Martin XB-51 Panther

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Martin XB-51 s/n 46-685 Accident at El Paso Texas

While on its way to Eglin AFB, Florida, the aircraft made a brief stop in El Paso, Texas. Immediately after takeoff from El Paso Municipal Airport on 25 March 1956, the aircraft stalled and crashed. The XB-51 crashed through the airport boundary fence, tumbled through sand dunes, and burned. It had logged approximately 435 flight hours. The airplane's crew chief, SSgt. Wilbur R. Savage, was killed instantly. The pilot, Maj. James Rudolph, was severely burned and died from his injuries a few days later.

I have visited this crash. Only a few parts were found at the site.

 
Rotary Launcher Spotlighted Photos | Code One Magazine
A Martin technician inspects the six 750-pound bombs loaded on the innovative rotary launcher used on the XB-51 medium bomber prototype, circa 1949. The bombs, rockets, or other weapons would be loaded on to the door itself. Once hoisted up into the aircraft, the wheels would be removed and the weapon/door combination would be attached to a spindle at each end of the bomb bay. Near the target, the door and weapons would be rotated 180 degrees. The weapons would be released or fired and the now-empty door would rotate back into place. The system allowed for accurate bombing at relatively high speeds. Two XB-51s were built, but the Air Force's medium bomber competition went to the English Electra Canberra design, which Martin later built under license.
 
Tri-Jet Bomber same site
The Martin XB-51 was designed in response to a 1946 Army Air Forces competition for a new ground support aircraft to succeed the A-26 Invader. The XB-51 featured three engines—two in nacelles and one in the tail— along with innovations such as a rotary weapons bay. Although the XB-51 program was cancelled in 1952, the two XB-51s continued as flight research aircraft, and one appeared in the 1956 Warner Brothers movie Toward The Unknown as the "Gilbert XF-120." Both aircraft were eventually lost in accidents.
 
FLYBOYJ said:
What does that have to do with the XB-51?
Click to expand...
This was the original design for what would become the XB-51, featuring two turboprops and one J33 turbojet. Only when the Army Air Force dropped the A-for-Attack category and started classifying attack aircraft as bombers was the Model 234 transformed into a light bomber solely using turbojet propulsion.
 
Fascinating, I'd have figured that, with the XA-43 being all jet, that all the other attack designs would have immediately gone all jet too...
 
johnbr said:
View attachment 524109
Click to expand...

The image in Johnbr's original post was a study I was doing a few years ago to see what the XB-51 might have looked like with something approaching a SEA camouflage paint scheme. When I made the texture for the 3D models I made, I patterned the camo from SEA camouflaged B-57 Canberras, which I thought was kind of appropriate since that was the plane which won the contract over Martin. The tail codes and numbers are fictitious, but the nose art wasn't. Both "Sylvia" and "The Wench" were flown by the 13th bomb squadron of Whiteman AFB in Missouri. The nose art was originally on A-26 Invaders, which was one of the prop-driven attack planes the XB-51 was designed to replace. Here's another rendering I did of a camouflaged B-51:

 
If the SAC sheets are right, it has a far lower stall speed than I'd have expected. That's good, because it means it will maneuver well.

That said, it was far too weak.
 
Zipper730 said:
If the SAC sheets are right, it has a far lower stall speed than I'd have expected. That's good, because it means it will maneuver well.

That said, it was far too weak.
Click to expand...

That's interesting. The design was definitely a product of its time. I'd say the jets used to propel it were weak (underpowered, dreadfully slow to spool-up, etc.). The remainder of the design though: eight 20mm cannons, over 10,000 pound ordinance carried internally, variable incidence wing, top speed over 600 MPH... Had it been further developed provisions for in-flight refueling would have been added, in addition to uprated engines. It would have been a stronger contender at that point.
 
Looks like the perfect runway FOD vacuum sweeper to me. A flying Zamboni! Or maybe a winged Electrolux?
Cheers,
Wes
 
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