In 1955 the Soviet Union learned that the Americans were developing a long-range supersonic bomber and immediately scrambled to develop an equivalent. The Myasishchev M-50 (NATO Codename Bounder) would end up as one of most fearsome looking aircraft ever built, but looks can be deceiving. In an effort to match Americans, the Soviets ended up producing an embarrassing failure, one that they would keep hidden for decades.