Tupolev Tu-95LAL: A Look At Russia’s Crazy Nuclear Powered Bomber

Summary The Soviet Union developed the Tupolev Tu-95LAL, a nuclear-powered aircraft, but it never fully materialized due to impracticality. The US also explored nuclear-powered aircraft with the B-36 experimental flight program. Concerns about crew radiation exposure and the emergence of intercontinental ballistic missiles led to the demise of both projects. At the advent of the nuclear age, both the United States and the Soviet Union were been trying to power everything with nuclear power. This included aircraft, which for the US, came in the form of the Convair NB-36H, which was based on the Convair B-36. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union…