Lockheed XB-30
The Lockheed XB-30 was the design submitted by Lockheed after the request by the United States Army Air Forces for a very heavy bomber, the same request that led to the B-29 Superfortress and B-32 Dominator.
Around 1938, General Henry H. 'Hap' Arnold, the head of the Army Air Force, was growing alarmed at the possibility of war in Europe and in the Pacific. Hoping to be prepared for the long-term requirements of the Air Force, Arnold created a special committee chaired by Brigadier General W. G. Kilner; one of its members was Charles Lindbergh. After a tour of Luftwaffe bases, Lindbergh became convinced that Nazi Germany was far ahead of other European nations. In a report in 1939, the committee made a number of recommendations, including development of new long-range heavy bombers. When war broke out in Europe, Arnold requested design studies from several companies on a Very Long-Range bomber capable of traveling 5000 miles (8000 km). Approval was granted on December 2.
It never progressed past the design stage, mainly because Boeing had a huge head start with its B-29 Superfortress. Only a scale model was built. However, it was the foundation of the Lockheed Constellation and its military version, the C-69 Constellation.
Specifications (as designed)
General characteristics
- Crew: 12
Performance
Armament
- Guns:
- 8× .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in four fuselage turrets
- 2× .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns and
- 1× 20 mm cannon in tail barbette
References and links
Related content
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists