For aircraft of Myasishchew there are three different designation systems:
1 The personal list of aircrafts and missiles 1940 - 1960
2 The list of state designations for the aircraft in series production
3 The list of aircrafts of the factory EMZ 1967 – today
Here are the correct and complete lists (of current knowledge):
1 The personal list of aircrafts and missiles 1940 - 1960
VM-1: prototype, long-range high-altitude bomber DVB-102 with 2 M-120TK engines, 1940
VM-2: project, long-range high-altitude bomber DVB-102 with 2 M-20 diesel engine, 1940
VM-3: project, long-range high-altitude bomber DVB-102N with 2 M-120TK engines, 1940
VM-4: prototype, long-range high-altitude bomber DVB-102 with 2 M-71TK-3 en-gines, 1943
VM-5: project, long-range high-altitude bomber DVB-102DM with 2 MB 102TK en-gines, 1942
VM-6: prototype, dive bomber Pe-2M-1 with 2 M-1 engines, 1943
VM-7: prototype, dive bomber Pe-2B with 2 M-105PF engines, 1943
VM-8: project, dive bomber Pe-2D (Pe-6) with 2 M-107A engines,, 1943
VM-9: production version, bomber trainer UPe-2 (Pe-2S, Pe-2UT) with 2 M-105PF engines, 1943
VM-10: prototype, 2-seat fighter Pe-3M with 2 VK-105PF engines, 1943
VM-11: prototype, dive bomber Pe-2K with 2 VK-105PF engines, 1944
VM-12: 2 prototypes, dive bomber Pe-2I with 2 VK-107A engines, 1944
VM-13: prototype, dive bomber Pe-2M with 2 VK-107A engines, 1945
VM-14: 2 prototypes, long-range escort-fighter DIS with 2 VK-107A engines, 1945
VM-15: prototype, experimental Pe-2RD with 2 VK-105PF engines and additional rocket engine RD-1KhZ, 1943
VM-16: prototype, day bomber DB-108 with 2 VK-108 engines, 1944
VM-17: prototype, day bomber DB-II-108 with 2 VK-108 engines, 1945
VM-18: project, day bomber DB-108 with 2 VK-108 engines, 1945
VM-19: project, high-altitude bomber WB-109 with 2 VK-109 engines, 1944
VM-20: project, reconnaissance aircraft Pe-2F with 2 M-107A engines, 1943
VM-21: project, long-range reconnaissance aircraft Pe-2R with 2 VK-107A engines, 1945
VM-22: project, strategic long-range high-altitude bomber DVB-202 with 4 ASh-72TKM engines, 1944
VM-23: project, strategic long-range high-altitude bomber DVB-302 with 4 AM-46TK2 engines,1945
VM-24: project, tactical jet bomber RB-17, DSB-17 with 4 Jumo 004 turbojets, 1945
M-25: aircraft in production, strategic bomber M-4 with 4 AM-3A turbojets, from 1951 onwards
M-26: project, transport aircraft with 2 turboprops TV-2F, 1951
M-27: project, transport aircraft in variants with 2 AL-7, AM-3, AM-13 or 4 AM-11 tur-bojets, from 1952 onwards
M-28: project, high altitude bomber 2M, 4 VD-5 turbojets, 1951
M-29: project, passenger and transport aircraft, 4 AM-3, later VD-7 turbojets, 1953
M-30: project, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft, 2 AM-3 turbojets, 1953
M-31: project, transonic strategic bomber, 4 VD-5 turbojets, 1952
M-32: project, delta supersonic strategic bomber, 4 VD-5 ('Z') turbojets, 1953
M-33: project, development of the experimental fighter Yak-1000, 1 TRD-5 engine, 1951
M-34: project, transonic bomber, 2 VD-7 or AM-13 turbojets, 1953
35: flight refuelling system for M-4 and 3M
M-36: aircraft in production, strategic bomber 3M with 4 VD-7 turbojets, from 1954 onwards
M-39: project, development of 3M with 4 VD-7V turbojets, 1957
M-40: project, strategic missile system "Buran", from 1954 onwards
M-41: prototypes, 4 Launch Rockets of system "Buran", from 1954 onwards
M-42: project, Mach-3-cruise missile "Buran" with ramjet RD-018 engine, from 1954 onwards
M-43: project, air-to-surface missile for 3M, M-52K and M-56K, 1959
M-44: project, air-to-ground missile missiles for M-52K carrier with 2 jet turbines of different OKB, 1957
M-45: project, air-to-ground missile with rocket propulsion, 1958
M-46: project, hypersonic rocket plane, 1959
M-47: project, intercontinental two or three stage ballistic missile, 1959
M-48: project, manned manoeuvrable Sputnik, 1960
M-49: project, cosmic plane
M-50: projects, supersonic bomber in variants with 5 AM-17 or VD-9 turbojets or 5 NK-6 turbofans or with 4 VD-9 or RD16-17 turbojets, from 1954 onwards,
prototype, with 2 VD-7A with 2-VD 7MA turbojets, first Flight 27.10.59
M-51 project, unmanned M-50 with 4 RD16-17 or VD-9B turbojets, 1956
M-52: prototype (not flown), supersonic strategic missile carrier with 4 RD16-17B tur-bojets, 1956
M-53: project, supersonic airliner with 4 RD16-23 turbojet, 1958
M-54: project, supersonic strategic missile carrier (tailless delta) with 4 turbojets, 1959
M-55: Study (before M-53), 4 variants of supersonic airliners with 2, 4 or 6 engines, 1958
M-56: project, supersonic strategic missile carrier in canard or delta configuration, variants with 4 NK-10 turbofans, 4 RD-17-117F turbojets or 6 VK-15 turbojets, from 1956 onwards
M-57: project, supersonic strategic missile carrier M-57K in integral delta configura-tion, 6 VK-15B or VK-15M turbojets, 1959
M-58: project, tailless supersonic bomber with 2 ramjet engines, vertical start with 4 M-41A boosters, 1958
M-59: project, supersonic missile carrier in canard configuration, 6 RD-7-300 or NK-11 engines, 1959
M-60: project, supersonic bomber with 4 turbojets with nuclear propulsion Ljulka TRDA, many variants, 1955
M-61: project (designation unconfirmed), air-to-ground missile with 2 ramjet engines RD-013 for missile carrier 3M, M-52K, 1958
M-70: project, supersonic flying boat with 4 NK-6, NK-10 or RD16-17F engines, many variants, from 1955 onwards.
Duplications with unclear motivation:
M-26: project, transport aircraft with 4 VD-7 or RD-23-300, competitor with Tu-115, An-20 and Il-60, 1960
M-30: project, supersonic bomber in canard configuration with 6 Kuznetsov A-5-2 turbojets with nuclear propulsion, some variants, 1959
2 The list of state designations for the aircraft in series production
M-2: not defined (some speculations, all wrong)
M-4: state designation of M-25
M-6: state designation of 3M (M-36), (practically not used)
note:
All Military aircraft of the Soviet Union between 1940 and 1990 have been received state designations when they were in-troduced in series production and officially in the Soviet Air Force.
The nomenclature of state designation has been defined by an order of NKAP (State commissariat for aviation industry) from 09 December 1940.
Each state designation of a soviet aircraft consisted of two Cyrillic letters and a number.
The two letters were the first and second letter of the last name of the chief designer (from 1956 of the “General designer”, i. e. the head of the OKB).
The following number was
- odd only for fighter aircraft
- even for all other class of aircraft.
Myasishchev injured this nomenclature has from the beginning. Instead of the prescribed sequence of two Cyrillic letters Mya he used only M.
Main sources:
[1] V. A. Fedotov: “Samolyoty V. M. Myasishcheva”. Tekhnika vozdushnogo flota 1997, 5, 1 – 20.
[2] A. A. Bruk, K. G. Udalov, S. G. Smirnov and B. L. Puntus: Illustrirovannaya entsiklopediya samolyotov V. M. Myasishcheva. Vol. 2, Parts 1 – 3. Moskva, AVICO PRESS, 2001