FS2004 Myasishchev 3MS-1 Bison-B One Soviet Unions Underestimated (1)

Myasishchev 3MS-1 Bison-B One of the Soviet Unions most underestimated aircraft, the Myasishchev bomber usually known as the M-4 Bison or Molot has probably been at least as important to the development of the Long-Range Aviation (DA) and the AVMF (Soviet Naval Aviation) as the better known Tupolev Tu-95 Bear. With the expansion of the Soviet Navy in the 50s and 60s, many Bison-Bs were transferred to the AVMF to serve as long range reconaissance aircraft. The Bison-B was one of the first Soviet types to carry a flight-re-fuelling probe, a number of the Bison-As being converted to tanker configuration. In 1959 the 201M established a series of impressive world records. Simultaneously setting a record for zero payload for the same course, the 201M lifted a 55 tonne payload to 43, 036 feet, a record unmatched by any other aircraft until the appearance of the C-5 Galaxy. It was exclusively realised in the west in 1967 that the 201M was a Bison variant.