Time to start building Corsairs and Mustangs as intercept planes for these beasts.
That way our jets do not have to fly at almost stall speeds to stay with the Tu-95...
Don’t confuse props and turbo-props. You realise that the Tu-95MS cruise speed is approx Mach 0.67. It is the fastest turbo-prop in service today. Top speed is comparable to the B-52H. Tu-95s will hit approx Mach 0.8 flat out.
WWII fighters wouldn’t be able to intercept such an aircraft at height even in cruise mode. The Tu-95 would out accelerate with ease a P-51.
If you follow the Wiki link someone put up, it's amazing how fast these prop bombers fly - significantly faster than even a P-38.
It's also amazing how similar they are to the B-52, in everything but bomb load (30k lbs for the Tu-95 and 60k lbs for the Buff).
Because Mustangs and Corsairs don't have enough speed or range, and can't be refueled in flight. The Bear is likely the fastest propeller driven production aircraft with a top speed of 575mph. They're so fast because they drive the props supersonic, which is why the thing is so bloody noisy.
The fastest lap times at Reno with WWII piston fighters is just over 500mph, and that's with tricked out engines turning twice their original wartime power, light airframe and tweeked airframe aerodynamics.
Next time, send up some Global Hawk drones with ATA missiles hanging from the hard points.
That will have the Bear pilots crap their flight suits.
Back in 1948 there was a big controversy in the new DOD about future need for aircraft carriers when the B-36 was supposed to be able to do it all. Navy wanted a fly-off to demonstrate that their latest F4Us could go up and nail the B-36. Officially I don't think it ever happened, though.
The bear is the fastest prop plane in the world. How about we dust off some Phantoms from Tucson instead?