It was great to see that the crew on the updated TU-95 still uses slide rules to make calculations. I guess that the crew on the original Bears used an abacus. Now that's training!
@@sue08401 jajaja.... those bear crew are good whit a simple slide rule..they know how to navigate the old way if they have to ( No GPS, ect ) old fashion compass and star navigation in a war senario no tec can jam it.....and yes we have good pilots.. but we take out the navegators and put a GPS what will happen when the GPS system is jam or out off service.....we go back to the basic navegators skills... if you know or remember 🤔
As an American I swing to the B-52. Although one can not disrespect the Bear, two different approaches in design and they both are legendary. Just look at the service record of these giants, to last and serve their nations this long is a testament to just how great they and their engineering are!
eh, not really 2 different approaches if you consider the fact they are both successors of the the same root aircraft. They are both parented offshoots of the B-29 Superfortress.
@@jeffcamp481 For some reason, I like the way the Tu-95 looks sitting on the ground. It looks really long legged with such tall landing gear. But I also like it for being unique. A swept wing, coaxial propeller driven, long range bomber and the last of it's kind. Both planes may have started from the same basic design, but there's no doubt that they're quite different too.
@@Phrancis5 Well technically yes and no. No cause at the time the US and the Soviet Union were allies during late WW2. American B-29s that attacked Japanese Targets that had emergency trouble landed in the Soviet Union which during that part of the conflict was still neutral and thus legally detained the bombers. Yes cause This is the Soviet Union we are talking about and Joseph Stalin was smart enough to realize that the B-29 was likely far superior to its Russian counterpart that was being developed so had his aircraft designers research, and make duplicates of the bombers thus pretty much stole them although they did return one of the craft. Here's the fun part. The Tu-4 were literally almost duplicates of the B-29. Looking exactly the same but with some russian modifications and additions thrown in. Different engines, guns, some modification to the frames to allow for tech the Russian's had. However it also wasn't. The Russian's added some features that in many ways made their version of the Superfortress better. In a couple ways its one of the few cases where someone ripped off someones else's tech and improved on it. Ironic that both in the end would carry a legacy for both superpowers. The BUFF and the Bear being cusions.
The TU-95 Bear is also one of the LOUDEST aircraft ever built! It can be tracked from hundreds of miles away by SOSUS (Sonar under the oceans) just by it's sound. I've heard Fighter Pilots complain about intercepting them, because they are so damned loud that they can't even hear the jet engines of the plane they are sitting in!
@@elpupusero yeah no, the Tu-95 has a top speed of 575 mph while the B-52 has a top speed of 650 mph, it’s surprisingly not much of a difference but the B-52 is still faster by almost 100 mph
@@masterx11a On the long range radar sites in AK we encountered these bears quite often. I think the "top speed" of 575 is a gross exaggeration -- more like 510-520. Props, after all, and about half the climb rate. What does that tell you about power out-put?
There is nothing like seeing an ARC light strike from a B-52, saw them in Vietnam in 68-69 along the DMZ, you start seeing the bombs going off, just smoke going up to the heavens and then you hear the noise, but the planes are so high you cannot see them! Awesome!
They're both big, slow and dated technology. The B-52 has moved off to relatively uncontested airspace missions to remain relevant. The main thing both have going for them is both are paid for, still work and have a relatively low cost of operation. The B-52 adapted better. The Bear remains a big ,loud, saber rattling target.
It is a tool. Western powers first ensure air superiority, then the big hammers come in. The B-52 is perfect in the correct situation. Which is why it remained in use.
Tell those terrorist hiding in holes in the Afghan mountains how irrelevant the B-52 was. Every one of them shit their pants when they saw those contrails in the sky...they knew cluster bombs were comming. The B-52 is a brute...80000 pounds of bombs!! Usually thou, we carried less..around 20000 to 30000...
Thats a stupid comment concidering it really doesnt matter if the lesser aircraft still has the capability to unleash numerous cruise missile against you. Yes the B-52 is more capable but the Bear is more versatile. And once the missiles start flying it doesnt matter which aircraft launched them
@@alexanderlacambra8520 And your an ass. The Bear has seem combat in multiple countries for exaclty one yewr less than the B-52 and has performed more tasks and in more configurations than the B-52. Now the B-52 is most probably the best military aircraft ever produced , Ive stated thay in previous comments if you bothered to read them. But the fact is the Bear is currently and will continue to be a very capable aircraft capable of performing more roles than the B-52 is capable of carrying out. Focus on what the individual aircraft have actually done and not your prejudice on who mamufactored them. Only a fool bases their opinion on emotions instead of actual facts.
Both are awesome. Both should be appreciated as individual aircraft. Clearly, as a jet, the B52 has serious advantages but the Bear is a beast all on its own and as a non-jet is a marvel of engineering.
As a B-52 ex crew chief The B-52 is boss. With it's ground follow radar that can fly under radar when the need arises. Among other features not mentioned due to classified information. I did not agree with the tail guns removed because as a last resort it is a good deturant. Since a tail gunner actually shot down a sam missile in flight over vietnam . When jamming did not work.
The biggest honor I had in the AF was to give a B-52 crew chief an entire pallet of hydraulic fluid before they departed Anderson AFB on the way to Hanoi. He was very happy.
In 1974 I was a radar tech on a EC-121 radar plane flying out of Iceland. I never saw a radar return from a B-52 but the largest, by far, Radar return I ever saw was from a TU-95. Huge spot on the scope.
@@MaxCruise73 Since the return was so much stronger than other planes that would be my guess too. Lots of props going on on those planes. We directed F-4's to them and their returns were much smaller.
@@MaxCruise73 US subs using sonar can also pick up the noise caused by the props. Tom Clancy did an interview many years ago about russian hardware and got some good laughs about their effectiveness. Bear props were mentioned.
Yeah 'Defense Updates' is a bit full on with the anti-east stuff, he's right 99% of the time IMO, but its the "caught with their pants down" extra stuff added, like when Russian jets crash or something. You'll never see a vid on the USS Cole bombing type thing, even an analysis
Just by reading the description, the BUFF is the "better" airframe. It is faster, has a greater payload, and longer range. They can both carry similar weapons load-outs, but the BUFF can carry more of everything, and deliver it faster and farther than the TU-95. For it's advantages, the TU-95 can operate from more primitive airfields, and like the BUFF, uses the plentiful jet fuel (which is basically kerosene).
The B-52's warload is considerably greater than that of the Tu-95. Although the precise amount of munitions in terms of raw tonnage would of course vary widely depending on the mission profile, in terms of raw lifting power the B-52 can carry and deliver significantly more than the Bear. The Bear is still formidable, though, make no mistake.
@@williamjpellas0314 Had the question been, "Which is formidable," The answer would be "Both." Since the question was, "Which is better," the only accurate answer is "The BUFF."
Both are no longer considered deep penetration strategic bombers but have been repurposed as stand-off missile depots. In combat they will stay well away from the action and lob cruise missiles to targets.
i was reading up the missiles that the TU-95 can launch, with range of 3000km, thats insane , most jets dont even have the fuel capacity to even intercept that
Just by looks I will always go for the B52. And if I see this list of specs, I will also go for the B52. It's just better in all ways possible then the TU95.
The Tu-95 Bear has a special place in my heart. It's just such a cool and unique looking aircraft. And the noise it makes is awesome. But, it's no match for the far more modern and better performing B52. Plus there are many MANY more B52's than Tu-95's.
Lol.... Between Old monster and Dangerous old monster... EKRANO PLANE of USSR, was Forgotten.. It can stay Under radar an only patrolling vessel could spot this Caspian Sea Monster 👌🤣🤣🤣
I was aboard a Navy ship just outside of Haiphong Harbor during Operation Linebacker II in December and January 1972 -73. Raids of 120+ B-52s each dropped over 100 500lb. bombs each on Haiphong and Hanoi. No conventional warfare has ever been more damaging.
@@Primus54 CLOWN! You lost in Vietnam just as you did in Iraq and Afghanistan...because the local people were always prepared to fight one day longer than the occupiers.
Russian/Soviet design theory is "good enough.". 500plus MPH and 3,500 plus mission range is good enough to attack any Russian enemy. The B52 still has room for updates and could accept new mission profiles while the TU-95 is at the end of its ability's to move into new territory. It seems like this was done before the most recent engine upgrade to hi bypass, modern, fuel efficient engines
Better Windows as well they are wider allowing for better line of sight the B-52 while a great plane as smaller window panes which mean more supports meaning less line of sight!
I choose the b52 cause it has seen combat action in any us major conflict since the Vietnam war were as the tu95 only saw combat action in 2016 since its development in the 1950s
@@britishprofessor9957 Yeah… first time in history civilians were killed during war. Wait! I’m wrong. Wasn’t there some British WW2 bomber named “Lancaster” that bombed German civilians? 🙄 Save your faux moral outrage lesson, “Professor”.
@@britishprofessor9957 out of the topic.it's the fault of military leaders.It doesn't change the fact that B52 is a great aircraft.after all it was designed to destroy enemies
@@dakohli you're absolutely correct on your assumption of submarines detecting aircraft. If they are flying low enough they can be detected by the submarines passive sonar array.
So will some Bears. The Bear can't fly as fast as the '52 and carries about half the payload but make no mistake -- it can kill you from hundreds of miles away.
IT SURE IS? if your going too take out terriosts on donkeys who dont use toilet paper, oh ya we tucked and ran leaveing 85 billion dollars worth of hardware and a trillion dollar base.
So, neither are fast, neither are maneuverable, both are radar visible and both can carry a huge load of weapons which carry themselves into the war zone while the aircraft stays well away. It seems the "best" would be what would be the cheapest to operate. The cheaper they are, the more of them your can operate and the more firepower you can get into a conflict.
The last brand new B-52 came off the production line in 1962. The Tu-95 ceased production in 1993. Both have been upgraded in their respective careers.
Both of these aircraft are awesome and have been adapted to different roles as time rolls on. Both now might be deadlier than ever as neither need to be enemy air space penetrators anymore. They are now both standoff range cruise missile trucks.
which, by the way, means a modified B767 could do the job (ok exaggarate but these are not "fighter aircraft" anymore like when they were supposed to fly into mordor and evade flak and enemy fire)
The question is, as always, which version to compare. The skills are practically the same. One aircraft with cruise missiles is enough to destroy a medium-sized European country.
Many of these aircraft flew against each other (same missions at the same time), decades ago. I'm afraid these old warriors will one again strike up their rivalry, very soon.
No pilot would voluntarily fly the Tu-95 Bear. It's the loudest aircraft in the sky due to the fact that the tips of those giant propellors break the sound barrier. Can't imagine what it's like to be in that aircraft for hours and hours.
Actuall if you did any type of reserch you'd know that the Bears have been involved in numerous combat missions have a number have be3n shot down just like the B-52's in Vietnam
@@randombully3798 Actually yes they did . Just about every conflict in the world today is supported by either the Russians or the US. So yes the anti aircraft systems they confronted were either against their own anti aircraft systems or American made systems . In some countries like Ethiopia they even faced a combination of both Russian and American anti aircraft weapons.
@@glennoswald5928 The Tu-95 has never had a combat loss, and has only been used in combat during the Russian involvement in Syria, where it launched cruise missiles, from well outside the range of any surface to air threats.
@@glennoswald5928 "Actuall if you did any type of reserch you'd know that the Bears have been involved in numerous combat missions..." I just did a quick google web search and came up with nothing for the combat record of the Tu-95 Bear bomber. Perhaps you can share with us some of the "numerous combat missions" that you allege that the Tu-95 Bear has been involved in?
The B-52 is bigger, faster, weighs less, has a greater range, greater climb rate, greater flight ceiling, and has more than twice the payload capacity. And it was put into service a year earlier than the Tu-95. There is no question which one is better.
@@ivelinis the B-52 has a cruise speed roughly equivalent to the Tu-95’s maximum speed, so the B-52 can accomplish the same mission in less time. On top of that the B-52 carry’s more than twice the payload of the Tu-95, so it would take more than twice the number of Tu-95’s to accomplish the same mission as the B-52. It is true the Tu-95 is more fuel efficient, but it doesn’t even come close to having twice the fuel efficiency of the B-52. Therefore, in the long run, since the B-52 can carry more than twice the payload while using only about 25% more fuel, the B-52 is actually more economical to operate. It costs less per pound of delivered payload if the bombs are delivered from a B-52, because it has far superior engineering. And once the B-52 re-engine program is complete (2030), the B-52 will be more fuel efficient than the Tu-95. Both have mid air refueling so range is irrelevant. Both planes are only restricted by the endurance of the pilots.
@@willymac5036 speed is irrelevant here. Tu 95 can go further, it works perfectly for Russia, and especially when deployed in Arctic. Can get close to USA and with a few hypersonic Zircon on board, don't need to carry loads. B52 works for the US well. I think is one of the reasons Russia not to retire the tu95, the hypersonics
The fact that at the projected lifespan the B52 will have it in service for ~90 years before being retired IF they don't get another modernisation and extension is not talked about enough.
I think that was a good comparison given the era and original mission for both the aircraft. I’m ex-Air Force so I’m maybe a little partial in this one. There are two things I’d like to find out about the TU-95M: 1. Are the engines and counter-rotating props a maintenance nightmare including costs to maintain, and 2. In the provided video I saw a lot of analog equipment on the Bear depicting it VERY obsolete. So if both responses to my questions are in any way negative leaning, then hands down the 52 is king.
The Tu-95 descends directly from the B-29 with two models in between (the Tu-80 an Tu-85). The B-52 was a complete departure from the B-29 philosophy. They took different directions to solve the problem with early low power high consumption jet engines. B-52 is of course better.
B52 is definitely the champ here!!! I had the opportunity to sail under the TU-95 Bear D variant when I was in the Navy. Whenever there was a Carrier battle group transiting the Pacific they would come out and take a look. The ship I was on was the AAW picket and sailed a couple hundred miles ahead of the battle group. They would come in low and slow so we could "communicate" as they put in on Top Gun...
The Tu-95 could be made into an airliner (the Tu-114 executive transport and Tu-116 airliner). The B-52 shared tech with an airliner, but was never converted into one.
It's wild to think that when the last B-52s are retired from service, the type will have served close to 100 years! Talk about "built to last!" And to its credit, the Tu-95 seems like it will match the B-52's longevity.
Love that these videos are not biased . Its hard to say wich airplane is the best. For long range patrols and missils strike, I would prefer the bear. Fighting partizans and supporting friendly ground troops, I think the B52 is best. But if I had to pick one, i would tale the TU95z
Great effort at describing those two mate👍 you didn’t lean either way, you just gave the facts. That’s very refreshing compared to some similar type videos. Thank you 🙏 Also, I only wonder what a Vulcan could have been in 2022 if it had been thought of to upgrade and keep/upkeep like these two, if at all possible?? But that punched well above its weight. 👍
I flew the B-52 back in the 80s. One day a Vulcan came into our base on some sort of farewell tour. The pilots came over to our squadron and asked if any of the B-52 guys wanted to check out the Vulcan, and I jumped at the chance. Though undoubtedly a cool looking plane it was antiquated. No ejection seats for any of the crew besides the pilots. The cockpit was tiny, barely big enough for the 2 to fit side by side. The other crew members had some sort of slide they could use to get out, so long as the plane was still flying more or less level and positive g. Range was a fraction that of the B-52 but max Mach number was slightly higher. Of course max load was much lower. Avionics were very outdated, it looked like they were virtually original 1950s stuff. One of the funny things I noticed was that the rew had obviously gone on a shopping spree in the states, every bit of the plane was packed with retail shopping packages, in particular I remember a Sears garage door opener.
@@phugwad yeah agreed. But think if ‘had’ kept pace with time, updates etc etc. when it was got to the 80’s it had not been updated to anywhere near the B- 52’s level by the 1980s as you say, but the fact is, the shape of the Vulcan is a lot closer to what the most advanced aircraft bombers look now than a B-52. And as long as they are deemed essential, they are too valuable to the US to get rid of for the near future. Ultimately a B-52 is a huge bomb truck carrying enormous loads able to do the things it does. The Vulcan delivered a British ‘big’ load when it was conceived …Then as time went on the Two aircraft evolved in two very different directions. The B-52 is brilliant at what it does and it’s testimony to it and the crews that it is still there. 👍 But a lot of money has been pumped into the aircraft to keep it up to date. The Vulcan had not a fraction of that. Who knows? Interesting thought..
It should be noted that one of of the reason Soviet bombers have a lower payload weight is generally due to the size of the munitions it carries. Typically it's checked as Number x type of munition. You will see this in the tu160 as well. The combat radius is also a matter of combat doctrine. As you'd find, the B52 combat radius appears to be alot higher but it's a gimmick. This is because they don't expect the B52 to return to the same airbase.
@@Cyricaaa aerial refueling is not accounted for when checking this distance. If refueling is accounted for then the range would've been the maximum number of continuous engine operating hours X the level of output. Both aircraft have longer ranges with refueling but it doesn't affect my original comment. Also, gays are nasty spawns of evil. If you believe in God then know this was only one of two times he sought no explanation. If you don't believe in God, I hate your kind regardless
Hi grid, its my second comment here, i have a suggestion, but if ever its alr done in a vid dont mind this comment, how about u do mig 31 vs any interceptor, since mig 31 hasnt been in any of your videos yet i guess, so itll be good to do interceptor jets against each others
The b52 is probably the best as it has been in service with the USAF, especially with the sac wing since the early 60s( it is possibly been in service even earlier) the RAF had the mighty Vulcan bomber until it was withdrawn from service,
B-52 aces the Tu-95 Bear in most aspects. This is particularly true with the upgrades to the B-52's engines. Back in the day; the B-52 still had the advantage, but not by much. Now, the B-52 pretty much outclasses the Bear. This said... USAF planes are designed to operate in relatively clean environments. The Bear can deal with vodka bottles, lawn chairs, etc. on the runway. In a protracted war; the Bear might just surprise you as a result of its rugged nature. Short conflict; yeah, the BUFF is gonna rock it. Long-term, dirty situation.... Bunch 'o stuff in the air from burning cities and bombed out airfields..... The Bear is the Bear. P.S. I was a high school AFROTC cade at Fairchild AFB for the Air Show on May 18th, 1980. Heard an odd rumble at 8AM or so and mentioned that it was the oddest sonic boom I'd ever heard. 'course 30 mins later the jets were scrambling to get out of the path of the volcanic dust from Mt. St. Helens. We left in our high schools packs; and drank beer while we watched all the B-52's and the lone SR-71 scramble the living H*** out of there. Best Air Show in history..... P.S. We got out of high school for the next couple weeks and I gloriously operated a tractor for the Wa State Dept of Ecology cleaning up the mess. It was a riot... Sincerely, Ex-USAF. UPT at Willie, BTW. : ) !
@@startingbark0356 Up to just a few years ago, I'd agree with you without hesitation. The latest generation of engines on the B-52 increased the range by somewhere in the range (get the pun ?) of 20%. I think the Bear still has a slight edge on the range aspect, but it's nowhere near what it used to be. If you have the specifics, by all means let us know. Just make sure you're quoting the B-52 from 2019 (I think it was 2019) forward.
@@ButcherBird-FW190D those props on the Tu-95 are also modern updated versions of the old ones they used in the 50’s, idk about their fuel consumption tho, but ik that back in the days the Tu-95 was atleast around 2-3 times more fuel efficient due the props
@@startingbark0356 But updating the TU-95 props and engines did not do that much. The jet engines on the B-52 have improved dramatically over the years. Initially I agree re: the large range differential. Noting; I am not referencing fuel efficiency, I am referencing range. As it stands now; and this is admittedly from a brief look, but the B-52 shows a combat range of 8,800 miles while the TU-95 shows as 9,350 miles. B-52 carries materially greater bombload and fuel as well. But, either way... -And please don't take my comments as being the usual combative RUclips BS; we're just chatting here. But, yassir. The 8,800 and 9,350 for the most recent versions is right at what I remembered from a couple years ago. Pretty sure it's accurate. By the by, I believe the initial range of the B-52 back in the mid-50's was 4,400 or 4,500 miles. However, that is from a far distant memory from 40 years ago when I was USAF. Lost my pilot slot due to a heart murmur, if that matters.
I don't know about better lol they both are pretty tough to me (monsters actually! ). I may be in the USA and have pride in my country but I do have sense enough to respect the adversary we could face! lol
Samar you’re wrong, there was a Cessna in Vegas that flew for more than 60 days without landing… You think this piece of crap russian aircraft can even go 50 hours without an engine break down? Lol….
It's not the coaxial propeller configuration that makes the Tu-95 so loud. It's the fact that they spin them above supersonic speeds is what makes it loud (à la XF-84H Thunderscreech). Most propeller driven planes don't spin that fast.
@@banana03 B-52 looks like big fat barrel. Tu-95 looks elegant, slim, though together with power. You lie, it does not look like any plane in the world ever built.
The Reason the TU-95 still uses Turbo Probs instead of Jet Engines is too reduce Stress on the Frame something that the B-52 has countered by having each B-52 run less Flight Hours they just use a spare one something Russia has few spares off so have to use less power engines to reduce downtime and maintenance costs! Also Jets cost more to run due to being more complex and having parts wear-out faster!
Turbo Props are much more economical and require much less fuel. B-52 with its 8 engines burn train of fuel each flight. Tu-95 is much less in size with similar characteristics. That's why Tu-95 is also used for intercontinental surveillance flights and B-52 are not
@11B 2J while the B-52 is arguable the best military aircraft ever produced The Bear is far more versatile . It can do a dozen jobs like anti ship ,anti submarine , Recon, Radar jamming, ground control, The US ideals is to build seperate aircraft for each specific requirement . Thats why the US has 10x's The military budget of the next five military's combined . It keeps Americans employed and makes congressmen rich. The Russain strategy ot to make there military hardware as versatile as possible using single airframes to do numerous requirements .
Love how he says “so far,” when talking about production. Pretty sure that after fifty years of non production, there won’t be any more made, for both.
I'm biased as an American towards USA Engineering, but the Bear is a true beast and very beautiful piece of engineering marvel. Esthetically the Bear is more attractive IMHO. Pray for peace amongst all nations. Viva Cristo Rey!
Did I already mention, that it sucks a ton to always stop the video and transform the numbers you give into understandable measures??? Please, please, please include metric measures into your video!!!
Based on the specs & performance data from this video the Big Ugly Fat F***ER or 'BUFF' is the clear winner over the Bear. For the first 20 years of my life I lived near a SAC base where a squadron of BUFFs was based. I could count on them launching and flying DIRECTLY OVER MY HOUSE at 3:00AM and awakening me from my peaceful sleep. These were the loudest airplanes in the entire U.S. Military fleet.
Judging from the action radiuses of both American Soviet/Russian airplanes, be they bombers or fighters, my conclusion: - American bombers and fighters were designed to travel all the way to the USSR/Russia and lay waste to the entire country; - Soviet/Russian bombers and fighters always have had rather short action radiuses, meaning they were designed to defend the Soviet/Russian nation, rather than doing what the Americans intended to do.
well one is still spent money on the project to go on while the other just made necesarry upgrades but no more since 1950's. it should have been a comparison to the models when both come out as running projects
You forgot to compare operating costs and ease of repair and manufacturing. That would have a huge impact in battle, and I suspect the Bear would win handsomely in that department just like the old Russian T-34s were against Germany's technologically superior Tigers. To paraphrase my uncle's last log entry, "we keep shooting them down yet they keep coming".
@@jerrybennett7856 Good point, especially considering the mechanical complexity of turboprops and the evolution of fuel efficiency in modern turbofan engines. But regarding the B52, I have doubts concerning fuel costs. It would have been interesting to compare operating costs of the two planes because in the end, money is the fuel of war.
Is the B-52 a superior bomber with better range and payload? Yes. If I was acquiring a bomber for a nation, I'd buy the B-52. If I was acquiring a Multi-mission Platform, I'd but the TU-95.
B-52 is still way more versatile than the TU-95… Have no idea why you think a plane that has it’s crew using slide rules and can only travel 3900 km, vs 8500 km to the B-52 (not to mention way more varied and more ordinance), would the TU-95 have more roles to play… the B-52 can do everything twice as good as the TU-95.
B52 is a better multi mission platform.A long range conventional/nuclear strategic bomber,cruise missile platform,acts as a mothership for experimental aircrafts and glide bodies...etc.it will receive the hypersonic weapons in near future
It was great to see that the crew on the updated TU-95 still uses slide rules to make calculations. I guess that the crew on the original Bears used an abacus. Now that's training!
If either side starts jamming the US guy can always turn to super mario games on his monitor
@@sue08401 jajaja.... those bear crew are good whit a simple slide rule..they know how to navigate the old way if they have to ( No GPS, ect ) old fashion compass and star navigation in a war senario no tec can jam it.....and yes we have good pilots.. but we take out the navegators and put a GPS what will happen when the GPS system is jam or out off service.....we go back to the basic navegators skills... if you know or remember 🤔
All the Apollo program was designed, developed, and produced making use of the humble slide rule. You hippie.
The stratofortress is still a huge deterrent to the Soviets.
@@pattykuvshin yes you are right.... were were the computers in the 50's..all they have available was a slide rule to use..🤔
As an American I swing to the B-52. Although one can not disrespect the Bear, two different approaches in design and they both are legendary. Just look at the service record of these giants, to last and serve their nations this long is a testament to just how great they and their engineering are!
eh, not really 2 different approaches if you consider the fact they are both successors of the the same root aircraft. They are both parented offshoots of the B-29 Superfortress.
@@Grisbane never thought of that! Your absolutely right!
@@Grisbane Well they straight up stole and copied the design and called it the TU-4
@@jeffcamp481
For some reason, I like the way the Tu-95 looks sitting on the ground. It looks really long legged with such tall landing gear. But I also like it for being unique. A swept wing, coaxial propeller driven, long range bomber and the last of it's kind. Both planes may have started from the same basic design, but there's no doubt that they're quite different too.
@@Phrancis5 Well technically yes and no.
No cause at the time the US and the Soviet Union were allies during late WW2. American B-29s that attacked Japanese Targets that had emergency trouble landed in the Soviet Union which during that part of the conflict was still neutral and thus legally detained the bombers.
Yes cause This is the Soviet Union we are talking about and Joseph Stalin was smart enough to realize that the B-29 was likely far superior to its Russian counterpart that was being developed so had his aircraft designers research, and make duplicates of the bombers thus pretty much stole them although they did return one of the craft.
Here's the fun part.
The Tu-4 were literally almost duplicates of the B-29. Looking exactly the same but with some russian modifications and additions thrown in. Different engines, guns, some modification to the frames to allow for tech the Russian's had.
However it also wasn't. The Russian's added some features that in many ways made their version of the Superfortress better. In a couple ways its one of the few cases where someone ripped off someones else's tech and improved on it.
Ironic that both in the end would carry a legacy for both superpowers.
The BUFF and the Bear being cusions.
The TU-95 Bear is also one of the LOUDEST aircraft ever built! It can be tracked from hundreds of miles away by SOSUS (Sonar under the oceans) just by it's sound. I've heard Fighter Pilots complain about intercepting them, because they are so damned loud that they can't even hear the jet engines of the plane they are sitting in!
But is faster than the B52
@@elpupusero you didn't watch the video did you? The b52 is faster but surprisingly not that much faster.
@@elpupusero yeah no, the Tu-95 has a top speed of 575 mph while the B-52 has a top speed of 650 mph, it’s surprisingly not much of a difference but the B-52 is still faster by almost 100 mph
True. And imagine the Russians trying to use it as a commercial aircraft. LOl; Buy insurance for your ears prior to bording. . .
@@masterx11a On the long range radar sites in AK we encountered these bears quite often. I think the "top speed" of 575 is a gross exaggeration -- more like 510-520. Props, after all, and about half the climb rate. What does that tell you about power out-put?
There is nothing like seeing an ARC light strike from a B-52, saw them in Vietnam in 68-69 along the DMZ, you start seeing the bombs going off, just smoke going up to the heavens and then you hear the noise, but the planes are so high you cannot see them! Awesome!
When you proudly refer to your machine as the "Big Ugly Fat Fuck" I gotta go with the B-52
They're both big, slow and dated technology. The B-52 has moved off to relatively uncontested airspace missions to remain relevant. The main thing both have going for them is both are paid for, still work and have a relatively low cost of operation.
The B-52 adapted better. The Bear remains a big ,loud, saber rattling target.
I agree with that, but B-52 costed way more ( with those lot of upgrade, engine, etc.)
It is a tool. Western powers first ensure air superiority, then the big hammers come in. The B-52 is perfect in the correct situation. Which is why it remained in use.
@@robertbusku5159 but US is 10x richer so they can make more buffs than bears.
With stand off weapons (such as AGM 86) and a powerful air force to back them up, they will always be relevant.
Tell those terrorist hiding in holes in the Afghan mountains how irrelevant the B-52 was. Every one of them shit their pants when they saw those contrails in the sky...they knew cluster bombs were comming.
The B-52 is a brute...80000 pounds of bombs!! Usually thou, we carried less..around 20000 to 30000...
I'll take the one that flies higher, faster, longer, with a higher rate of climb, carries more weapons, and is maintained by the USAF.
Exactly
AKA: Buff 💪
Thats a stupid comment concidering it really doesnt matter if the lesser aircraft still has the capability to unleash numerous cruise missile against you. Yes the B-52 is more capable but the Bear is more versatile. And once the missiles start flying it doesnt matter which aircraft launched them
@@glennoswald5928 Look at the accuracy,consult first in slide rules..your a joke🤣🤣🤣
@@alexanderlacambra8520 And your an ass. The Bear has seem combat in multiple countries for exaclty one yewr less than the B-52 and has performed more tasks and in more configurations than the B-52. Now the B-52 is most probably the best military aircraft ever produced , Ive stated thay in previous comments if you bothered to read them. But the fact is the Bear is currently and will continue to be a very capable aircraft capable of performing more roles than the B-52 is capable of carrying out. Focus on what the individual aircraft have actually done and not your prejudice on who mamufactored them. Only a fool bases their opinion on emotions instead of actual facts.
Both are awesome. Both should be appreciated as individual aircraft. Clearly, as a jet, the B52 has serious advantages but the Bear is a beast all on its own and as a non-jet is a marvel of engineering.
As a B-52 ex crew chief The B-52 is boss. With it's ground follow radar that can fly under radar when the need arises. Among other features not mentioned due to classified information. I did not agree with the tail guns removed because as a last resort it is a good deturant. Since a tail gunner actually shot down a sam missile in flight over vietnam . When jamming did not work.
Sir, could you please tell me if besides the wings countermeasure dispensers, there are other countermeasure dispensers along the fuselage?
As an ex-USAF BUFF AMMO (weapons release) troop, it's no contest. Props? LOL!
Boss lol
Literally every B52 got shot down in Vietnam
The biggest honor I had in the AF was to give a B-52 crew chief an entire pallet of hydraulic fluid before they departed Anderson AFB on the way to Hanoi. He was very happy.
Thanks for ur service 🫡
In 1974 I was a radar tech on a EC-121 radar plane flying out of Iceland. I never saw a radar return from a B-52 but the largest, by far, Radar return I ever saw was from a TU-95. Huge spot on the scope.
So Tu-95 is trash at stealth then?
SOSUS can actually track the Bear. Imagine submarines being able to track your nuclear bomber. Thats the Soviets for you
@Steve Allen, I am assuming the propellors on the TU-95 was causing the huge radar return.
Is something you can confirm?
@@MaxCruise73 Since the return was so much stronger than other planes that would be my guess too. Lots of props going on on those planes. We directed F-4's to them and their returns were much smaller.
@@MaxCruise73 US subs using sonar can also pick up the noise caused by the props. Tom Clancy did an interview many years ago about russian hardware and got some good laughs about their effectiveness. Bear props were mentioned.
I love these non biased videos. 10 out of 10
Yeah 'Defense Updates' is a bit full on with the anti-east stuff, he's right 99% of the time IMO, but its the "caught with their pants down" extra stuff added, like when Russian jets crash or something. You'll never see a vid on the USS Cole bombing type thing, even an analysis
Just by reading the description, the BUFF is the "better" airframe. It is faster, has a greater payload, and longer range. They can both carry similar weapons load-outs, but the BUFF can carry more of everything, and deliver it faster and farther than the TU-95.
For it's advantages, the TU-95 can operate from more primitive airfields, and like the BUFF, uses the plentiful jet fuel (which is basically kerosene).
The B-52's warload is considerably greater than that of the Tu-95. Although the precise amount of munitions in terms of raw tonnage would of course vary widely depending on the mission profile, in terms of raw lifting power the B-52 can carry and deliver significantly more than the Bear. The Bear is still formidable, though, make no mistake.
@@williamjpellas0314 Had the question been, "Which is formidable," The answer would be "Both." Since the question was, "Which is better," the only accurate answer is "The BUFF."
@@xenaguy01 No disagreement here, sir. The B-52 can fly faster, farther, and with a heavier warload than the Bear.
Both are no longer considered deep penetration strategic bombers but have been repurposed as stand-off missile depots. In combat they will stay well away from the action and lob cruise missiles to targets.
That's bullshit. B 52 has a sorts of weapons mostly air to ground .
The B-52 is far more capable than just a missile truck and shooter. With its new engines, it will serve for many more years.
@Hendrix Cody I'm sorry I didn't word my comments correctly. I meant all sorts of weapons.
i was reading up the missiles that the TU-95 can launch, with range of 3000km, thats insane , most jets dont even have the fuel capacity to even intercept that
@@fetchalex6518 cruise missiles are air to ground
Just by looks I will always go for the B52. And if I see this list of specs, I will also go for the B52. It's just better in all ways possible then the TU95.
But the B52 lost its tailgun cannon. If it still had it I put it ahead of the TU95.
agree .. B52 wins , be even more useful when it gets the new engines
@@joet7136 tail guns don’t really serve a point anymore. Nobody gets close enough to hit with the guns. They just shoot a missle then dip
@@joet7136 And why should the B-52 have a machine gun?
The Tu-95 Bear has a special place in my heart. It's just such a cool and unique looking aircraft. And the noise it makes is awesome. But, it's no match for the far more modern and better performing B52. Plus there are many MANY more B52's than Tu-95's.
Lol.... Between Old monster and Dangerous old monster... EKRANO PLANE of USSR, was Forgotten.. It can stay Under radar an only patrolling vessel could spot this Caspian Sea Monster 👌🤣🤣🤣
I love the TU-95. I even still play an old game about it!
In fact there are only about fifty something of each left in service, not much difference at all.
I was aboard a Navy ship just outside of Haiphong Harbor during Operation Linebacker II in December and January 1972 -73. Raids of 120+ B-52s each dropped over 100 500lb. bombs each on Haiphong and Hanoi. No conventional warfare has ever been more damaging.
But the big USA with all her weapons lost this war against this little country! *hahahaha*
@@torstenpflug5084 The military did not lose the war… the Democrat politicians did.
@@Primus54 CLOWN! You lost in Vietnam just as you did in Iraq and Afghanistan...because the local people were always prepared to fight one day longer than the occupiers.
@@DanA-fk6tl Do you feel better now that you’ve gotten that off your chest? 🙄
@@Primus54 Nixon was Republican
Hands down the Buff especially after she gets her new Engine’s all day long. Yahoo
Russian/Soviet design theory is "good enough.". 500plus MPH and 3,500 plus mission range is good enough to attack any Russian enemy. The B52 still has room for updates and could accept new mission profiles while the TU-95 is at the end of its ability's to move into new territory. It seems like this was done before the most recent engine upgrade to hi bypass, modern, fuel efficient engines
Bear has a nicer front profile at least, slick fuselage and firm jaw lol
Better Windows as well they are wider allowing for better line of sight the B-52 while a great plane as smaller window panes which mean more supports meaning less line of sight!
But the passenger jet version of the Bear is much better looking without that ugly Pinocchio refueling snout sticking out 20 ft.
I choose the b52 cause it has seen combat action in any us major conflict since the Vietnam war were as the tu95 only saw combat action in 2016 since its development in the 1950s
Murdering civilians in Vietnam
@@britishprofessor9957 Plenty of Vietnamese civilians got murdered after the US went on its way.
@@britishprofessor9957 Yeah… first time in history civilians were killed during war. Wait! I’m wrong. Wasn’t there some British WW2 bomber named “Lancaster” that bombed German civilians? 🙄 Save your faux moral outrage lesson, “Professor”.
@@terrystevens5261 So, you're saying everyone is guilty of bombing civilians? Good you picked up on their point
@@britishprofessor9957 out of the topic.it's the fault of military leaders.It doesn't change the fact that B52 is a great aircraft.after all it was designed to destroy enemies
Another good comparison, keep em comin.
7:34 Not just loud, the TU-95 is so loud that there are some reports of submarine crews being able to hear the plane from underwater
I heard that to,the propellors echo a snappy sound that Carrys.
Propeller equipped aircraft can be detected by subs, but so can jet aircraft. Its just the footprint of the sound is larger on the props.
@@dakohli you're absolutely correct on your assumption of submarines detecting aircraft. If they are flying low enough they can be detected by the submarines passive sonar array.
@@dspates51 yep, our Sonar operators picked them up using pretty old kit on the Oberon class I went to sea in.
Even deep sea submarines can hear the plane
Hands down the B-52 is much better. I believe some B-52's will still be in active service on their 100th birthday.
So will some Bears. The Bear can't fly as fast as the '52 and carries about half the payload but make no mistake -- it can kill you from hundreds of miles away.
@@garymartin9777 I still love the BUFF.
@@garymartin9777 so can our b-2 bomber deep in Russian Territory
IT SURE IS? if your going too take out terriosts on donkeys who dont use toilet paper, oh ya we tucked and ran leaveing 85 billion dollars worth of hardware and a trillion dollar base.
So, neither are fast, neither are maneuverable, both are radar visible and both can carry a huge load of weapons which carry themselves into the war zone while the aircraft stays well away.
It seems the "best" would be what would be the cheapest to operate. The cheaper they are, the more of them your can operate and the more firepower you can get into a conflict.
The last brand new B-52 came off the production line in 1962. The Tu-95 ceased production in 1993. Both have been upgraded in their respective careers.
It doesn't matter when the last production unit came out but how was it upgraded through the years
Both of these aircraft are awesome and have been adapted to different roles as time rolls on. Both now might be deadlier than ever as neither need to be enemy air space penetrators anymore. They are now both standoff range cruise missile trucks.
which, by the way, means a modified B767 could do the job (ok exaggarate but these are not "fighter aircraft" anymore like when they were supposed to fly into mordor and evade flak and enemy fire)
Both are amazing and timeless aircraft.
The question is, as always, which version to compare. The skills are practically the same. One aircraft with cruise missiles is enough to destroy a medium-sized European country.
Agreed
you mean Russia, right?
....." a medium-sized US state."
The person at minute 5:17 is using a slide rule to calculate. My respect.
Many of these aircraft flew against each other (same missions at the same time), decades ago. I'm afraid these old warriors will one again strike up their rivalry, very soon.
No pilot would voluntarily fly the Tu-95 Bear. It's the loudest aircraft in the sky due to the fact that the tips of those giant propellors break the sound barrier. Can't imagine what it's like to be in that aircraft for hours and hours.
i got a friend that told me his grandpa used to operate Bear for a couple months, his description told that dual layer ear protection is a necessity
The BUFF is by far the superior aircraft. Seen them all the time in my 20 year AF career.
Come on man!! There's no comparison she may be old but she's very very reliable and no one else had anything like that in her category
Has the Bear ever had to deal with anyone really shooting at it? I think not, so big points to the BUFF!
Actuall if you did any type of reserch you'd know that the Bears have been involved in numerous combat missions have a number have be3n shot down just like the B-52's in Vietnam
@@glennoswald5928 did the enemy has air defence systems like the one send to veitnam by soviets ?
@@randombully3798 Actually yes they did . Just about every conflict in the world today is supported by either the Russians or the US. So yes the anti aircraft systems they confronted were either against their own anti aircraft systems or American made systems . In some countries like Ethiopia they even faced a combination of both Russian and American anti aircraft weapons.
@@glennoswald5928 The Tu-95 has never had a combat loss, and has only been used in combat during the Russian involvement in Syria, where it launched cruise missiles, from well outside the range of any surface to air threats.
@@glennoswald5928 "Actuall if you did any type of reserch you'd know that the Bears have been involved in numerous combat missions..."
I just did a quick google web search and came up with nothing for the combat record of the Tu-95 Bear bomber. Perhaps you can share with us some of the "numerous combat missions" that you allege that the Tu-95 Bear has been involved in?
The B-52 is bigger, faster, weighs less, has a greater range, greater climb rate, greater flight ceiling, and has more than twice the payload capacity. And it was put into service a year earlier than the Tu-95. There is no question which one is better.
Tu 95 is cheaper to operate and has better range, burns less fuel than the turbo fan.
@@ivelinis the B-52 has a cruise speed roughly equivalent to the Tu-95’s maximum speed, so the B-52 can accomplish the same mission in less time. On top of that the B-52 carry’s more than twice the payload of the Tu-95, so it would take more than twice the number of Tu-95’s to accomplish the same mission as the B-52. It is true the Tu-95 is more fuel efficient, but it doesn’t even come close to having twice the fuel efficiency of the B-52. Therefore, in the long run, since the B-52 can carry more than twice the payload while using only about 25% more fuel, the B-52 is actually more economical to operate. It costs less per pound of delivered payload if the bombs are delivered from a B-52, because it has far superior engineering. And once the B-52 re-engine program is complete (2030), the B-52 will be more fuel efficient than the Tu-95. Both have mid air refueling so range is irrelevant. Both planes are only restricted by the endurance of the pilots.
@@willymac5036 speed is irrelevant here. Tu 95 can go further, it works perfectly for Russia, and especially when deployed in Arctic. Can get close to USA and with a few hypersonic Zircon on board, don't need to carry loads. B52 works for the US well. I think is one of the reasons Russia not to retire the tu95, the hypersonics
@@ivelinis speed is ALWAYS relevant in combat. Always has been, always will be.
The fact that at the projected lifespan the B52 will have it in service for ~90 years before being retired IF they don't get another modernisation and extension is not talked about enough.
Love em' both ! Former USAF F-4C crew chief :)
Scary thing is they’re both over 60 year old designs and still in use. And still primary strategic bombers to boot! Crazy!
If it's not broken...
the bear is so loud that American stations in Alaska can hear them even when it's still flying in Russian territory.
what kind of station? And do Russian stations read B-52 flights on American territory?
The latest upgrade for the Tu-95 is a new slide rule for bombing missions.
I think that was a good comparison given the era and original mission for both the aircraft. I’m ex-Air Force so I’m maybe a little partial in this one. There are two things I’d like to find out about the TU-95M: 1. Are the engines and counter-rotating props a maintenance nightmare including costs to maintain, and 2. In the provided video I saw a lot of analog equipment on the Bear depicting it VERY obsolete. So if both responses to my questions are in any way negative leaning, then hands down the 52 is king.
One thing the video doesn't cover is the head. There isn't one on the '95 and is on the BUFF. Russian crews get to use a bucket!
Discussion over! I hate shitting in a bucket. Especially if I'm 5th in line!
The Tu-95 descends directly from the B-29 with two models in between (the Tu-80 an Tu-85). The B-52 was a complete departure from the B-29 philosophy. They took different directions to solve the problem with early low power high consumption jet engines. B-52 is of course better.
B52 is definitely the champ here!!! I had the opportunity to sail under the TU-95 Bear D variant when I was in the Navy. Whenever there was a Carrier battle group transiting the Pacific they would come out and take a look. The ship I was on was the AAW picket and sailed a couple hundred miles ahead of the battle group. They would come in low and slow so we could "communicate" as they put in on Top Gun...
The Tu-95 could be made into an airliner (the Tu-114 executive transport and Tu-116 airliner). The B-52 shared tech with an airliner, but was never converted into one.
And your point? we have purpose built airliners that perform that task better.
It's wild to think that when the last B-52s are retired from service, the type will have served close to 100 years! Talk about "built to last!" And to its credit, the Tu-95 seems like it will match the B-52's longevity.
Love that these videos are not biased .
Its hard to say wich airplane is the best. For long range patrols and missils strike, I would prefer the bear.
Fighting partizans and supporting friendly ground troops, I think the B52 is best.
But if I had to pick one, i would tale the TU95z
the problem I have with the bear is it keeps nicking all the biggest salmon!😁
Great effort at describing those two mate👍 you didn’t lean either way, you just gave the facts. That’s very refreshing compared to some similar type videos. Thank you 🙏
Also, I only wonder what a Vulcan could have been in 2022 if it had been thought of to upgrade and keep/upkeep like these two, if at all possible?? But that punched well above its weight. 👍
I flew the B-52 back in the 80s. One day a Vulcan came into our base on some sort of farewell tour. The pilots came over to our squadron and asked if any of the B-52 guys wanted to check out the Vulcan, and I jumped at the chance. Though undoubtedly a cool looking plane it was antiquated. No ejection seats for any of the crew besides the pilots. The cockpit was tiny, barely big enough for the 2 to fit side by side. The other crew members had some sort of slide they could use to get out, so long as the plane was still flying more or less level and positive g. Range was a fraction that of the B-52 but max Mach number was slightly higher. Of course max load was much lower. Avionics were very outdated, it looked like they were virtually original 1950s stuff.
One of the funny things I noticed was that the rew had obviously gone on a shopping spree in the states, every bit of the plane was packed with retail shopping packages, in particular I remember a Sears garage door opener.
@@phugwad yeah agreed. But think if ‘had’ kept pace with time, updates etc etc.
when it was got to the 80’s it had not been updated to anywhere near the B- 52’s level by the 1980s as you say, but the fact is, the shape of the Vulcan is a lot closer to what the most advanced aircraft bombers look now than a B-52. And as long as they are deemed essential, they are too valuable to the US to get rid of for the near future.
Ultimately a B-52 is a huge bomb truck carrying enormous loads able to do the things it does.
The Vulcan delivered a British ‘big’ load when it was conceived …Then as time went on the Two aircraft evolved in two very different directions.
The B-52 is brilliant at what it does and it’s testimony to it and the crews that it is still there. 👍
But a lot of money has been pumped into the aircraft to keep it up to date. The Vulcan had not a fraction of that. Who knows? Interesting thought..
It should be noted that one of of the reason Soviet bombers have a lower payload weight is generally due to the size of the munitions it carries. Typically it's checked as Number x type of munition. You will see this in the tu160 as well.
The combat radius is also a matter of combat doctrine. As you'd find, the B52 combat radius appears to be alot higher but it's a gimmick. This is because they don't expect the B52 to return to the same airbase.
Aerial refuelling????
@@Cyricaaa aerial refueling is not accounted for when checking this distance. If refueling is accounted for then the range would've been the maximum number of continuous engine operating hours X the level of output. Both aircraft have longer ranges with refueling but it doesn't affect my original comment.
Also, gays are nasty spawns of evil. If you believe in God then know this was only one of two times he sought no explanation. If you don't believe in God, I hate your kind regardless
They just don't expect the tu160 to return period.
Hi grid, its my second comment here, i have a suggestion, but if ever its alr done in a vid dont mind this comment, how about u do mig 31 vs any interceptor, since mig 31 hasnt been in any of your videos yet i guess, so itll be good to do interceptor jets against each others
Mig 31 vs which aircraft??
Mig-31 vs Panavia Tornado, both are interceptor jets
Pls stay tuned we have forwarded your request to our production department.
@@Grid88 Okay thank you.
The b52 is probably the best as it has been in service with the USAF, especially with the sac wing since the early 60s( it is possibly been in service even earlier) the RAF had the mighty Vulcan bomber until it was withdrawn from service,
Great job on the video.
B-52 aces the Tu-95 Bear in most aspects. This is particularly true with the upgrades to the B-52's engines. Back in the day; the B-52 still had the advantage, but not by much. Now, the B-52 pretty much outclasses the Bear. This said... USAF planes are designed to operate in relatively clean environments. The Bear can deal with vodka bottles, lawn chairs, etc. on the runway. In a protracted war; the Bear might just surprise you as a result of its rugged nature. Short conflict; yeah, the BUFF is gonna rock it. Long-term, dirty situation.... Bunch 'o stuff in the air from burning cities and bombed out airfields..... The Bear is the Bear. P.S. I was a high school AFROTC cade at Fairchild AFB for the Air Show on May 18th, 1980. Heard an odd rumble at 8AM or so and mentioned that it was the oddest sonic boom I'd ever heard. 'course 30 mins later the jets were scrambling to get out of the path of the volcanic dust from Mt. St. Helens. We left in our high schools packs; and drank beer while we watched all the B-52's and the lone SR-71 scramble the living H*** out of there. Best Air Show in history..... P.S. We got out of high school for the next couple weeks and I gloriously operated a tractor for the Wa State Dept of Ecology cleaning up the mess. It was a riot... Sincerely, Ex-USAF. UPT at Willie, BTW. : ) !
Nice story
The bear has still quite a lot better operational range due its lower fuel consumption due the props
@@startingbark0356 Up to just a few years ago, I'd agree with you without hesitation. The latest generation of engines on the B-52 increased the range by somewhere in the range (get the pun ?) of 20%. I think the Bear still has a slight edge on the range aspect, but it's nowhere near what it used to be. If you have the specifics, by all means let us know. Just make sure you're quoting the B-52 from 2019 (I think it was 2019) forward.
@@ButcherBird-FW190D those props on the Tu-95 are also modern updated versions of the old ones they used in the 50’s, idk about their fuel consumption tho, but ik that back in the days the Tu-95 was atleast around 2-3 times more fuel efficient due the props
@@startingbark0356 But updating the TU-95 props and engines did not do that much. The jet engines on the B-52 have improved dramatically over the years. Initially I agree re: the large range differential. Noting; I am not referencing fuel efficiency, I am referencing range. As it stands now; and this is admittedly from a brief look, but the B-52 shows a combat range of 8,800 miles while the TU-95 shows as 9,350 miles. B-52 carries materially greater bombload and fuel as well. But, either way... -And please don't take my comments as being the usual combative RUclips BS; we're just chatting here. But, yassir. The 8,800 and 9,350 for the most recent versions is right at what I remembered from a couple years ago. Pretty sure it's accurate. By the by, I believe the initial range of the B-52 back in the mid-50's was 4,400 or 4,500 miles. However, that is from a far distant memory from 40 years ago when I was USAF. Lost my pilot slot due to a heart murmur, if that matters.
B-52 hands down. However, with the advent of the air launched cruise missile...the Bear is just as relevant.
"Ferry range 10,145 miles, Combat radius 8,800 miles"... Perhaps someone doesn't know what "radius" means.
I don't know about better lol they both are pretty tough to me (monsters actually! ). I may be in the USA and have pride in my country but I do have sense enough to respect the adversary we could face! lol
I prefer the Bear what a beautiful amazing aircraft 👍
well done keep going!👏👌👍💯
Definitely the B-52 hands down
in 2010 the tu95 achieved the longest flight in the world without landing. 30,000 km in 43 hours. Refueled 4 times.
the longest flight in the world without landing was a Cessna that stayed in the air for over 64 days.
Samar you’re wrong, there was a Cessna in Vegas that flew for more than 60 days without landing… You think this piece of crap russian aircraft can even go 50 hours without an engine break down? Lol….
Ones you hear the TU95 coming, you only got 3 to 4 hours to get to the bunker.
It's not the coaxial propeller configuration that makes the Tu-95 so loud. It's the fact that they spin them above supersonic speeds is what makes it loud (à la XF-84H Thunderscreech). Most propeller driven planes don't spin that fast.
The Bear looks cool though.
Weapons payload more important than flight performance these days. Edge: B 52
300,000 lbs of sea mines can be carried on the B-52?
Somebody went nuts with their zeros.
That's 150 tons.........wrong.
Why replace the B52? It’s perfect at its job
Both are classics and beasts
B-52 has better specs but TU-95 looks much cooler
Nope. Some specs of Tu-95 are much better than B-52
@@AlexanderTch Really? Care to share where we can read up on those Tu-95s that are “much better”?
@@AlexanderTch what specs?
@@AlexanderTch tu 95 looks like dc3 plane those days it is not a good looks, I love the shape of the B52.
@@banana03 B-52 looks like big fat barrel. Tu-95 looks elegant, slim, though together with power. You lie, it does not look like any plane in the world ever built.
The Reason the TU-95 still uses Turbo Probs instead of Jet Engines is too reduce Stress on the Frame something that the B-52 has countered by having each B-52 run less Flight Hours they just use a spare one something Russia has few spares off so have to use less power engines to reduce downtime and maintenance costs!
Also Jets cost more to run due to being more complex and having parts wear-out faster!
That may be one reason. Another is you don't fix what isn't broken. They are fuel efficient and fly 100 mph less top speed compared to the BUFF.
Turbo Props are much more economical and require much less fuel. B-52 with its 8 engines burn train of fuel each flight. Tu-95 is much less in size with similar characteristics. That's why Tu-95 is also used for intercontinental surveillance flights and B-52 are not
@@AlexanderTch All good points that I missed, Thanks!
Interesting. So basically better is more expensive in ops and repair.
@11B 2J while the B-52 is arguable the best military aircraft ever produced The Bear is far more versatile . It can do a dozen jobs like anti ship ,anti submarine , Recon, Radar jamming, ground control, The US ideals is to build seperate aircraft for each specific requirement . Thats why the US has 10x's The military budget of the next five military's combined . It keeps Americans employed and makes congressmen rich. The Russain strategy ot to make there military hardware as versatile as possible using single airframes to do numerous requirements .
Love how he says “so far,” when talking about production. Pretty sure that after fifty years of non production, there won’t be any more made, for both.
I'm biased as an American towards USA Engineering, but the Bear is a true beast and very beautiful piece of engineering marvel. Esthetically the Bear is more attractive IMHO. Pray for peace amongst all nations. Viva Cristo Rey!
I’m not nocking either of these two planes but when I look at these I can’t help but think of the “Vulcan”
Did I already mention, that it sucks a ton to always stop the video and transform the numbers you give into understandable measures??? Please, please, please include metric measures into your video!!!
It's not even close, the B-52 is better in every aspect.
Bear is cheaper to make run and maintain, so that's what's the most important, just fly more of them to make up for the payload difference.
What thrilled me most is the operating costs of B52
TU95 looks like it should belong in a museum lol
and hopefully they fixed the vertical stabilizer issue on the buff
But… both are pretty much equal in the “stand off” roll.
Based on the specs & performance data from this video the Big Ugly Fat F***ER or 'BUFF' is the clear winner over the Bear. For the first 20 years of my life I lived near a SAC base where a squadron of BUFFs was based. I could count on them launching and flying DIRECTLY OVER MY HOUSE at 3:00AM and awakening me from my peaceful sleep. These were the loudest airplanes in the entire U.S. Military fleet.
The B52 can climb three times faster to get out of Dodge.
Still cant out fly a missile look at the number shot down over Vietnam and now anti aircraft missile are 1,000% more capable
The wings and counter rotating turboprop gear systems of the TU95 was designed by German POW engineers of Junkers and Heinkel....
B1 and B2
B-52: AMAZING LONGEVITY DUE TO ORIGINAL DESIGN & CONSTANT UP-GRADES THRU THE YEARS DUE TO THE EVER-CHANGING GEO-POLITICAL WORLD SITUATION.
We dont need weapons, we need an peacefull world! Put them in a museum!
The TU-95 was largely designed by captive German engineers in the postwar era.
Plenty of US aeronautical engineers had curious accents in the 1950s too!
No, it wasn't...
People should look up the ghost rider ac130. It's a beast
Judging from the action radiuses of both American Soviet/Russian airplanes, be they bombers or fighters, my conclusion:
- American bombers and fighters were designed to travel all the way to the USSR/Russia and lay waste to the entire country;
- Soviet/Russian bombers and fighters always have had rather short action radiuses, meaning they were designed to defend the Soviet/Russian nation, rather than doing what the Americans intended to do.
well one is still spent money on the project to go on while the other just made necesarry upgrades but no more since 1950's. it should have been a comparison to the models when both come out as running projects
You forgot to compare operating costs and ease of repair and manufacturing. That would have a huge impact in battle, and I suspect the Bear would win handsomely in that department just like the old Russian T-34s were against Germany's technologically superior Tigers. To paraphrase my uncle's last log entry, "we keep shooting them down yet they keep coming".
Turbo props are very maintenance heavy engines. Fan engines costs alot less to fly and maintain.--x C-130 mechanic.
@@jerrybennett7856 Good point, especially considering the mechanical complexity of turboprops and the evolution of fuel efficiency in modern turbofan engines. But regarding the B52, I have doubts concerning fuel costs. It would have been interesting to compare operating costs of the two planes because in the end, money is the fuel of war.
Maybe after '91 we should have offered them our B-36s museum pieces so they'd have something more modern
В СССР была дивизия из трофейных b36
Bear regularly 'test' Scottish airspace causing Typhoons to scramble. Big Beautiful aircraft
I will not say which one is better, because surrent technology is classified, but I can only say that visually I prefer Tupolev.
USA should make a modernized version of the famous giant flying wing Northop YB49 :-)
In terms of the amount of ordinance delivered to enemies in combat, there isn't even a close second to the B-52!
Super Iconic Legends❤✈
Is the B-52 a superior bomber with better range and payload? Yes. If I was acquiring a bomber for a nation, I'd buy the B-52. If I was acquiring a Multi-mission Platform, I'd but the TU-95.
B-52 is still way more versatile than the TU-95… Have no idea why you think a plane that has it’s crew using slide rules and can only travel 3900 km, vs 8500 km to the B-52 (not to mention way more varied and more ordinance), would the TU-95 have more roles to play… the B-52 can do everything twice as good as the TU-95.
@@joeylantis22 Relax Joey
B52 is a better multi mission platform.A long range conventional/nuclear strategic bomber,cruise missile platform,acts as a mothership for experimental aircrafts and glide bodies...etc.it will receive the hypersonic weapons in near future
TU95, is strong like bull, but B52, is smart like tractor!
Both are old and largely obsolete, but they work for certain roles, and replacing them would be too expensive...so here we are
It's not even a question, which is better... clearly the B-52 is.
TU-95 an amazing bomber, but the Stratofortress is the Queen.🇺🇸💪🏾💪✈