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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
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Martin XB-51 Panther
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Performance:
Maximum speed: 1,037 kph (560 knots, 644 mph) at SL (sea level)
Guns: 8 x 20mm M24 cannons (160 rounds per gun, 1280 rounds in total)
Rockets: 8 x High Velocity Aerial Rockets (HVAR) (in Bomb bay)
Bombs (10,400 lbs in total):
1 x 4000 lbs (Type: L.C.)
Crew: 2
- Length: 25.9 meters (85.1 feet)
- Wingspan: 16.1 meters (53.1 feet)
- Height: 5.2 meters (17.3 feet)
- Empty weight: 30,906 lbs (14,018 kg)
- Loaded weight: 31,500 lbs (14,288 kg)
- Max. takeoff weight: 62,542 lbs (28,368 kg)
- Max. landing weight: 57,067 lbs (25,882 kg)
- Powerplant: 3 x General Electric J47-GE-13 (5,200 lbf/2,358 kgf thrust min. each, 6,000 lbf/2,721 kgf thrust max. each)
- Optional: 4 x RATO rocket pots for 14 seconds, 954 lbf each (432 kgf each)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 1,037 kph (560 knots, 644 mph) at SL (sea level)
- Stall speed: 244 kph (132 knots, 151.9 mph)
- Max. rate of climb at SL: 39.37 m/s (129.1 ft/s)
- Service ceiling: 12,920 meters (42,400 feet)
- Wing loading: 105.6 lbm/sq ft (515.58 kg/m2)
- Thrust/weight ratio: 0.28
Guns: 8 x 20mm M24 cannons (160 rounds per gun, 1280 rounds in total)
Rockets: 8 x High Velocity Aerial Rockets (HVAR) (in Bomb bay)
Bombs (10,400 lbs in total):
1 x 4000 lbs (Type: L.C.)
- 2 x 2000 lbs (internal) (Type: G.P.)
- 2 x 2000 lbs (external) (Type: G.P.)
- 4 x 1600 lbs (internal) (Type: A.P.)
- 2 x 1600 lbs (external) (Type: A.P.)
- 4 x 1000 lbs (Type: G.P.)
- 9 x 500 lbs (Type: G.P.)
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
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- #45
johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
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special ed
2nd Lieutenant
- 5,661
- May 13, 2018
Fantastic collection of photos. The extra detail of the jato bottles shown in flight and the P4M in one photo along with the many different views, have made my day. Cockpit views indicate a busy pilot.
Nice shots!
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- #51
johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
net
TheRealMrEd
Airman 1st Class
- 118
- Aug 2, 2017
Outstanding photos! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing!
Ed
Ed
swampyankee
Chief Master Sergeant
- 4,020
- Jun 25, 2013
I had thought the KGB had sent some professional girls with vodka, hence the rather odd configuration...
Bicycle landing gear, weirdly placed engines, variable incidence wing, and what else?
TheRealMrEd
Airman 1st Class
- 118
- Aug 2, 2017
Don't forget the rotary bomb bay, later used on Martin's B-57's...
Ed
Ed
special ed
2nd Lieutenant
- 5,661
- May 13, 2018
Look up Martin's Middle river Stump jumper, I think it was. It was a B-26 Marauder with bicycle L/G and the aviation press thought it was silly.
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Excellent stuff! That photo where an XB-51 was designated Gilbert XF-120 was from the movie "Toward the Unknown."
daveT
Senior Airman
Martin XB-51 s/n 46-686 Accident
The number two XB-51 (46-686) made its first flight on 17 April 1950. It was accepted by the Air Force on 8 December 1951. Most of its initial 64 hours and 13 minutes of flight testing for Martin was flown by F.E. "Chris" Christopherson. Further Air Force flights were conducted by such noteworthy pilots as Guy Townsend, Chuck Yeager, and Russ Schleeh. By the end of its career, 686 had logged about 151 flight hours. The aircraft was used for gun, rocket, and bomb tests. It also performed high-speed flight trials.
On 9 May 1952, Major Neil H. Lathrop (chief of Flight Test Operations at Edwards) took 686 up on a functional test flight. He took off from Edwards AFB at 0753, escorted by a F-86 chase aircraft. After approximately 20 minutes, the chase was relieved of his duties, and returned to base. Lathrop continued his test mission for about 10 more minutes. He then called the tower and requested permission to make some low-altitude, high-speed flybys over the South Base Runway for the benefit of a motion picture crew that was filming activities at the Air Force Flight Test Center.
Permission was granted, and Lathrop made his first pass from west to east. After two more passes were completed, he reversed course. Lathrop initiated a pass from east to west, at a slightly lower speed. His altitude was approximately equal to the height of the control tower. As the aircraft passed the western end of the ramp area, the pilot raised the nose of the XB-51 slightly, and initiated an aileron roll to the right. The roll appeared normal until the aircraft became inverted. At this point, the XB-51 appeared to "dish out" of the roll, striking the ground in a left-wing-low, slightly nose-down attitude. The crash was followed by an explosion and fire, completely destroying the aircraft and killing Major Lathrop. The cause of the accident was attributed to pilot error.
I have visited the XB-51 crash site several times as recently as late 2018. Debris is scattered over a wide area. There is no discernible crater. The jet left only a trail of structural fragments, aluminum skin, engine turbine blades, and cockpit debris adjacent to the Edwards South Base complex. Parts remain to this day.
Another great X plane destroyed, but not forgotten because of web sites like this.
I have a copy of the official accident report. It is about a 40 meg pdf file, 154 pages long
Pictures below:
The number two XB-51 (46-686) made its first flight on 17 April 1950. It was accepted by the Air Force on 8 December 1951. Most of its initial 64 hours and 13 minutes of flight testing for Martin was flown by F.E. "Chris" Christopherson. Further Air Force flights were conducted by such noteworthy pilots as Guy Townsend, Chuck Yeager, and Russ Schleeh. By the end of its career, 686 had logged about 151 flight hours. The aircraft was used for gun, rocket, and bomb tests. It also performed high-speed flight trials.
On 9 May 1952, Major Neil H. Lathrop (chief of Flight Test Operations at Edwards) took 686 up on a functional test flight. He took off from Edwards AFB at 0753, escorted by a F-86 chase aircraft. After approximately 20 minutes, the chase was relieved of his duties, and returned to base. Lathrop continued his test mission for about 10 more minutes. He then called the tower and requested permission to make some low-altitude, high-speed flybys over the South Base Runway for the benefit of a motion picture crew that was filming activities at the Air Force Flight Test Center.
Permission was granted, and Lathrop made his first pass from west to east. After two more passes were completed, he reversed course. Lathrop initiated a pass from east to west, at a slightly lower speed. His altitude was approximately equal to the height of the control tower. As the aircraft passed the western end of the ramp area, the pilot raised the nose of the XB-51 slightly, and initiated an aileron roll to the right. The roll appeared normal until the aircraft became inverted. At this point, the XB-51 appeared to "dish out" of the roll, striking the ground in a left-wing-low, slightly nose-down attitude. The crash was followed by an explosion and fire, completely destroying the aircraft and killing Major Lathrop. The cause of the accident was attributed to pilot error.
I have visited the XB-51 crash site several times as recently as late 2018. Debris is scattered over a wide area. There is no discernible crater. The jet left only a trail of structural fragments, aluminum skin, engine turbine blades, and cockpit debris adjacent to the Edwards South Base complex. Parts remain to this day.
Another great X plane destroyed, but not forgotten because of web sites like this.
I have a copy of the official accident report. It is about a 40 meg pdf file, 154 pages long
Pictures below:
Last edited:
daveT
Senior Airman
Photos of XB-51 in flight!!!
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