One of two Tupolev Tu-4s at the museum. With the original piston engines replaced by four Ivchenko AI-20K turboprops, this version was used as a drone carrier. In more recent years it has been displayed with a WZ-5 reconnaissance drone under each wing

Based on the Tupolev Tu-4 airframe, in 1967 China developed an AWACS platform to try and enable them to monitor US Atomic tests in the Pacific. Powered by four Ivchenko AI-20K turboprop engines, the project was named KJ-1 and had a Type 843 rotordome pylon mounted above the fuselage. Trials were unsuccessful as the equipment was too heavy and failed to meet PLAAF requirements, the project was cancelled in 1971.

A gift from Stalin in 1953 and refitted with turboprops between 1970 and 1973. The last PLAAF Tu-4 was retired in 1988. The red thing hanging undeneath the wing is a WZ-5 reconnaissance drone, which entered service in 1981.

Tupolev developed the Tu-2 from Boeing B-29 WW2 bombers, of which one is seen here with RPV/drones under its wings

By the end of WW2 several Boeing B-29s had to divert to Vladivostok during combat actions against Japan; they were never returned by the Russians. Instead Tupolev developed the Tu-4, which is seen here in an AEW version

Obviously a Chinese derivative of the B-29 but note that turboprop engines have replaced the piston originals.

The Tu-4 was an unauthorized copy of the B-29 Superfortress.

This was one of the relatively few aircraft at Datangshan for which it was easy to get a nice side on shot. Nevertheless, I picked this one out as it shows off nicely the unusual lines of this magnificent aircraft. Note turboprops have replaced the piston engines present on the B-29 original.

Toward the end of WWII, the Soviet Union saw the need for, but lacked completely, a strategic bombing capability similar to that of the USAAF. On four occasions during 1944, B-29s made emergency landings in Soviet territory after bombing Japan. Three repairable B-29s were flown to Moscow and delivered to the Tupolev OKB enabling reverse-engineered copies to be produced in less than two years. This example is on display at the Central Museum of the Air Forces at Monino.

An extraordinary machine by any standard. In 1967, China attempted to develop its first AEW platform based on the Tu-4 airframe with AI-20 turboprop engines. The project was named KJ-1, with a Type 843 rotor-dome on top. However, the equipment was too heavy and failed to meet PLAAF requirements so the project was cancelled in 1971

There are two of these extraordinary turboprop conversions of the Russian-built B-29 at Datangshan, one an AEW variant and this drone carrier. The engines were the Ivchenko AI-20, as used in the Il-18