The squadron is flying the Tupolev Tu-2 bomber. It is considered by many authorities to be one of the best high-speed medium bombers of WWII, easily rivaling other comparable contemporary bombers, such as the Junkers Ju-88 flown by the Germans. Designed by Andrey Tupolev in the late 1930s when he was a political prisoner, its success is credited as one of the factors that led to his early release in 1944.