Widebody · ICAO MYA4

Myasishchev 3M

The Myasishchev 3M was a Soviet strategic bomber developed from the earlier M-4, built to carry nuclear weapons over intercontinental distances. Its four engines and swept wings gave it the same broad role as the American B-52, though it never achieved comparable production numbers. Many later 3Ms were converted into aerial tankers, and their huge fuselages became familiar support aircraft for Soviet long-range aviation. The type is one of the less-known giants of the Cold War bomber race.

Myasishchev 3M, example photo from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: USN photo by LT Dave Parsons · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Did you know?

The Myasishchev 3M was the Soviet counterpart to the B-52, though many surviving airframes were later converted into aerial tankers.

Specifications

Length47.3 m (155 ft)
Wingspan53.1 m (174 ft)
Height14.1 m (46 ft)
Persons on board8
Crew8
Maximum take-off weight181 t
Range5,000 NM (9,260 km)
Maximum speed510 kt (945 km/h)
Service ceiling50,000 ft (15,240 m)
Optimum ceiling41,000 ft (12,497 m)
Fuel capacity111,655 l
Engines4x Dobrynin VD-7
Units built125

Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.

In CatchFlights

In CatchFlights the Myasishchev 3M starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.

A catch counts for the manufacturer Myasishchev, the 3M family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.

Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.

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