol / torpedo-bombing units. Aeroflot Polar Aviation P-6 cargo conversions served Arctic / Siberian remote-area routes (the iconic 1934 Cheliuskin rescue used Aeroflot P-6s). Retired from front-line service in 1939; some surviving airframes continued in transport service through 1944.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Tupolev ANT-7 was a Soviet airplane built in the late 1920s. It had two engines and could do many jobs at once. It could spy on enemies, fight other planes, and drop bombs or torpedoes. The Soviet military called it the R-6.

The ANT-7 first flew on September 11, 1929. Workers built about 412 of these planes between 1931 and 1936. That is a lot of planes! They were made in two cities in the Soviet Union.

The plane was built from a special light metal called Kolchugaluminium. It had two powerful engines and could fly up to about 240 kilometers per hour. It could carry five crew members, including a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radio operator, and two gunners. The ANT-7 was bigger than most fighter planes of its time.

One famous moment came in 1934. A ship called the Cheliuskin got stuck in Arctic ice. ANT-7 planes helped rescue the people on board. It was a brave and important mission.

Later, some ANT-7s were used by Aeroflot to carry passengers and supplies across cold Arctic and Siberian routes. These tough planes kept flying even during World War II.

Fun Facts

  • The ANT-7 could carry a torpedo heavier than most family cars!
  • Over 400 ANT-7 planes were built in just five years.
  • The plane had five different spots where gunners could fire machine guns.
  • ANT-7s helped save people stranded on Arctic ice in 1934.
  • The ANT-7 was faster than a speeding train, reaching about 240 kilometers per hour.
  • Some ANT-7s kept flying all the way through World War II as transport planes.
  • The plane could fly as a floatplane, landing on water instead of a runway.
  • The ANT-7 served both the air force and the navy at the same time.

Kids’ Questions

What jobs could the ANT-7 do?

The ANT-7 could do many jobs. It could spy on enemy forces, escort bombers, drop bombs, and even launch torpedoes at ships. Some versions flew as transport planes in cold Arctic regions.

How did the ANT-7 help in the 1934 Cheliuskin rescue?

In 1934, a ship called the Cheliuskin got trapped in Arctic ice. ANT-7 planes flew to the rescue and helped bring the people to safety. It was one of the most famous rescues in Soviet history.

How many people flew in an ANT-7?

The ANT-7 carried five crew members. There was a pilot, a co-pilot, a navigator, a radio operator, and two gunners. Each person had an important job to do.

What made the ANT-7 special to build?

The ANT-7 was made from a light but strong metal called Kolchugaluminium. This all-metal design was new and modern for its time. It helped make the plane tough enough to fly in harsh cold weather.

Variants

R-6 (basic)
Standard land-based reconnaissance / heavy fighter / bomber. About 300 built 1931-1936.
KR-6 (torpedo bomber)
Soviet Naval Aviation floatplane torpedo bomber variant. About 50 built.
P-6 (civil cargo)
Aeroflot Polar Aviation cargo conversion. About 60 conversions from retired military airframes. Served 1934-1944 in Arctic / Siberian remote-area routes.

Notable Operators

Soviet Air Forces
Principal R-6 user. Long-range reconnaissance, escort fighter, and bomber roles 1931-1939.
Soviet Naval Aviation
KR-6 torpedo bomber units in Black Sea Fleet, Baltic Fleet, and Pacific Fleet 1934-1941.
Aeroflot Polar Aviation
P-6 cargo variants in Arctic / Siberian remote-area transport 1934-1944. Famously involved in the 1934 Cheliuskin rescue.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Cheliuskin rescue?

In February 1934 the Soviet steamship Cheliuskin was crushed by Arctic pack ice and sank in the Chukchi Sea. The crew (105 people) survived on the ice floe for 2 months until evacuated by Aeroflot Polar Aviation P-6 (and Tupolev R-5) aircraft in April 1934. The rescue was a major Soviet propaganda event; the 7 pilots involved became the first Heroes of the Soviet Union (a newly-created decoration). The rescue cemented Aeroflot Polar Aviation's reputation and the R-6 / P-6's role in Soviet northern operations.

Was the ANT-7 a heavy fighter?

The original Soviet doctrine envisioned it as a long-range escort heavy fighter (to escort the TB-1 / TB-3 bombers). But by 1934 the heavy-fighter concept was acknowledged as obsolete — single-engine fighters had become fast enough that twin-engine escorts couldn't keep up. R-6s shifted to reconnaissance, torpedo-bombing, and transport roles. The same generational shift killed European heavy fighters like the Bristol Beaufighter / Messerschmitt Bf 110 in the early WWII years.

How many ANT-7s were built?

About 412 airframes between 1931 and 1936 at Moscow Plant No. 22 and Komsomolsk-na-Amure. Split: ~300 R-6 + ~50 KR-6 floatplane + ~60 P-6 civil conversions.

Are any ANT-7s preserved?

No complete airframe survives. Component recovery from crashed P-6 airframes in the Soviet northern has yielded partial wreckage; the Russian Aviation Museum (Monino) and Siberian short-haul aviation museums hold these fragments.

Sources

See Also