North American B-45
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johnbr
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The three prototypes were powered by four Allison-built General Electric J35-A-4 turbojet engines, installed in nacelles which were flush with the bottom of the wings. The J35 was a single-shaft engine with an 11-stage axial-flow compressor section and a single-stage turbine. The J35-A-4 was rated at 4,000 pounds of thrust (14.79 kilonewtons). The engine's maximum speed was 8,000 r.p.m. The J35 was 14 feet, 0 inches (4.267 meters) long, 3 feet, 4.0 inches (1.016 meters) in diameter, and weighed 2,400 pounds (1,089 kilograms).
The maximum speed of the XB-45 was 494 miles per hour (795 kilometers per hour) at Sea Level and 516 miles per hour (830 kilometers per hour) at 14,000 feet (4,267 meters). The service ceiling was 37,600 feet (11,461 meters).
The production B-45A Tornado was heavier and had better performance. It was operated by two pilots and carried a bombardier/navigator and a tail gunner. It was 75 feet, 4 inches (22.962 meters) long with a wingspan of 89 feet, 0 inches (27.127 meters) and overall height of 25 feet, 2 inches (7.671 meters).
The B-45A had a total wing area of 1,175 square feet (109.2 square meters). The leading edges were swept aft 3° 30′. Their angle of incidence was 3° with -3° 30′ twist and 1° dihedral.
The bomber's empty weight was 45,694 pounds (20,726 kilograms) and maximum takeoff weight was 91,775 pounds (41,628 kilograms).
The B-45A was powered by four General Electric J47-GE-13 turbojet engines. The J47 was an axial-flow turbojet with a 12-stage compressor and single stage turbine. It had a normal power rating of 4,320 pounds of thrust (19.216 kilonewtons) at 7,370 r.p.m.; military power, 5,200 pounds (23.131 kilonewtons) at 7,950 r.p.m. (30-minute limit); and maximum power rating of 6,000 pounds(26.689 kilonewtons) at 7,950 r.p.m., with water/alcohol injection (5-minute limit). The engine was 12 feet, 0.0 inches (3.658 meters) long, 3 feet, 3.0 inches (0.991 meters) in diameter and weighed 2,525 pounds (1,145 kilograms).
The B-45A Tornado had a cruise speed of 393 knots (452 miles per hour/728 kilometers per hour), and maximum speed of 492 knots (566 miles per hour (911 kilometers per hour) at 4,000 feet (1,219 meters). Its service ceiling was 46,800 feet (14,265 meters) and it had a maximum range of 1,886 nautical miles (2,170 statute miles/3,493 kilometers).
The bomb load was 22,000 pounds (9,979 kilograms). (It was capable of carrying the Grand Slam bomb.) Two Browning .50-caliber AN-M3 machine guns were mounted in the tail for defense, with 600 rounds of ammunition per gun.
41 B-45As were modified the the "Back Breaker" configuration, which enabled them to be armed with nuclear weapons.
The B-45 served with both the United States Air Force and the Royal Air Force. 143 were built, including the three XB-45 prototypes.
On 20 September 1948, the first production B-45A-1-NA Tornado, 47-001, was put into a dive to test the airplane's design load factor. During the dive, an engine exploded, which tore off several cowling panels. These hit the horizontal stabilizer, damaging it. The B-45 pitched up, and both wings failed due to the g load. The prototype had no ejection seats and test pilots George Krebs and Nicholas Gibbs Pickard, unable to escape, were both killed.
North American XB-45 Tornado Archives - This Day in Aviation
The maximum speed of the XB-45 was 494 miles per hour (795 kilometers per hour) at Sea Level and 516 miles per hour (830 kilometers per hour) at 14,000 feet (4,267 meters). The service ceiling was 37,600 feet (11,461 meters).
The production B-45A Tornado was heavier and had better performance. It was operated by two pilots and carried a bombardier/navigator and a tail gunner. It was 75 feet, 4 inches (22.962 meters) long with a wingspan of 89 feet, 0 inches (27.127 meters) and overall height of 25 feet, 2 inches (7.671 meters).
The B-45A had a total wing area of 1,175 square feet (109.2 square meters). The leading edges were swept aft 3° 30′. Their angle of incidence was 3° with -3° 30′ twist and 1° dihedral.
The bomber's empty weight was 45,694 pounds (20,726 kilograms) and maximum takeoff weight was 91,775 pounds (41,628 kilograms).
The B-45A was powered by four General Electric J47-GE-13 turbojet engines. The J47 was an axial-flow turbojet with a 12-stage compressor and single stage turbine. It had a normal power rating of 4,320 pounds of thrust (19.216 kilonewtons) at 7,370 r.p.m.; military power, 5,200 pounds (23.131 kilonewtons) at 7,950 r.p.m. (30-minute limit); and maximum power rating of 6,000 pounds(26.689 kilonewtons) at 7,950 r.p.m., with water/alcohol injection (5-minute limit). The engine was 12 feet, 0.0 inches (3.658 meters) long, 3 feet, 3.0 inches (0.991 meters) in diameter and weighed 2,525 pounds (1,145 kilograms).
The B-45A Tornado had a cruise speed of 393 knots (452 miles per hour/728 kilometers per hour), and maximum speed of 492 knots (566 miles per hour (911 kilometers per hour) at 4,000 feet (1,219 meters). Its service ceiling was 46,800 feet (14,265 meters) and it had a maximum range of 1,886 nautical miles (2,170 statute miles/3,493 kilometers).
The bomb load was 22,000 pounds (9,979 kilograms). (It was capable of carrying the Grand Slam bomb.) Two Browning .50-caliber AN-M3 machine guns were mounted in the tail for defense, with 600 rounds of ammunition per gun.
41 B-45As were modified the the "Back Breaker" configuration, which enabled them to be armed with nuclear weapons.
The B-45 served with both the United States Air Force and the Royal Air Force. 143 were built, including the three XB-45 prototypes.
On 20 September 1948, the first production B-45A-1-NA Tornado, 47-001, was put into a dive to test the airplane's design load factor. During the dive, an engine exploded, which tore off several cowling panels. These hit the horizontal stabilizer, damaging it. The B-45 pitched up, and both wings failed due to the g load. The prototype had no ejection seats and test pilots George Krebs and Nicholas Gibbs Pickard, unable to escape, were both killed.
North American XB-45 Tornado Archives - This Day in Aviation
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johnbr
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Fuel and Oil Data:
Internal Fuel Capacity: 5746 gallons (344 gallons in 1 fuselage tank, 3022 gal in 8 wing tanks, 2380 gal in 2 bomb bay tanks)
Fuel Grade: JP-3
Oil Capacity (per engine): 12.7 gallons (1.9 gal trapped in system)
Engine Data:
Manufacturer: General Electric
Designation: J47-GE-7 or J47-GE-13 AND J47-GE-9 or J47-GE-15
Type: axial turbojet
Compressor: 12-stage axial
Combustion Chambers: 8, tubular interconnected, direct flow
Turbine stages: single-stage axial-flow
Power Data (for J47-GE-7 and J47-GE-9:
Military Power: 5000 lbf @ 7950 RPM
Normal Power: 4250 lbf @ 7950 RPM
Power Data (for J47-GE-7 and J47-GE-9:
Military Power: 5200 lbf @ 7950 RPM
Normal Power: 4320 lbf @ 7950 RPM
Dimensional Data:
Length: 75.3 ft
Height: 25.2 ft
Wing Span: 89 ft
Wing Area: 1175.2 sq. ft
Wing Loading: 70.29 lbs/sq. ft @ gross weight
Weight Data:
Empty Weight: 45694 lbs
Combat Weight: 56400 lbs
Gross Weight: 82600 lbs
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 91775 lbs
General Performance Data:
Max Speed (clean condition): 492 knots (911.18 kph)
Max Rate of Climb @ SL: 5200 ft/min (26.42 m/s)
Power-off, flaps-up Stall Speed (81418 lbs takeoff weight): 115 knots (212.98 kph)
Takeoff Distance (81418 lbs takeoff weight): 3430 ft
Service Ceiling: 46000 ft
Maximum Speeds (combat weight):
At SL (military power): N/A (not provided for military power due to aircraft structural limitations)
At 5000 ft (military power): 491 knots (909.33 kph)
At 10000 ft (military power): 486 knots (900.07 kph)
At 15000 ft (military power): 480 knots (888.96 kph)
At 20000 ft (military power): 472 knots (874.14 kph)
At 25000 ft (military power): 464 knots (859.33 kph)
At 30000 ft (military power): 453 knots (838.96 kph)
At 35000 ft (military power): 440 knots (814.88 kph)
At 39000 ft (military power): 437 knots (809.32 kph)
Rate of Climb (56,400 lbs):
At SL (military power): 5200 ft/min (26.42 m/s)
At 5000 ft (military power): 4500 ft/min (22.86 m/s)
At 10000 ft (military power): 3750 ft/min (19.05 m/s)
At 20000 ft (military power): 2700 ft/min (13.72 m/s)
At 30000 ft (military power): 1700 ft/min (8.64 m/s)
At 40000 ft (military power): 800 ft/min (4.06 m/s)
Rate of Climb (81,418 lbs):
At SL (military power): 3600 ft/min (18.29 m/s)
At 5000 ft (military power): 3100 ft/min (15.75 m/s)
At 10000 ft (military power): 2550 ft/min (12.95 m/s)
At 20000 ft (military power): 1700 ft/min (8.63 m/s)
At 30000 ft (military power): 900 ft/min (4.57 m/s)
At 40000 ft (military power): 150 ft/min (0.76 m/s)
Armament:
Guns (defensive tail turret): 2x M3 .50 cal Browning HMG cannon (1200 rounds)
Bombs:
Internal Fuel Capacity: 5746 gallons (344 gallons in 1 fuselage tank, 3022 gal in 8 wing tanks, 2380 gal in 2 bomb bay tanks)
Fuel Grade: JP-3
Oil Capacity (per engine): 12.7 gallons (1.9 gal trapped in system)
Engine Data:
Manufacturer: General Electric
Designation: J47-GE-7 or J47-GE-13 AND J47-GE-9 or J47-GE-15
Type: axial turbojet
Compressor: 12-stage axial
Combustion Chambers: 8, tubular interconnected, direct flow
Turbine stages: single-stage axial-flow
Power Data (for J47-GE-7 and J47-GE-9:
Military Power: 5000 lbf @ 7950 RPM
Normal Power: 4250 lbf @ 7950 RPM
Power Data (for J47-GE-7 and J47-GE-9:
Military Power: 5200 lbf @ 7950 RPM
Normal Power: 4320 lbf @ 7950 RPM
Dimensional Data:
Length: 75.3 ft
Height: 25.2 ft
Wing Span: 89 ft
Wing Area: 1175.2 sq. ft
Wing Loading: 70.29 lbs/sq. ft @ gross weight
Weight Data:
Empty Weight: 45694 lbs
Combat Weight: 56400 lbs
Gross Weight: 82600 lbs
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 91775 lbs
General Performance Data:
Max Speed (clean condition): 492 knots (911.18 kph)
Max Rate of Climb @ SL: 5200 ft/min (26.42 m/s)
Power-off, flaps-up Stall Speed (81418 lbs takeoff weight): 115 knots (212.98 kph)
Takeoff Distance (81418 lbs takeoff weight): 3430 ft
Service Ceiling: 46000 ft
Maximum Speeds (combat weight):
At SL (military power): N/A (not provided for military power due to aircraft structural limitations)
At 5000 ft (military power): 491 knots (909.33 kph)
At 10000 ft (military power): 486 knots (900.07 kph)
At 15000 ft (military power): 480 knots (888.96 kph)
At 20000 ft (military power): 472 knots (874.14 kph)
At 25000 ft (military power): 464 knots (859.33 kph)
At 30000 ft (military power): 453 knots (838.96 kph)
At 35000 ft (military power): 440 knots (814.88 kph)
At 39000 ft (military power): 437 knots (809.32 kph)
Rate of Climb (56,400 lbs):
At SL (military power): 5200 ft/min (26.42 m/s)
At 5000 ft (military power): 4500 ft/min (22.86 m/s)
At 10000 ft (military power): 3750 ft/min (19.05 m/s)
At 20000 ft (military power): 2700 ft/min (13.72 m/s)
At 30000 ft (military power): 1700 ft/min (8.64 m/s)
At 40000 ft (military power): 800 ft/min (4.06 m/s)
Rate of Climb (81,418 lbs):
At SL (military power): 3600 ft/min (18.29 m/s)
At 5000 ft (military power): 3100 ft/min (15.75 m/s)
At 10000 ft (military power): 2550 ft/min (12.95 m/s)
At 20000 ft (military power): 1700 ft/min (8.63 m/s)
At 30000 ft (military power): 900 ft/min (4.57 m/s)
At 40000 ft (military power): 150 ft/min (0.76 m/s)
Armament:
Guns (defensive tail turret): 2x M3 .50 cal Browning HMG cannon (1200 rounds)
Bombs:
- 1x 22000 lbs (probably excluded from the game for balance purposes)
- 1x 12000 lbs
- 2x 4000 lbs
- 4x 2000 lbs
- 14x 1000 lbs
- 27x 500 lbs
- 16x 500 lbs (to allow for a bomb-bay fuel tank)
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johnbr
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Last edited:
soaringtractor
Banned
- 33
- May 8, 2014
Not bad for a first jet bomber, but it appears to be more of an attack plane. This plane was just after the P51 Mustang and just before the F86 Sabre jet.
TheRealMrEd
Airman 1st Class
- 114
- Aug 2, 2017
I would love a PDF of these!
TheRealMrEd
Airman 1st Class
- 114
- Aug 2, 2017
Consider it done!
Ed
Ed
Thank you Sir!
ReccePhreak
Airman
Thank you for those images. They will help when I get started on my Valom 1/72 RB-45C kit.
Larry
