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From: Miloch <Miloch_member@newsguy.com>
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Subject: Consolidated B-32 Dominator
Date: 11 Jul 2016 23:02:00 -0700
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_B-32_Dominator
The Consolidated B-32 Dominator (Consolidated Model 34) was an American heavy
strategic bomber built for United States Army Air Forces during World War II,
which had the distinction of being the last Allied aircraft to be engaged in
combat during World War II. It was developed by Consolidated Aircraft in
parallel with the Boeing B-29 Superfortress as a fallback design should the B-29
prove unsuccessful.[1] The B-32 only reached units in the Pacific during
mid-1945, and subsequently only saw limited combat operations against Japanese
targets before the end of the war. Most of the extant orders of the B-32 were
canceled shortly thereafter and only 118 B-32 airframes of all types were built.
The engineering development of the B-29 had been underway since mid-1938 when,
in June 1940, the United States Army Air Corps requested a similar design from
the Consolidated Aircraft Company in case of development difficulties with the
B-29.
The Model 33 on which Consolidated based its proposal was similar to the B-24
Liberator. Like the B-24 it was originally designed with twin fins and a large
Davis-type wing, but with a longer, rounder fuselage and a rounded nose. The
powerplants were to be the same quartet of eighteen-cylinder, 2,200 horsepower
(1,600 kW) Wright Duplex-Cyclones, as specified for B-29s. The aircraft was
designed to be pressurized, and have remote-controlled retractable gun turrets
with fourteen .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns. It was to have an estimated gross
weight of 101,000 lb (46,000 kg). The first contract for two XB-32s was signed
on 6 September 1940, the same day as the contract for the Boeing prototype
XB-29.
Role Heavy strategic bomber
National origin United States
Manufacturer Consolidated Aircraft
First flight 7 September 1942
Introduction 27 January 1945
Retired 30 August 1945
Status Retired
Primary user United States Army Air Forces
Number built 118
The first assignment of the B-32 began when General George Kenney, the commander
of Allied air forces in the South West Pacific Area and commander of the U.S.
Fifth Air Force, traveled to Washington D.C. to request B-29s. Since priority
after which he requested the B-32.
The test crews were impressed with its unique reversible-pitch inboard
propellers and the Davis wing which gave it excellent landing performance.
However, they found a number of faults: the cockpit had an extremely high noise
level and a poor instrument layout, the bombardier's vision was impaired, it was
overweight and the nacelle design resulted in frequent engine fires (Note: the
latter deficiency was also shared with the Dominator's counterpart, the B-29
Superfortress), yet the testing missions were mostly successful.
Production contracts of the B-32 were cancelled on 8 September 1945, with
production ceased by 12 October. Many B-32s ended up being salvaged at Walnut
Ridge, Arkansas with a total of 38 flown to Kingman Army Airfield for disposal.
Specifications (B-32)
General characteristics
Crew: 10
Length: 82 ft 1 in (25.03 m)
Wingspan: 135 ft 0 in (41.16 m)
Height: 32 ft 2 in (9.81 m)
Empty weight: 60,278 lb (27,400 kg)
Loaded weight: 100,800 lb (45,800 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 123,250lb (56,023 kg)
(1,641 kW) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 357 mph (310 knots, 575 km/h) at 30,000 ft (9,150 m)
Cruise speed: 290 mph[10] (252 knots, 467 km/h)
Range: 3,800 mi (3,304 nmi, 6,118 km)
Service ceiling: 30,700 ft[10] (9,360 m)
Rate of climb: 1,050 ft/min (5.3 m/s)
Armament
Bombs: 20,000 lb (9,100 kg)
*
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