B-26 with High Altitude Supercharger & Redesigned Bomb-Bay

[Snautzer01]

putting the entire aircraft back together for eventual display

That is good news.

 

[Koopernic]

The idea was inspired by the fact that the B-25 has a cavernous bomb-bay similar to the RAF designs, the RAF Mediums were built for strategic and tactical-bombing use (namely the HP Hampden and the Vickers Wellington -- though I'm not sure if they were classed as heavies initially), and the USAAF tended to favor some high altitude capability in strategic bombing designs.

While I know Martin did propose the XB-27 which was high altitude design, it appeared to have come after the B-26 design, and I figure a bump-up in critical altitude could be useful. There were numerous proposals made which included variants with single-stage/twin-stage and turbocharged variants of the R-2600 and R-2800. While I'm not sure how many turbocharged R-2800 variants were ready, I do know there was an R-2800 with a twin-stage supercharger available by May, 1940 (the F4U used it), and the B-26 made its first flight in November of 1940. It would have increased the plane's top speed and would have made it harder to catch, and with neutral blower, you'd probably retain good power even at lower altitudes.

While I don't remember the chart exactly, I do remember estimates of ram compression adding something like 2,000-3,000 feet of altitude. If this number is correct, you would see a maximum altitude around 800 feet higher (or 200 feet lower) than the F4U-1.

DarrenW, pinsog, S Shortround6 , wuzak

"Wings" magazine did an article on the B26 probably back in the 1970s and it was mentioned that Martin had been planning or considering a turbo charged variant of the CW R-2600 for the B26 but for whatever reason development of the engine ceased.

 

[Shortround6]

The turbo charged variant of the CW R-2600 is a bit of a mystery engine. It seems to have been installed in ONE (maybe two) A-20s with a quite a number ordered and after a number of trials and modifications to this prototype the planes on order all lost the turbos, were repurposed (P-70s) . No other plane using the turbo CW R-2600 made it to flight status and any paper designs using the turbo R-2600 were switched to other powerplants. However no details of the problems, aside from mentions of poor cooling, have made it to the popular press.

 

[MIflyer]

While the USAAF stayed focused on high altitude long range heavy bombers, by 1944 it was obvious that the main use of medium bombers was in the attack role, down low, and with an awesome battery of guns firing forward. Flying at medium altitudes in daylight was a good way to get your arse shot off. That is one reason you hear so little about the Droopsnoop P-38's leading bomb carrying P-38's in medium bomber style missions. The A-26 was intended to replace the A-20, B-26, and B-25, while the B-25 replaced all of the smaller twin engined trainers for multiengine training.