Myasishchev M-4

M-4 / 3M Molot
Myasishchev 3MD (Russian: 3МД) at Monino Central Air Force Museum (Moscow)
Role Strategic bomber
Manufacturer Myasishchev
Designer Vladimir Myasishchev
First flight 1953 (M-4/2M)
1956 (M-6/3M)
Introduction 1956 (M-4/2M)
1958 (M-6/3M)
Retired 1994
Status retired
Primary users Soviet Air Force
Soviet Navy
Russian Air Force
Produced 93
Number built 2 prototypes, 91 production aircraft
Variants Myasishchev VM-T

The Myasishchev M-4 Molot (Russian: Молот (Hammer), USAF/DoD reporting name "Type 37",[1][2] NATO reporting name Bison[3]) is a four-engined strategic bomber designed by Vladimir Myasishchev and manufactured by the Soviet Union in the 1950s to provide a Long Range Aviation bomber capable of attacking targets in North America. The Myasishchev design bureau was formed to build such a bomber.

Design and development

A Soviet Myasishchev M-4 in 1982.

First flying soon after the first flight of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, the M-4 was first displayed to the public in Red Square, on May Day, 1954. The aircraft was a surprise to the United States, which had not known that the Soviets had built a jet bomber.[4] However, it soon became clear that the bomber had an insufficient range to attack the United States and still return to the Soviet Union. Only a few of the original production M-4s were actually put into service. To remedy this problem, the Myasishchev design bureau introduced the 3M, known to the West as the 'Bison-B', which was considerably more powerful than the previous version. This new model first flew in 1955. Among other things, two of the five original gun barbettes were removed to lighten the aircraft.

In July 1955 American observers saw 28 Bisons in two groups during a Soviet air show. The United States government believed that the bomber was in mass production, and the Central Intelligence Agency estimated that 800 would be available by 1960. The display was a hoax (maskirovka); the first group of ten repeated the flyby with eight more. The classified estimates led, however, to American politicians warning of a "bomber gap".[4]

Operational history

A U.S. Navy Tomcat intercepting a Myasishchev 3M, 1983.

This time, it was not the Soviet Air Force (VVS) that wanted the 3M, but rather Naval Aviation (AV-MF). Though it could still not bomb Washington, D.C., the 3M had a sufficient range to fulfill the need for a long-range maritime patrol aircraft. In 1959, the 3M broke numerous world records. However, it was thought by the West (and would continue to be thought until 1961) that the 3M was the original M-4, meaning that the capability of the M-4 was vastly overestimated by Western intelligence agencies.

In the early 1960s, the 'Bison-C', with a specialized search radar, was introduced. By this time, many of the original M-4s had been converted to M-4-2 fuel tankers for aerial refueling. Later, 3Ms were converted to 3MS-2 and 3MN-2 tankers as well.

Neither the M-4 nor the 3M ever saw combat, and none were ever converted for low-altitude attack, as many American B-52s were, nor were any ever exported to the Soviet Union's allies.

Myasishchev VM-T, an M-4 variant that carried oversized cargo in a pod on top of the fuselage.

Production of the Bison aircraft stopped in 1963, by which time 93 of them had been built. The last aircraft, an M-4-2 fuel tanker, was withdrawn from service in 1994.

The three VM-T heavy lift aircraft were converted from 3MN-2 tankers, with very large loads carried piggy-back above the fuselage. The single vertical fin/rudder was replaced with two large rectangular fin/rudders at the tips of the horizontal stabilizers to improve control due to the turbulence caused by the cargo pod.

With the withdrawal of the Myasishchev bombers and tankers the vast majority of the retired airframes were broken up under the terms of the relevant arms limitation treaty. Four aircraft are known to survive:

Operators

 Soviet Union

Variants

A Myasishchev 3M in 1968.

Projected variants

Specifications (M-4)

Myasishchev M-4

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
Related lists

References

Notes
  1. ↑ http://www.designation-systems.net/non-us/soviet.html#_DOD_Type
  2. ↑ http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/history/q0070.shtml
  3. ↑ "Non-US Bomber listings." designation-systems.net. Retrieved: 19 May 2010.
  4. 1 2 Heppenheimer, T. A. (1998). The Space Shuttle Decision. NASA. p. 193.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Gordon 2003
  6. ↑ "Myasishchev M-4 (in Russian: Мясищев М-4)". Retrieved 2013-10-22.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Grant and Dailey 2007, p. 293.
  8. ↑ Originally measured as 8,750 kgf
Bibliography
  • Gordon, Yefim. Myasishchev M-4 and 3M". Hinckley, Lancashire, UK: Midland. 2003. ISBN 1-85780-152-0.
  • Grant, R.G. and John R. Dailey. Flight: 100 Years of Aviation. Harlow, Essex, UK: DK Adult, 2007. ISBN 978-0-7566-1902-2.
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