Too Little, Too Late - The B-32 Dominator

plan_D · 07-30-2005, 08:11 AM

I'm not arguing anything. I was just saying that my previous statement was void and pointless.

the lancaster kicks ass · 07-30-2005, 08:55 AM

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 07-31-2005, 02:50 PM

Dont take me wrong CC I like twin boomed aircraft or twin tailed aircraft I just think the Dominator looked better with the single tail.

the lancaster kicks ass · 08-01-2005, 03:31 AM

yes me too....

syscom3 · 08-09-2005, 09:13 PM

I read somewhere that the air force (in 1945) was not having Consolidated put any serious effort into building the B32. They wanted Consolidated to put more effort and resources into designing and building the B36.

evangilder · 08-09-2005, 11:41 PM

I hadn't heard that, but it would not be surprising. The Model 35 (later model 36 so as not to be confused with the Northrop B-35)had a preliminary design proposal in May of 1941. That would eventually become the B-36.

The mockup was ready about a year later and the initial deliveries of the XB-36 were intially supposed to be in 1944. Unfortunately, a lot of hurdles stalled the project and the first one did not fly until August 8, 1946.

Could you imagine a bunch of B-36s over Europe?!

plan_D · 08-10-2005, 10:14 AM

That would have been awesome. Germany would have felt it 10-fold. Even better, B-36s doing the fire bombing of Tokyo...

evangilder · 08-10-2005, 10:28 AM

Definitely would have left a lot of smoking holes!

KraziKanuK · 08-10-2005, 10:52 AM

The B-36 did not have a cruising speed much faster than the B-17/B-24.

Cruising speed - 218 mph

Combat ceiling - 35,800 feet

Combat radius - 3880 miles with 10,000 pound bombload. New York to Berlin - 3975 miles

B-17s/B-24s would have dropped the same tonnage since they would fly more missions for every B-36 mission.

cheddar cheese · 08-10-2005, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plan_D

That would have been awesome. Germany would have felt it 10-fold. Even better, B-36s doing the fire bombing of Tokyo...

Imagine seeing a 100+ formation above you. "Crikey, zem B-17's are flying low"
Mmmmmmmmmm....

SM79Sparviero · 08-10-2005, 11:38 AM

Quote:

The B-36 did not have a cruising speed much faster than the B-17/B-24.

Cruising speed - 218 mph

Combat ceiling - 35,800 feet

Combat radius - 3880 miles with 10,000 pound bombload. New York to Berlin - 3975 miles

B-17s/B-24s would have dropped the same tonnage since they would fly more missions for every B-36 mission.

During post-war years Mig15 had troubles when they tried to intercept a B36 in "classified" recon missions .The pilots report that that the jet couldn't simply follow their "large veerage manoeuvres" at high altitude, where a jet angine of the first generations, also a good one such RR "Nene" couldn't compare the performances of a turbocharged huge radial yet.
If I had to face a swarm of Me-262s over Germany in 1945 I would prefer a single B36 with its 6 engines and 16 20 MM guns over a "box" of B17 or, worse, B24.

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 08-10-2005, 12:15 PM

I too have heard that the B-36 was very maneuverable especially for a plane of its size.

SM79Sparviero · 08-10-2005, 01:35 PM

B36 's wing was very long and, consequently, not very charged , it contributes to explain the phenomenal ceiling quote of the bomber and its performances at such an altitude......USAF openly supported the rumours about the "transitional bomber" role of the Peacemaker just to hide its real performances and first to protect its future clandestine reconeissance missions.

It is not so easy to defeat huge aircrafts.
B 52 had to face Mig21 in Vietnam, in theory no match, 980 km/h vs Mach2, the Russian up-to-date excellent interceptor caused troubles to F4 Phantoms but on the battlefield no B52 was lost cause attacks from Migs.
On the contrary, at least two Mig 21s were surely shot down by the tail gunners of BUFFs

KraziKanuK · 08-10-2005, 02:31 PM

The first B-36s , the A, had no guns fitted and these would be the ones flying to Germany initially.

These early B-36A/Bs also had NO jet engines and were underpowered.

At a weight of 212,800lb , the B-36A did 345mph @ 31,600ft. For comparison, the B-50, also delivered in 1948, did 391mph @ 30,000ft.

Sparviero, your recon bird is a RB-36D/E which had 4 J-47 jet engines totaling almost 21,000lb of thrust.

DerAdlerIstGelandet · 08-10-2005, 02:55 PM

Yeap and they flew several aknoledged recon missions over China and Russia. The camaras were so good that photos taken of Golf Courses showed golf balls on the green. It was used because until the U-2 it was the only aircraft that could fly into Asia from bases in the United States.