Douglas XB-31
| XB-31 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Heavy bomber |
| Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft |
| Status | Design only |
| Primary user | United States Army Air Forces |
| Number built | 0 |
The Douglas XB-31 (Douglas Model 423) was the design submitted by Douglas after the request by the United States Army Air Forces for a very heavy bomber aircraft, the same request that led to the B-29 Superfortress and B-32 Dominator.
Around 1938, United States Army 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 5,000 miles (8,000 km). Approval was granted on December 2.
Despite the promising design, it never progressed past the design stage, mainly because Boeing had a huge head start with its B-29 Superfortress.
Specifications (as designed)
General characteristics
- Crew: 8Powerplant after later redesign: 4× Pratt & Whitney R-4360 "Wasp Major" radials, 3,000 hp (2238 kW) each
Performance
Armament
- Guns:
- 4× .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in remote ventral and dorsal turrets
- 2× 1.46 in (37 mm) cannon in tail
- Bombs: 25,000 lb (11,000 kg) in two ventral bomb bays
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Francillon, René J. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-00050-1.
- Jones, Lloyd S. U.S. Bombers: B-1 1928 to B-1 1980s. Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers, Inc., 1974. ISBN 0-8168-9126-5.
