Tags: Aircraft.
The Tupolev Tu-85 (USAF/DoD reporting name ‘Type 31′ NATO reporting name Barge) was a Soviet prototype strategic bomber based on the Tu-4 an unlicensed reverse engineered copy of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. It was the ultimate development of the B-29 family being over 50% heavier than its ancestor and had nearly double the range. Only two prototypes were built before the program was canceled in favor of the Tupolev Tu-95 bomber which was much faster and had the same range.