Tupolev Tu-22U Keychain
Before the Tu-22U was officially inducted into the Soviet Air Force in 1965, pilots were forced to train on standard combat aircraft, as there were no other means available for practicing their skills and maintaining their qualifications. For training purposes, the Tu-22 was equipped with a raised second cockpit for the instructor (in place of the operator’s cockpit) and had its tail machine guns removed. A total of 46 Tu-22U aircraft were produced; early training models lacked a refueling probe, which was later added to the Tu-22UD, equipped with a refueling probe (though without internal fuel transfer equipment). The aircraft was in service with the Soviet, Libyan, and Iraqi air forces, and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it continued to be operated by the Russian and Ukrainian air forces.
This particular keychain was made from the first Tu-22UD in history, with serial number 06-01 (601). Aircraft No. 601 was not built as a standard production aircraft but was converted from a modified Tu-22R. Later, this conversion process was applied to two more aircraft. Testing began in 1962, paving the way for the official entry into service of this aircraft type and full-scale production in 1965.
On August 12, 1986, while serving with the 199th Separate Guards Long-Range Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment under the call sign 03 Red, this Tu-22U aircraft made a fuselage landing at the Nizhyn Air Base in the Ukrainian SSR. According to the official investigation into the incident, both pilots failed to follow the landing checklist during a routine training flight. As a result, the landing gear was not properly locked in the extended position, causing the aircraft to land on its fuselage. The bomber veered off the runway onto the grass before coming to a stop, causing severe damage to the underside of the aircraft and tearing off the landing gear nacelles.
Following the accident, aircraft 03 Red was decommissioned. In 2025, the Fuselage Creations team managed to recover and repurpose the metal from the engine cowlings directly at the Nizhyn Air Base. Now, the legacy of this innovative, one-of-a-kind aircraft lives on in the form of a unique keychain that will be highly prized by aviation collectors around the world!
You can order the TU-22U keychain on our website or purchase it at our store located at 50b Khreshchatyk Street, Kyiv. We provide fast shipping to any corner of the world and guarantee quality.
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