Myasishchev M-4 - And 3m: The First Soviet Strate...

The and its successor, the 3M (NATO reporting name "Bison"), were the first operational four-engine jet-powered strategic bombers developed by the Soviet Union. Introduced in the early 1950s to counter the American Boeing B-52 , these aircraft represented a massive technological leap for Soviet aviation, even as they struggled to meet their ambitious intercontinental range requirements. Development and Design

The M-4 was developed in an incredibly short timeframe—roughly one year—after the Myasishchev design bureau was specifically reinstated in 1951 for this project. Myasishchev M-4 and 3M: The First Soviet Strate...

The aircraft featured a distinct bicycle-type landing gear (two central units with wingtip outriggers) to save weight, and all-swept flight surfaces. The and its successor, the 3M (NATO reporting

It carried a heavy defensive suite of six 23-mm cannons in three turrets and could carry up to 18,000 kg of conventional or nuclear ordnance. The aircraft featured a distinct bicycle-type landing gear