Oh and another thing, I guess I will have to hold off on building the Anigrand B-32 until after this book comes out...
...oh well
...oh well
eBay: Consolidated B-32 Dominator
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Niceoldguy58
Airman
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- Mar 2, 2010
Since I mentioned the two-engine B-32 I thought I'd put a lo-res copy of the original factory artwork up here for everyone to see. The aircraft is shown powered by two Pratt & Whitney X-Wasp (R-4360) engines.
Of special interest is the background "sky" in the drawing. It is in the shape of the "Rising Sun"!
From future title: "Dominator - The Untold Story of the B-32"
Respectfully submitted
Alan Griffith
Of special interest is the background "sky" in the drawing. It is in the shape of the "Rising Sun"!
From future title: "Dominator - The Untold Story of the B-32"
Respectfully submitted
Alan Griffith
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
Good shots!
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Snautzer01
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That's a privateer amigo
johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
Good stuff!
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Snautzer01
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Why was the Dominator just a fallback project to the B-29? Did Boeing have more experience to design such an aircraft or were Consolidated's engineers less capable so that it would take Consolidated more efforts to meet the requirements? Why was the B-32 smaller than the Superfort even though the specs to be met were the same?
Nice shots!
Spicmart,
I believe Initially the B-29 and B-32 programs were on the same footing having the same mission requirements/priority. In total 4 company's submitted designs; Boeing and Consolidated winning over Douglas and Martin. The requirement stipulated things like range and bomb load. How to make it happen was left up to the aircraft company's. Hence the size differences. Though I want to say the AAF preferred the Boeing design proposal over Consolidated. The AAF went ahead with two designs to cover their ass hoping at least 1 would fulfill the requirements.
Initially CVAC had a slight lead as the XB-32 was the first to fly, beating out the XB-29 by a week or 2 in sept 1942. Unfortunately CVAC seems to have had more difficulties with the pressurization and remote controlled turrets. (I think the turret difficulties had more to due with Sperry). Also the first prototype crashed on what was to be it's 31st test flight. This caused delays in the program. CVAC had to rush to get the second prototype ship in the air.
Eventually with the B-29 progressing (and not without its own problems) the AAF changed the design requirements in 1943 omitting pressurization and remote turrets for the B-32. This necessitated a major redesign, again delaying production. The plane in the new configuration would again require flight testing. By this time the B-32 was definitely not the AAF's first choice in the VHB category.
So you have the B-29 undergoing service test in late 1943, and flying it's first combat mission by June 1944. By 1945 production capacity had surpassed what the AAF required and was being utilized in bombing missions by the hundreds.
VS
The first newly redesigned B-32 didn't even get into the air until August 1944. Service testing wrapped up in May or June 1945 and by August only around 9 B-32s had made it overseas for combat duty. The AAF still had plans to use it due to the enormous cost and effort expended in creating it, but the end of the war eliminated the need altogether.
I believe Initially the B-29 and B-32 programs were on the same footing having the same mission requirements/priority. In total 4 company's submitted designs; Boeing and Consolidated winning over Douglas and Martin. The requirement stipulated things like range and bomb load. How to make it happen was left up to the aircraft company's. Hence the size differences. Though I want to say the AAF preferred the Boeing design proposal over Consolidated. The AAF went ahead with two designs to cover their ass hoping at least 1 would fulfill the requirements.
Initially CVAC had a slight lead as the XB-32 was the first to fly, beating out the XB-29 by a week or 2 in sept 1942. Unfortunately CVAC seems to have had more difficulties with the pressurization and remote controlled turrets. (I think the turret difficulties had more to due with Sperry). Also the first prototype crashed on what was to be it's 31st test flight. This caused delays in the program. CVAC had to rush to get the second prototype ship in the air.
Eventually with the B-29 progressing (and not without its own problems) the AAF changed the design requirements in 1943 omitting pressurization and remote turrets for the B-32. This necessitated a major redesign, again delaying production. The plane in the new configuration would again require flight testing. By this time the B-32 was definitely not the AAF's first choice in the VHB category.
So you have the B-29 undergoing service test in late 1943, and flying it's first combat mission by June 1944. By 1945 production capacity had surpassed what the AAF required and was being utilized in bombing missions by the hundreds.
VS
The first newly redesigned B-32 didn't even get into the air until August 1944. Service testing wrapped up in May or June 1945 and by August only around 9 B-32s had made it overseas for combat duty. The AAF still had plans to use it due to the enormous cost and effort expended in creating it, but the end of the war eliminated the need altogether.
Niceoldguy58
Airman
- 94
- Mar 2, 2010
It is clear some clarification of the B-32 story needs to happen here.
When the R40B heavy bomber competition took place with the resultant XB-29, XB-30, XB-31 and XB-32 designs being those considered, while the B-29 won the competition, Lockheed's XB-30 actually came in second - NOT the B-32. Another note, the bug-eyed 4-engine drawing so often seen for the Douglas XB-31 is totally wrong. Douglas' entry was the Model 332, whereas the bug-eye was Model 423 and appears to have perhaps been Douglas'entry for the B-36 program.
At any rate, Lockheed bowed out of the program because their production capacity was already taken up by P-38's, Hudson's, etc. The entire production issue went much deeper, however. At this early point in war planning the AAC's production plans stopped with a relatively low number of aircraft (in comparison to what would actually happen) in mid-1943. All the manufacturers were a bit concerned about this as it would have involved a tremendous investment in floor space, design, personnel and tooling for a project that would end abruptly, leaving them with a lot of then-useless tooling and empty buildings. Of course, no one had any idea when (NOT if) we would get into the war, who the enemies would be or what war on the scale that WWII would actually become meant in terms of the needed amount of production.
Boeing had basically been refining the ultimate design of the B-29 since the Model 316 XB-20 in early 1938 - i.e. a long streamlined fuselage with a rounded nose and remotely-operated turrets, long wings, etc. If you look at the designs between the Model 316 and the final Model 345, you will see a very strong family resemblance throughout. At the point of R40B design acceptance, Consolidated had just barely begun building early versions of what would become the B-24 we know. Consolidated's B-32 design went through many changes inside and out, which was also one reason for its taking longer, but certainly not the only one.
The B-32 really wasn't a "back-up" to the B-29. Just as the AAF flew the the B-17 and B-24, they certainly could and would have flown two different types of very long range, very heavy bombers. However, the B-32 went through a dizzying amount of changes, some the fault of the original design (the best known being the tail once a prototype had been built and flown) and others due to changing decisions on the part of the AAF. For instance, I can think of at least four different fuselage turret types and installations that were examined and tested for the B-32, some quite unique in appearance.
The story of the B-32 is a uniquely complicated and varied one, but its story SHALL be told.
AlanG
When the R40B heavy bomber competition took place with the resultant XB-29, XB-30, XB-31 and XB-32 designs being those considered, while the B-29 won the competition, Lockheed's XB-30 actually came in second - NOT the B-32. Another note, the bug-eyed 4-engine drawing so often seen for the Douglas XB-31 is totally wrong. Douglas' entry was the Model 332, whereas the bug-eye was Model 423 and appears to have perhaps been Douglas'entry for the B-36 program.
At any rate, Lockheed bowed out of the program because their production capacity was already taken up by P-38's, Hudson's, etc. The entire production issue went much deeper, however. At this early point in war planning the AAC's production plans stopped with a relatively low number of aircraft (in comparison to what would actually happen) in mid-1943. All the manufacturers were a bit concerned about this as it would have involved a tremendous investment in floor space, design, personnel and tooling for a project that would end abruptly, leaving them with a lot of then-useless tooling and empty buildings. Of course, no one had any idea when (NOT if) we would get into the war, who the enemies would be or what war on the scale that WWII would actually become meant in terms of the needed amount of production.
Boeing had basically been refining the ultimate design of the B-29 since the Model 316 XB-20 in early 1938 - i.e. a long streamlined fuselage with a rounded nose and remotely-operated turrets, long wings, etc. If you look at the designs between the Model 316 and the final Model 345, you will see a very strong family resemblance throughout. At the point of R40B design acceptance, Consolidated had just barely begun building early versions of what would become the B-24 we know. Consolidated's B-32 design went through many changes inside and out, which was also one reason for its taking longer, but certainly not the only one.
The B-32 really wasn't a "back-up" to the B-29. Just as the AAF flew the the B-17 and B-24, they certainly could and would have flown two different types of very long range, very heavy bombers. However, the B-32 went through a dizzying amount of changes, some the fault of the original design (the best known being the tail once a prototype had been built and flown) and others due to changing decisions on the part of the AAF. For instance, I can think of at least four different fuselage turret types and installations that were examined and tested for the B-32, some quite unique in appearance.
The story of the B-32 is a uniquely complicated and varied one, but its story SHALL be told.
AlanG
johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
This is a much simplified cutaway drawing of the Consolidated B-32 Dominator. The B-32 was a heavy bomber made for US Army Air Forces during World War II. The aircraft and has the distinction of being the last Allied aircraft to be engaged in combat during World War II. Developed in parallel with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress as a fallback design should the Superfortress prove unsuccessful, the B-32 reached units in the Pacific during the summer of 1945 and only saw limited combat operations against Japanese targets before the end of the war. Consolidated Aircraft built a total of 130 Dominators at its Fort Worth, Texas, facility. Spotlighted Photos | Code One Magazine
johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
B-32 Dominator same site
The Consolidated B-32 Dominator was a heavy bomber made for the US Army Air Forces during World War II. The aircraft and has the distinction of being the last Allied aircraft to be engaged in combat during World War II. The B-32 was developed in parallel with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress as a fallback design should the Superfortress prove unsuccessful. It reached units in the Pacific during the summer of 1945, and subsequently only saw limited combat operations against Imperial Japanese targets before the end of the war. Consolidated Aircraft built a total of 130 Dominators, including forty TB-32 aircrew trainers like this one. No examples remain of a B-32.
The Consolidated B-32 Dominator was a heavy bomber made for the US Army Air Forces during World War II. The aircraft and has the distinction of being the last Allied aircraft to be engaged in combat during World War II. The B-32 was developed in parallel with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress as a fallback design should the Superfortress prove unsuccessful. It reached units in the Pacific during the summer of 1945, and subsequently only saw limited combat operations against Imperial Japanese targets before the end of the war. Consolidated Aircraft built a total of 130 Dominators, including forty TB-32 aircrew trainers like this one. No examples remain of a B-32.
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Snautzer01
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