The production facility for the Tu-160 at the Kazan Aircraft Plant presents a striking and monumental scene—this is the core foundation of Russia’s strategic aviation strength. The real-time footage from the Tu-160 assembly hall is visually powerful: an expansive, well-lit space filled with large-scale tooling and fuselage sections, radiating a tangible sense of heavy industrial capability.
The newly developed Tu-160M2, which recently completed its maiden flight, maintained stable flight for 30 minutes. This marks the first Tu-160 built entirely from scratch since the formation of the Russian Federation, with both its primary load-bearing structure and NK-32 engines manufactured anew. Exactly 40 years have passed since the original Tu-160's first flight—so much so that Russian internet users have quipped it amounts to a “second maiden flight” for the aging platform.
President Putin took the co-pilot seat on this bomber for the first time in 19 years, completing a 40-minute flight. Four Tu-160M aircraft, nearing full completion, are parked within the factory hall, with at least two constructed entirely afresh. It should be noted that following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the entire supply chain collapsed; specialized machinery was dismantled for scrap, and technical personnel dispersed. Rebuilding the full production line required nearly three decades—a restoration effort whose weight far exceeds the intrinsic value of the aircraft itself. (Selected from Toutiao media account)
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1877993063527556/
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