Tupolev OKB was chosen to develop this aircraft, while all other Russian manufacturers had enough work with their own projects. With the help of former Sukhoi engineers and workers a low-winged monoplane with upswept wings and retractable undercarriage resulted. The first used engine was a three-bladed contra-rotating NK-7 engine. The fuselage was spindle-shaped, that´s the reason for it´s nicknames Byk (Бык, Bull) or Botshka (Бочка, ton).