Myasishchev M-20

The Mjasishchev M-20 ( Russian Мясищев М-20 ) was a project of the Soviet OKB ( Experimental Design Office ) Mjasishchev for a Mach 3+ fast nuclear weapon-carrying strategic bomber , which was not carried out.

In 1967 the Soviet military strategists realized that the one-sided focus on ballistic weapons systems had been a mistake. It was therefore called for proposals to be submitted for a supersonic successor to the aging Myasishchev M-4 and Tupolev Tu-95 . Essentially, the performance spectrum of the Rockwell B-1 should be flown, except for the higher top speed.

The investigations officially began on February 28, 1968. Different drive concepts and designs were examined. A canard concept with variable geometry of the wing was particularly promising . Ultimately, if the bow was designed accordingly, the duck wings turned out to be superfluous. Mach 3 was ultimately also dispensed with. In 1969, the design of the new supersonic bomber was determined as a swing-wing aircraft with four engines in the rear and a takeoff weight of 300,000 to 325,000 kg. Myasishchev did not receive the order, but the knowledge gained was ultimately used to build the Tupolev Tu-160 .