Tupolev Tu - 85 The Tupolev Tu - 85 ( USAF / DoD reporting name ' Type 31 ' , NATO reporting name Barge ) was a Soviet prototype strategic bomber based on the Tu - 4 , an unlicensed reverse engineered copy of the Boeing B - 29 Superfortress . It was the ultimate development of the B - 29 family , being over 50 % heavier than its ancestor and had nearly double the range . Only two prototypes were built before the program was canceled in favor of the Tupolev Tu - 95 bomber which was much faster and had the same range . Development . Neither the Tu - 4 , nor the Tupolev Tu - 80 were true intercontinental strategic bombers as they lacked the range to attack the United States from bases in the Soviet Union and return . The Tu - 85 was designed to achieve the necessary range by use of more powerful and fuel - efficient engines , a redesigned wing to increase the lift / drag ratio and the addition of more fuel . A large number of engines were considered before settling on the Shvetsov ASh - 2 K , essentially two air - cooled ASh - 82 radial engines paired together and the liquid - cooled Dobrynin VD - 4K radial . Both engines were given turbochargers and power - recovery turbines which converted them into turbo - compound engines . The Shvetsov design was preferred , but was not yet mature enough for use , and the VD - 4K was selected . A lot of effort was put into refining the design of the wing in collaboration with TsAGI . It had an aspect ratio of 11 . 745 and a taper of 2 . 93 for optimum lift at high - altitudes . The Tu - 85 carried of fuel in 48 flexible tanks . Much of the armament and equipment was derived from those of the late - model Tu - 4 , including the four remotely controlled dorsal and ventral turrets and the tail turret , each with two Nudelman - Rikhter NR - 23 cannon . But the Tu - 85 ' s tail turret had an Argon ranging radar and each of the two bomb bays was enlarged to hold a FAB - 9000 bomb . Actual design work began in August 1949 and was ratified by a directive from the Council of Ministers dated 16 September that required the first prototype to be ready for manufacturer ' s tests in December 1950 . Construction of the first aircraft began in July 1950 and was completed in September . It first flew on 9 January 1951 and the manufacturer ' s tests lasted until October 1951 . On 12 September the first prototype flew with a bomb load of and landed with enough fuel remaining to have covered . The second prototype , sometimes referred to as the 85D ( ) or 85 / 2 , incorporated the lessons learned from the first aircraft , including revision and reinforcement of the airframe and a variety of changes to its equipment and systems . It was first flown on 28 June 1951 and its trials lasted until November 1951 . Series production was approved on 23 March 1951 at three factories where it would succeed the Tu - 4 on the production line , but this was reversed later in the year and the program was canceled - Korean War , during which the Soviet MiG - 15 was successfully brought down the American B - 29 showed that piston aircraft for military use is not perspective . Priority was given to the higher performance turboprop Tu - 95 ' Bear ' .