▁the ▁T up ole v ▁R - 6 ▁( ▁R ▁– ▁raz ved ch ik ▁– ▁reconna issance ), ▁was ▁a ▁reconna issance ▁aircraft ▁and ▁esc ort ▁f ighter ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁The ▁R - 6 ▁traces ▁its ▁roots ▁back ▁to ▁early ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁when ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Air ▁Force ▁needed ▁ ▁a ▁long - range ▁multi role ▁aircraft . ▁The ▁requirements ▁were ▁that ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁used ▁for ▁long - range ▁transport , ▁def ensive ▁pat rolling , ▁reconna issance , ▁light ▁bomb ing ▁and ▁tor ped o ▁attack . ▁ ▁Design ▁and ▁development ▁Under ▁Ivan ▁P og os ski ▁and ▁gu ided ▁by ▁And rei ▁T up ole v , ▁Ts AG I ▁developed ▁the ▁AN T - 7 ▁from ▁the ▁T up ole v ▁T B - 1 ▁by ▁scaling ▁it ▁down ▁by ▁about ▁one ▁third . ▁Power ▁for ▁the ▁AN T - 7 ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁be ▁provided ▁by ▁two ▁ ▁– ▁ ▁His p ano ▁Su iza ▁engines ▁or ▁▁ ▁Br istol ▁Jup iter ▁engines , ▁but ▁the ▁prototype ▁was ▁power ed ▁by ▁two ▁ ▁– ▁ ▁B MW ▁VI ▁engines . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁flight ▁of ▁the ▁AN T - 7 ▁took ▁place ▁on ▁ 1 1 ▁September ▁ 1 9 2 9 , ▁pil oted ▁by ▁Mik h ail ▁G rom ov . ▁Fl ight ▁tests ▁started ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁after ▁Ts AG i ▁decided ▁to ▁post p one ▁them ▁until ▁after ▁the ▁winter . ▁That ▁summer ,