Tupolev Samolyot 135

The Tupolev Samolyot 135 was a designation used for two different strategic bomber projects in the Soviet Union in the late 1950s and early 1960s, neither of which progressed beyond the drawing board. The first, proposed in 1958, was a Tu-95 derivative carrying a long-range cruise missile, with an estimated range of about 4,000 km. Two years later the second was envisioned as a supersonic interdiction bomber available with a variety of engines, including a nuclear-powered version. It settled on a canard delta layout similar to the North American XB-70A Valkyrie, with paired Kuznetsov NK-6 turbofan nacelles under each wing and a single large fin, and armed mainly with missiles for maritime and logistics interdiction. Work was suspended when the Sukhoi T-4 became the favoured design and the cost proved high, though the experience helped later Tupolev bombers and the Tu-144, which carried the code name Tu-135P.