Tug of War
Huge Russian Air Force Tupolev Bear D serial '23' being tugged north-side at RAF Fairford during the 1994 RIAT.
The Royal International Air Tattoo is held there each year and on this occasion it was the weekend of the 30th -31st July 1994 when this giant Soviet machine arrived for display. Shepherded into our airspace by RAF Phantoms which would normally be scrambled to intercept such a beast, this one was allowed in after a mountain of diplomatic hurdles had been jumped.
The same happened the previous year, when one of these incredible Long-Range Martitime Strike and Patrol Aircraft had also graced the tarmac here but this was the first time I had seen one fly. The sound of those huge Kuznetsov coupled turbo-prop engines with their massive contra-rotating props will be a something that stays with me forever!
Scanned 35mm transparency
For the best effect please view large and on black by pressing the L key - thanks
Tug of War
Huge Russian Air Force Tupolev Bear D serial '23' being tugged north-side at RAF Fairford during the 1994 RIAT.
The Royal International Air Tattoo is held there each year and on this occasion it was the weekend of the 30th -31st July 1994 when this giant Soviet machine arrived for display. Shepherded into our airspace by RAF Phantoms which would normally be scrambled to intercept such a beast, this one was allowed in after a mountain of diplomatic hurdles had been jumped.
The same happened the previous year, when one of these incredible Long-Range Martitime Strike and Patrol Aircraft had also graced the tarmac here but this was the first time I had seen one fly. The sound of those huge Kuznetsov coupled turbo-prop engines with their massive contra-rotating props will be a something that stays with me forever!
Scanned 35mm transparency
For the best effect please view large and on black by pressing the L key - thanks