The Tupolev Tu-141 Strizh was a military drone used by the Soviet Union during the Cold War to carry out reconnaissance mission. Designed by the State-run firm Tupolev, it performed its first flight in 1974, entering service with the Red Army in 1979. It was the most advanced unmanned military aircraft at the time it was employed by the Russian military, with about a totaled of 150 drones being built until it was withdrawn from service in 1989.
Technical Characteristics
The Tu-141 Strizh had a cylindrical, all-metal fuselage, whose rear part contained its power plant; a Tumansky KR-17A turbojet engine, with its air intake being on top. It was fitted with small delta-wings, which were mounted low on the fuselage, and a pair of canards, which were set up on the forward part, near the tip of the drone. It employed a solid-propellant booster to be launched from a trailer. It was equipped with an imaging radar, infrared imagers, and powerful photographic and film cameras essential for its reconnaissance role.
Specifications
Type: remotely-controlled unmanned aircraft
Weight: 6.2 tons
Wingspan: 3.88 m (12ft 8.5in)
Wing Area: 10 m² (108 sq ft)
Length: 14.33 m (47 ft)
Maximum Speed: 1,100 km/h (683 mph)
Range: 1055 km (627 miles)
Below, the Tupolev Tu-141 drone being exhibited in a Russian museum
