Probably one of the nicest looking bombers ever produced by Soviet manufacturers was the Myasishchev 'Bison'. A very large aircraft in the same vein as the more capable B-52, the Bison was fraught with the usual technical problems that every new and large aircraft seems to gather. Typical with Soviet aircraft, it was put into production and squadron service without being fully tested and without having all its problems cured.

Thanks to the machinations of Tupelov, the Myasishchev bomber was never built in the numbers of its closest competitor, the Tu-95 Bear. Eventually, the type was developed into the standard tanker until replaced by the IL-76 in the 1980s. The type soldiered on and many were refitted as bombers for use in the Soviet/Afghan war of the 1980s, finally being withdrawn from service in the late 1990 and broken up as part of the Strategic Arms Limitations Treaty. Two survive in museums.

The book also goes into the construction and use of the VT-M heavy lifter. This aircraft was developed to haul oversize parts for the Soviet Buran space shuttle until it was also replaced by the behemoth An-225.

as with all of Yeflim Gordon's books on Soviet aircraft, it is superbly researched and contains a large number of quality photographs. The book is divided into several sections:

Introduction into Myasishchev bombers leading up to the Bison.

Design and development of the M-4 prototypes.

A listing of all the M-4 and 3M variants with the changes made between variants.

The Bison in detail with not only photos but sections from the various technical manuals on the aircraft.

The Bison's combat usages.

A section on the VT-M heavy lift aircraft.

At the end of the book, there are three views of all the major variants as well as a selection of period color photographs.

All in all, this is a fine book on the Bison. If you are an enthusiast of Soviet bombers or have an interest in the Myasishchev Bison, then this is a book that you should have on your shelf.

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