Strategy, Tactical, Leadership, and Technology

The Tupolev Tu-4, NATO codename “Bull”, was a reverse-engineered copy of the B-29 produced by the Soviet Union after three interned American B-29s made emergency landings in Soviet territory during WWII. Stalin ordered Tupolev to copy the design down to the last rivet, resulting in an aircraft nearly identical to the B-29 but fitted with Soviet instrumentation, Shvetsov ASh-73 engines, and metric-based construction. The Tu-4 became the USSR’s first true strategic bomber, giving them nuclear delivery capability. It was used through the 1950s and laid the foundation for later Soviet bombers like the Tu-16 and Tu-95. The Tu-4 also served as a testbed for air-to-air refueling and missile platforms.