Soviet Great Patriotic War ‘Bat’ to be resurrected from the dead!

“For the first time in the world, a Tu-2 bomber will be reconstructed to its operational condition on the premises of the Novosibirsk State Technical University. The reconstruction work will be carried out by Aviarestavratsiya. This work will take three years.”-Science and Higher Education Ministry

The Tupolev 2 bomber of World War Two fame is being brought back to life in Russia.

A Tupolev TU 2 WWII Soviet front line bomber (NATO reporting name Bat) on static display at Monino Museum, Russia. TASS photo by Marina Lystseva.

According to TASS, the resurrection was supposed to start on 21AUG2019. The specific plane to be restored to flying condition had a long history, first flying with the Soviet forces during World War Two, then flying with Chinese forces until the 1980s(!), and then ending up in the United States in the hands of the War Eagles Air Museum in New Mexico (read a description of the plane and how the Chinese used it, here).

War Eagles Air Museum, before restoration. Photo via David and Paula Barnett.

War Eagles Air Museum, after restoration.

The U.S. museum restored the Tu-2 to the point it could be used as a static display. In 2019, the Russia based Aviarestavratsiya (air restoration)/Winged Victory Memorial supposedly acquired the plane and will bring it back to Russia: “This is not a plane that was shot down or was broken. We have not yet studied its series numbers and have not yet tracked its exact history. The plane will be studied and analyzed in detail. Each element will be reconstructed or restored.”-Boris Osyatinsky, Aviarestavratsiya/Winged Victory Memorial

However, as of 2022 the War Eagles Air Museum in New Mexico still lists the Bat as part of their displays.

By the way, China still has several Tu-2 bombers on display: