Miloch
May 18th 18, 01:49 PM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_XB-19
The Douglas XB-19 was the largest bomber aircraft built for the United States
Army Air Forces until 1946. It was originally given the designation XBLR-2
(XBLR- "denoting Experimental Bomber Long Range").
The XB-19 project was intended to test flight characteristics and design
techniques for giant bombers. Despite advances in technology that made the XB-19
obsolete before it was completed, the Army Air Corps felt that the prototype
would be useful for testing despite Douglas Aircraft wanting to cancel the
expensive project. Its construction took so long that competition for the
contracts to make the XB-35 and XB-36 occurred two months before its first
flight.
The plane flew on 27 June 1941, more than three years after the construction
contract was awarded. In 1943 the Wright R-3350 engines were replaced with
Allison V-3420-11 V engines. After completion of testing the XB-19 was earmarked
for conversion into a cargo aircraft, but modifications were not completed, and
the aircraft flew for the last time on August 17, 1946. It was eventually
scrapped at Tucson in June 1949.
Role
Heavy bomber
National origin
United States
Manufacturer
Douglas Aircraft Company
First flight
27 June 1941
Retired
17 August 1946
Status
Scrapped
Primary user
United States Army Air Corps
Number built
1
The new U.S. Air Force had plans to save the B-19 for eventual display, but in
1949 the Air Force did not have a program to save historic aircraft and the Air
Force Museum had not yet been built. The B-19 was therefore scrapped, but two of
its enormous main tires were saved. One was put on display at the Hill Aerospace
Museum at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah and the other has been on display
at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, in the
"Early Years" gallery for many years.
Specifications (XB-19A)
General characteristics
Crew: 18
Length: 132 ft 2 in (40.2 m)
Wingspan: 212 ft 0 in (64.6 m)
Height: 42 ft 9 in (13.0 m)
Wing area: 4,492 ft2 (417 m2)
Empty weight: 86000 lb (39000 kg)
Loaded weight: 158,930 lb (72,000 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 164,000 lb (74,400 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Allison V-3420-11 V24 engines, 2,600 hp (1,940 kW) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 265 mph (230 kn, 426 km/h)
Cruise speed: 165 mph (143 kn, 266 km/h)
Range: 4,200 mi (3,600 nmi, 6,800 km)
Ferry range: 7,750 mi (6,730 nmi, 12,500 km)
Service ceiling: 39,000 ft (12,000 m)
Rate of climb: 650 ft/min (3.3 m/s)
Wing loading: 35 lb/ft2 (170 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.065 hp/lb (110 W/kg)
Armament
Guns:
5 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns
6 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns
2 × 37 mm (1.42 in) autocannon
Bombs: 18,700 lb (8,480 kg) internal; maximum bomb load of 37,100 lb including
external racks
*
The Douglas XB-19 was the largest bomber aircraft built for the United States
Army Air Forces until 1946. It was originally given the designation XBLR-2
(XBLR- "denoting Experimental Bomber Long Range").
The XB-19 project was intended to test flight characteristics and design
techniques for giant bombers. Despite advances in technology that made the XB-19
obsolete before it was completed, the Army Air Corps felt that the prototype
would be useful for testing despite Douglas Aircraft wanting to cancel the
expensive project. Its construction took so long that competition for the
contracts to make the XB-35 and XB-36 occurred two months before its first
flight.
The plane flew on 27 June 1941, more than three years after the construction
contract was awarded. In 1943 the Wright R-3350 engines were replaced with
Allison V-3420-11 V engines. After completion of testing the XB-19 was earmarked
for conversion into a cargo aircraft, but modifications were not completed, and
the aircraft flew for the last time on August 17, 1946. It was eventually
scrapped at Tucson in June 1949.
Role
Heavy bomber
National origin
United States
Manufacturer
Douglas Aircraft Company
First flight
27 June 1941
Retired
17 August 1946
Status
Scrapped
Primary user
United States Army Air Corps
Number built
1
The new U.S. Air Force had plans to save the B-19 for eventual display, but in
1949 the Air Force did not have a program to save historic aircraft and the Air
Force Museum had not yet been built. The B-19 was therefore scrapped, but two of
its enormous main tires were saved. One was put on display at the Hill Aerospace
Museum at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah and the other has been on display
at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, in the
"Early Years" gallery for many years.
Specifications (XB-19A)
General characteristics
Crew: 18
Length: 132 ft 2 in (40.2 m)
Wingspan: 212 ft 0 in (64.6 m)
Height: 42 ft 9 in (13.0 m)
Wing area: 4,492 ft2 (417 m2)
Empty weight: 86000 lb (39000 kg)
Loaded weight: 158,930 lb (72,000 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 164,000 lb (74,400 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Allison V-3420-11 V24 engines, 2,600 hp (1,940 kW) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 265 mph (230 kn, 426 km/h)
Cruise speed: 165 mph (143 kn, 266 km/h)
Range: 4,200 mi (3,600 nmi, 6,800 km)
Ferry range: 7,750 mi (6,730 nmi, 12,500 km)
Service ceiling: 39,000 ft (12,000 m)
Rate of climb: 650 ft/min (3.3 m/s)
Wing loading: 35 lb/ft2 (170 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.065 hp/lb (110 W/kg)
Armament
Guns:
5 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns
6 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns
2 × 37 mm (1.42 in) autocannon
Bombs: 18,700 lb (8,480 kg) internal; maximum bomb load of 37,100 lb including
external racks
*