[Coming Soon] Tu-2S-59: Thunder under the wings

The Big and Medium Trophies contain a frontline twin-engine bomber with enhanced defensive armament.

Historical Note

The front bomber of the Tupolev design bureau Tupolev Tu-2 was ready for mass production by mid-1941. However, very soon the production of airplanes became much more complicated due to the threat of enemy seizure of factories, and most importantly – due to the shortage of aircraft engines. Full-fledged production was established only by 1943. Then, an improved version of the Tu-2S bomber with new, more powerful engines was released.

The production of the series continued until the end of the Great Patriotic War and some time after it. One of the most advanced versions of the Tupolev front-line bomber become the Tu-2S-59 modification of the late 40s – early 50s. It was featured by reinforced defensive armament – 20-mm autocannon instead of a machine gun in the upper turret.

Tu-2S-59 (Rank VIII)

SWOT Analysis

Strengths: diverse attack arsenal, good defensive weapons, high survivability, forward-firing guns.
Weaknesses: speed doesn't allow to evade fighters, not the best control under load.
Opportunities: bombing of small targets and bases, hunting strike aircraft and bombers.
Threats: fighters.

In battle

The Tu-2S-59 is a twin-engine light bomber that can perform a fairly wide range of missions. Its main vocation is to destroy small ground targets from medium and low altitudes. The pilot can take into battle, for example, 9 small 100-kg bombs, which will perfectly cope with pillboxes and armored vehicles. A load of three 1000 kg bombs turns the Tu-2S-59 into a threat to ground bases. The intermediate variant of four 250 kg bombs will become a universal option: you can “cover” several ground targets at once or damage a base.

The 20mm forward-firing guns will help to deal with AA units and artillery, and, of course, will help in aerial combat! After dropping heavy bombs, which greatly limit the maneuverability of the aircraft, Tu-2S-59 can hunt for strike aircraft or low-flying bombers – the power of the cannons is enough for this. There is no need to engage in combat with fighters without extreme necessity: both in speed and maneuverability Tu-2 will always be at a loss.

An enemy fighter pilot who gets excited about the chase will be met with a rain of bullets from a pair of large-caliber UBT machine guns and a 20mm cannon from the upper turret. Maneuver actively to let the opponent get closer and strike for sure! The Tu-2S-59 is not in danger of a single hit – protected fuel tanks, a strong hull and two engines give it a good chance to survive the attack.

Premium ♠Tu-2S-59♠︎ (Rank VIII)

The Premium variant of the ♠Tu-2S-59♠︎ is an extra plane for your roster! The premium aircraft maintains the same performance as the standard variant, though it comes in a unique camouflage. With the premium aircraft, you’ll be able to enjoy faster Silver Lion and Research Point gains, and earn some Golden Eagles in your battles.

If you’re lucky enough to unlock both the premium and the standard variants, you will be able to use them both in the same battle!

To unlock the standard warplane, you need to collect 1,000 blueprints.

Here’s how you can get them:

In Medium Trophy: Chance to receive 700 aircraft blueprints in the jackpot, or 10 to 100 per attempt. Each attempt also grants a small chance to unlock the aircraft instantly.
In Big Trophy: Chance to receive 700 aircraft blueprints, or 80 to 200 blueprints per attempt.
Via the in-game store: Getting the Blueprints Folder for Silver Lions grants a chance to receive some blueprints for the standard variant even after the season ends.
In special offers.

As for the premium aircraft: