Need help identifying unknown (prewar?) aircraft

[FallGuy25]

A family member posted these photos on Facebook. Her assertion was that it was a one-of-a kind built for reconnaisance, but I know she has her stories mixed up. The gentleman in the photo was Ted Sinclair Faulkner, who flew one of the first B-24's and later the commander of the 468th bomb group flying B-29's.

In fact, he flew B24 #40-2371, the third production B24, which was on a secret photo-recon mission, laying over at Pearl Harbor, and was most likely the first plane lost in WWII when one of the first bombs hit the plane as it sat at Hickam Field...

The plane in question is highly unusual, I've never seen one like it. There's no apparent tail numbers, but a series of horizontal tail stripes, and the high-mounted gull wing is unusual. It appears to have 2 V-10's, an open cockpit, and a mast in front of the pilot (for tail controls?)

Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Douglas XB-7

Factsheets : Douglas XB-7

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Odd looking bird, don't think I've ever seen one before.

 

[FallGuy25]

Wow, you nailed it! Now just trying to figure out the exact model. It might actually be one of the 7 Y1B-7's, not the XB-7 prototype, due to the description of the Y1B-7 having a three-bladed propeller. Although on my photo, it appears the mast might be the external brace referred to in the XB-7? But if it is the XB-7, the corrugated skin is missing? Also, there is no apparent hardpoint under the fuselage for bombs, as were in the Y1B-7's.

From the wiki: Douglas Y1B-7 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia :

In August 1931, the Army Air Corps ordered seven Y1B-7 bombers for service testing (along with five Y1O-35s, which became the O-35 in operation service with the 9th Observation Group). The XB-7 was delivered to Wright Field in July 1932, where testing commenced. A few months later, the first Y1B-7s were delivered. The Y1B-7s were differentiated by having more powerful Curtiss Conqueror engines with streamlined nacelles, and by having three-bladed rather than two-bladed propellers.
[emphasis mine]

The prototype XB-7 was a Light bomber, carrying only 1,200 lb (544 kg) of bombs. The skin of the fuselage was corrugated for ease of production. The gull wing was braced externally to increase strength. While this brace also increased drag, the XB-7 was still faster than any of its biplane predecessors. The crew complement consisted four: a pilot, copilot, and two gunners (one in the nose and one at the tail).

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Yes, it looks like it was a Y1B-7. Here's a pic frm Wiki

 

[A4K]

Well done Joe!

 

[FallGuy25]

Thanks Joe - I'm agreeing with you that it looks like the Y1B-7, but I'm wondering if the mast was added at a later time, since these are the only photos in which a mast appears. I'm wondering if it is in fact this EXACT plane below - look at the wording under the cockpit, and see how it seems to match my photo - there are only two or three lines in this one, not the 5 or 6 in your photo.