Tupolev SB - Operators

Operators

Bulgaria

• Bulgarian Air Force operated 32 Avia B-71 aircraft redesignated Avia-Katiusza Ě-8.

China

• Chinese Nationalist Air Force received 62 SB-2M-100 bombers in the autumn 1937. The Soviet Union delivered more SB-2M-100 and SB-2M-105 bombers from August 1938 – June 1941.

Czechoslovakia

• Czechoslovakian Air Force received 60 Russian-built SB with Hispano Suiza 12Ybrs engines in April and May 1938. Another 101 bombers and 60 reconnaissance aircraft were license-built Avia B-71 but only 101 were built.

Finland

• Finnish Air Force operated 24 SB bombers. The first eight aircraft (seven powered by M-103 engines, one by M-100 engines) were captured during the Winter War, another 16 aircraft were converted from German-captured material from 5 November 1941-27 August 1942. All aircraft were refitted with M-103 engines and were used as anti-submarine aircraft in the LeLv 6 squadron. Two aircraft were rebuilt and were used as trainers. The Finnish Air Force withdrew all SB aircraft in 1945, and all were scrapped in 1950.

Germany

• Luftwaffe operated captured aircraft, Czech-built Avia B-71 and Soviet SB.

Poland

• Polish Air Force operated few USB-2M-103 aircraft for training after World War II.

Slovakia

• Slovak Air Force operated one Avia B-71 aircraft until April 18, 1943, when čtk Anton Vanko and four other airmen defected with it to Turkey.

Soviet Union

• Soviet Air Force
• Aeroflot received an unknown number of retired military SB-2M-100 aircraft in 1938 and after rebuild, used them under the designation PS-40. Another batch of retired SBbis 3 bombers was rebuilt in 1940 and used under the designation PS-41.

Spanish Republic

• Republican Spanish Air Force received its first 31 SB-2M-100A bombers on 14 October 1936. The second batch of 31 aircraft was delivered in June–July 1937 and a final batch of 31 following in 1938. The Soviet Union delivered a total of 93 SBs to Spain.

Spanish State

• Nationalist Spanish Air Force captured 19 SB-2M-100A bombers. All were overhauled and Soviet M-100 engines were replaced with French Hispano Suiza 12Ybrs. These aircraft were used operationally and later for training duties, and were retired in 1950. Spanish pilots called captured SB bombers Katiuska.