Tupolev Tu-160

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/tupolev-tu-160

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How heavy is Tupolev Tu-160?275,000 kg (606,271 lb)
2. What is the aircraft designation?Tupolev Tu-160
3. What is the NATO reporting name?Blackjack
4. Why is it called the White Swan?Its clean white paint and graceful shape look like a swan. Russians call it Bely Lebed, which means White Swan.
5. How fast can the Tu-160 fly?When its wings are swept back, it can reach speeds up to Mach 2.05, more than twice the speed of sound.

Strategic Bomber: An aircraft designed for long-range missions to deliver strategic weapons, typically nuclear or conventional, against enemy targets.
Variable-sweep wing: An aerodynamic design where the wings can pivot backward or forward to optimize performance for different flight conditions, such as low-speed takeoff and high-speed supersonic flight.
Supersonic speed: A speed exceeding Mach 1, the speed of sound, which is approximately 1,235 kilometers per hour (767 mph) at sea level. The Tu-160 can reach Mach 2.05.
Nuclear-capable: Possessing the ability to carry and deploy nuclear weapons.