What was the most powerful nuclear weapon ever dropped by an aircraft, as of December 2014 time frame?
1a. Name of bomb and 1b. Its strength rating (Megatons).
2. What aircraft dropped this bomb? 2a. Designer, 2b. Builder, 2c. Full Nomenclature and 2d. common Name needed.
3. What year was the bomb dropped?
4. What about the aircraft was supersonic in flight? -be specific.
5. What aircraft could it experimentally carry and air-launch? Name/nomenclature of the launched aircraft needed.
1a. Big Ivan, AN602, Hydrogen Bomb, Tsar Bomba, weight 27 metric tons, the components were designed by a team of physicists headed by Academician Yulii Borisovich Khariton and including Andrei Sakharov, Victor Adamsky, Yuri Babayev, Yuri Smirnov, and Yuri Trutnev
1b. Bomb dropped was 50 Megatons, but Russia claims a 100 Megaton was available
2a. Tupolev Tu-95V
2b. The design bureau led by Andrei Tupolev
2c. Four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform
2d. Bear
3. Oct 30, 1961
4. Four Kuznetsov NK-12 engines, each driving contra-rotating AV 60 propellers.
5. Tu 130, a hypersonic 3 stage intercontinental boost guided missile, winged rocket
Walt, you are close enough on most answers so I can't deny you and ask for more. Congrats! My answers from the database of Robert S. Dudley with Walter J. Boyne:
1a. "Czar Bomba", 1b. 58 megatons.
2a. Tupolev Design Bureau, 2b. Tupolev, 2c. Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bomber, 2d. NATO reporting name: "BEAR"
3. I only have 1961, yours exact!
4. The four Kuznetskov turboprops have two, counter-rotating props, four blades each-eight propeller blades per engine, the blade tips of which move supersonic, hence the huge noise the aircraft made in flight. (Pretty big air slicers and dicers!)-32 props total per aircraft!
5. The Tu-95 could and did experimentally carry and air-launch a Mikoyan-Gurevich MIG-19, a supersonic (in level flight) JET AIRCRAFT- NATO reporting name: "FARMER", designated by China-license-built as the Shenyang J-6.
The Tupolev Tu-95 was conceived as a best compromise bomber between speed, fuel-consumption and range; prototype flying on 12 November 1952. The design is expected to fly active in service until 2040, maybe beyond! It can make Mach 0.8. An unusual aspect is the 35 degree swept wings on a prop aircraft. Many versions of the Tu-95 bomber have been built. The maritime patrol, recon, anti-sub versions are the Tu-142, also "BEAR". Production was from 1952-1994. It is the only prop-powered strategic bomber still operating.
Specs & Performance-Tu-95MS BEAR
Power: Four Kuznetskov 14,795 ehp each NK-12MV Turboprops each driving two four-blade counter rotating props.
Max speed: 500 kts, at sea level 350 kts, cruise at 385 kts.
Ceiling: 39,370 ft
Radius with 25,000 lb payload: 3,455 nautical miles
Weights: Empty-208,115 lb, max takeoff-407,850 lb
Wing span: 164' 2"
Length: 161' 2"
Height: 43' 8"
Crew: Seven including two pilots, comms operator, nav/defensive systems operator, flight engineer, navigator and tail gunner.
Armament: Up to six Kh-55 (AS-15A 'Kent') cruise missiles on rotary launcher in bomb bay.
Many variations of the Tu-95 and Tu-142.
