FUSELAGE CREATIONS TUPOLEV TU-95 ‘BEAR’ (PRE-ORDER)

Description

The Tupolev TU-95, also well known under its NATO reporting name Bear, is a large, four-engined strategic bomber. First flown on 12 November 1952, the ‘Bear’ entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the Soviet Air Force in 1956. The TU-95 was a strong symbol of the Cold War, keeping the United States and its allies on edge. The TU-95 was chosen as a platform for the test of the most powerful thermonuclear weapon known to mankind – the Tsar Bomba (AN602) on 30 October 1961.

The tag in your possession has been crafted from the tail rudder of one of only two remaining TU-95M aircraft in the world. The TU-95M (Bear-A), with factory number 7800503 and military designator 51, was manufactured on 28 February 1958. Shortly after, the aircraft was delivered to the 409th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, stationed at Uzyn Air Base (Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic).

During its time serving with the 409th Regiment, Bear-A flew missions assigned by the headquarters of the 106th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division.

At the end of its career, 51 was converted into a TU-95U (Bear-T), a training version that used to train crews, preserving precious flying hours on later Bear models.

In the late 1980s, 51 was withdrawn from flying service and, in 1987, found use as a ground training aircraft.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1993, all nuclear and strategic weapons were removed from Uzyn Air Base, and ‘Bear 51’ was moved and installed as a gate guard at the air base.

In the early 2010s, the aircraft sustained damage to the tail rudder, suspected to be due to bad weather. The rudder was put into storage and only brought back for work in 2021, when restoration efforts on the aircraft began. After careful and protracted negotiations, the Fuselage Creations team can to an agreement whereby the original Bear skin could be removed to create these incredible tags. They agreed to restore the skin with fresh material enabling the rudder to be refitted and displayed once more.
The Fuselage Creations team have achieved personal ambitions to create this beautiful, unique, and one-of-a-kind edition for aviation enthusiasts around the world to enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: This is a pre-order to guarantee your TU-95M/U tag once released by Fuselage Creations. As soon as the tags are ready you will have an opportunity to select a tag in the sequence of placing the order. Expected release date is early December. Do not miss this rare opportunity!