Aviapedia

M-4 Bison strategic bomber

V.M.Myasishev OKB
First Flight: 1/20/1953
Year of issue: 1955
Engine: four VD-7 turbojet engines
Engine throttle, kg f: 4 x 10500
Crew: 8
Take-off weight normal, kg: 202.000
Range without refuel, km: 12.000
Range with refuel, km: 15.400
Ceiling, m: 15.600
Maximum speed, km/h: 940
Cruise speed, km/h: 800
Bomb load normal, kg: 5.000
Bomb load maximum, kg: 24.000
or 4 external long-range missiles
Armament:
- AM-23 23mm cannons: 6 guns in 3 turrels

In 1949 Joseph Stalin ordered the construction of the bomber, which could fly to the United States and back. Andrey Tupolev son in love Vladimir Myasishev took up the challenge. The ambitious young designer was given Stalin’s blessing. He received special resources to build a factory and was allowed to poach engineers from several other design bureaus.

‘Bison’ was a Soviet Union’s first real attempt to create a large jet intercontinental bomber. They first appeared the Soviet aviation day fly pass in 1954. Myasishev design bureau proudly dubbed their bomber the ‘Molotok’, russian for the ‘Hummer’.
But Myasishev’s ‘Hummer’ didn’t live up to it’s name. ‘Bison’ only achieved half of it’s intendent 10.000 mile range. Soviet jet technology was at a cold age. ‘Bison’ could not fulfill Stalin’s desire to fly to America and back.
As a true free-fall bomber it was obsolite almost by the time it entered service. And like the ‘Badger’, low-ground clearence prevented the aircraft from ever carrying air-to-surface missiles. A few were produced, primaraly for maritime reconnaissance and as a tanker for aerial refilling.

This and other disappointing aircraft projects caused Myasishev to lose favor with the soviet hierarchy. Eventually his design bureau was taken away alltogether.
Tupolev didn’t make the same mistake. See Tu-95 ‘Bear’