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 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 Myasishchev M-4 and 3M: The First Soviet Strate...

First flown in January 1953, it surprised Western observers when 18 were displayed during the 1954 May Day parade, sparking the "Bomber Gap" fear in the United States. The 3M Upgrade ("Bison-B") The aircraft featured a distinct bicycle-type landing gear

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. Development and Design First flown in January 1953,

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.