Consolidated B-32 Dominator

• May 24, 2020

• #1

Zipper730

Chief Master Sergeant

4,430

1,023

Nov 9, 2015

I'm curious if the B-32 as designed had a pressurization system from the start, or had it removed before its first flight. I have one source that said it was removed before the first flight, and another saying that the first two prototypes had pressurization, but it was removed.

Airframes , D Dana Bell , DarrenW , davparlr , J Joe Broady , S Shortround6 , X XBe02Drvr

 

• May 24, 2020

• #2

fubar57

General

34,021

21,318

Nov 22, 2009

The Jungles of Canada

https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=655

 

• May 24, 2020

• Thread starter
• #3

Zipper730

Chief Master Sergeant

4,430

1,023

Nov 9, 2015

fubar57 said:

https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=655

Click to expand...

This seems to present conflicting data

"Content with the proposal, the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) signed on for a pair of XB-32 prototypes. As completed, these prototypes lacked many of the features that would appear on the standardized production form including the pressurization system and the full slew of machine gun armament. Problems with engine cooling and leaks proved common which only served to delay the aircraft during development while progress proved an equally labored venture on the competing B-29 product. The XB-32 first flew on September 7th, 1942 but was lost in a crash the following year.

The second prototype followed and this time a large, rounded single vertical tail fin was fitted - its shape similar to that as seen in the Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" and upcoming B-29 lines. The pressurization issues led to the aircraft being now relegated to the low-to-medium altitude bombing role which allowed engineers to drop the troublesome feature altogether. Problems also persisted with the intended remote-controlled armament and these too were nixed - in their place were conventional, manned, power-operated turrets instead. The second XB-32 followed into the air on November 3rd, 1943."

The first paragraph indicates the plane wasn't completed with the feature, the second paragraph indicates they were dropped from the design...