06/06/2003. Remarks by Gil Halpin: "The Tupolev ANT-20bis, also known as PS-124, was used by Aeroflot on the Moscow - Mineralhye Vody route. In 1941-1942 served as the main heavy transport."
06/06/2003. Remarks by Seth Schlifer: "As soon as I saw the huge six piston-engined monster in your Mystery Plane section, I thought I recognised it as the "Maxim Gorky" (one-off only), but later realised it wasn't. Actually, this plane is from the same designer, Andrei Tupolev. It's an ANT-20bis, which was a later and toned down (more sane) variant of the earlier ANT-20, which was the "Maxim Gorki". The obvious outward difference in these two planes is the ommision of the extra two engine-pod-mounted engines on the ANT-20bis. The eight-engined ANT-20 was named after the Russian author Maxim Gorki, as was befitting an aircraft built as a propoganda plane. In fact this plane housed its own print shop. The presses could operate in flight, and the leaflets scattered as they flew.
Actually, this plane metitsdemise during a flyby with escorting biplane fighters on December 12, 1942. One young fighter pilot got so carried away with youthful pride and enthusiasm that he broke formation, and during an exhuberant loop, ended up colliding with the wing of the Maxim Gorky. Both planes perished. This cocky pilots' last name was Blagin, and so "Blaginism" was the term used to describe a a cocky disregard for authority."
