From the 1950s of the last century, during the Cold War, the Soviet Union had an idea for a bomber with a speed of up to Mach 2.8.

It was the DSB-LK project, developed by the employees of the Leningrad Red Banner Air Force Engineering Academy. The project began in 1957 and by the end of 1959 a significant amount of information had been collected. These data were used for an evaluation of a possible structure, designed to cover the program specifications.

The definitive version, known as DSB-LK. The layout of the “flying wing” allowed to correctly assemble the internal volumes of the aircraft. With the length of the 49 to 52 meter and the wingspan of the 36 to 38 meters, the take-off weight of the DSB was supposed to be increased to 250 to 280 tons. The dry weight of the aircraft, according to calculations, was equal to 88,5 tons.

The plane DSB did not have a pronounced fuselage. This part of the design slightly protruded from the wing in the nose, but then smoothly passed into it. On the sides of the nose fairing, the center section began, gradually expanding towards the middle part of the aircraft. Approximately in the middle of the length of the vehicle, engine nacelles were located on the center section, the lower part of which protruded slightly from the wing.

As a power plant in the project DSB-LK, six turbojet VK-15М engines with nominal thrust of 10,000 kg and afterburner 15,800 were considered. With the help of six engines placed in two nacelles, a promising bomber could reach speeds of up to Mach 2.8. Estimated practical ceiling reached 35 km. Maximum flight range at full refueling exceeded 16,500 km.

Applied layout “flying wing” could provide good take-off and landing characteristics. The length of the bomber’s run should have been a little more than 1,100 meters, the range was 1,050 m. The plane should be off the ground at speed 330 to 335 km/h, landing speed did not exceed 180 to 190 km/h.

In the central part of the fuselage, between the engine nacelles, was cargo compartment. Its size allowed to transport weapons weighing up to 15 tons. As the main weapons prospective cruise missiles and aircraft ballistic shells were considered. In addition, if necessary, the DSB-LK bomber could use bombs of caliber up to 5,000 kg.

For self-defense, the aircraft could carry two turrets with automatic guns. The use of guns with a shooting rate of up to 7 to 9 thousand shots per minute was considered optimal. The estimated ammunition of each of the guns consisted of 700 to 1200 shells. Additional weapons for self-defense aircraft could be air-to-air missiles with a range of up to 10 kilometers.

Depending on the composition of the complex of electronic equipment, the crew of the DSB-LK bomber could consist of two, three or four people. In the version of the reconnaissance aircraft crew size could change.

In 1960, the Leningrad Red Banner Air Force Engineering Academy and related organizations have completed a preliminary design of a promising bomber DSB-LK. This project was initially considered as a trial and was of a research nature. For this reason, in the same year, the project was discontinued, and the documentation was transferred to several aircraft manufacturers. The experience gained during the development of a pilot project was useful in creating many new aircraft.