7. Tupolev TB-3 (USSR)
The TB-3 was a heavy bomber operated by the Soviet Air Force throughout the Second World War. Even though the bomber was introduced almost a decade ago, the numbers came in quite handy when the war broke out until other bombers could take its place.
It was the world’s first cantilever wing quad-engined bomber that had a ceiling of 4800 meters and could deliver almost 18 tons of munitions. A shortage of escort fighters meant the bomber was usually on its own, deep behind enemy lines, but still it was able to perform very well. In fact, its performance was so great that almost 900 of these bombers were built throughout the war.
By August, 1941 they were operated by elite Soviet crews and flown 3 times per night. They participated in all major battles through 1943 including Stalingrad, Moscow and Leningrad, making this one of the most decorated bombers in Soviet aviation history.