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Aviation History
1948
1948 - 1751.PDF
OCTOBER 2IST, 1948 FLIGHT 481 AMERICAN PISTON-EN By "FAVONIUS " THIS is the second in a seFies ofthree articles reviewing the air- craft authorized under the U.S.A.F.70-Group Rearmament Policy. The first article, "ALL JET-FIGHTER A1RFORCE," appeared in FLIGHT, June JOth. The concluding article willreview turbine-engined bombers. T1K present state of flux in thedesign of high-speed aircraft,caused by the advent of the gas turbine, is well illustrated in the bomber category. While the all-jet fighter force is fast becoming an ' -' operational fact—at any rate in the U.S.A.;—future bomber design is much less sharply defined, both in size and external configuration. Contrary to the colourful publicity which is such an engaging feature of the Ameri- can scene, in actual fact th« all-jet bomber force is still some way below the horizon, and the framework of cur- rent American strategical bomber policy is largely built around the well-tried Boeing B-29 Superfort and its post-war derivative, the B-50, both of which are piston- engined. The only serious jet contenders actually in limited production are the four-jet North American B-45 short-range tactical bomber and the Northrop B-49 eight- jet medium-range strategical bomber. Boeing B-29 Intended to fill up new groups required for the recentlyauthorized 70-group rearmament plan, hundreds of war- time B-29 bombers are now being de-pickled and de-cocooned from their post-war inactive status. (The differ- ence between the two processes, it might be explained, isthat " pickling" is a temporary anti-corrosive safeguard by special greases and oils for maintaining the aircraftin usable condition, whereas " cocooning" is the more permanent process of plastic airtight sealing developed formothball storage.) Boeing has reactivated its Wichita • plant for the modernization of these B-29S, the modinca-tions including improved electronic equipment, pneumatic bomb-bay doors, a fuel-injection system and, significantly,provision for flight refuelling. Although the prototype was designed as far back as 1940, the B-29 has remainedthe world's top-ranking strategic bomber until the advent of the .B-50 now coming into operational service. CONVAiR B-36A HEAVY BOMBER.—" The biggest bomber in the world " is also probably the most vulnerable. Externally, it 'a noteworthy for its low-drag wing and partiaily- submerged six Pratt-Whltaey Wasp Majors, driving pusher airscrews. Despite a fairly low overall dreg, the power loading is high, and the altitude performance is inferior for . .. . - future operational service as a long-range strategical bomber. With a normal gross weight of 120,000 lb, and poweredby four Wright R-3350 Cyclones, giving 2,200 take-off h.p. /engine, turbo-supercharged to a critical height of25,000ft, the altitude performance is •excellent even to- day. Maximum speed at altitude was originally expectedto fall within the 365-370 m.p.h. bracket, but under operational conditions the top speed is now close to 330m.p.h. at 28,060ft. Maximum speed at sea-level is ap- proximately 280 m.p.h., initial climb 1,030ft/niin (fourengines), 480ft/min (three engines), service ceiling 32,000ft, and maximum range with 10,000 lb bomb load 4,800miles. The average cruising speed for this range is about 200 m.p.h. at 25-30,00011. (While, in general, the cruis-ing speed decreases as the fuel is consumed, optimum range cruising is improved by gradually increasing the alti-tude with decrease in the gross weight, since the air mile- age per gallon increases with height.) Landing speed withbombs away and fuel exhausted is about 80 m.p.h. .'.;,.•.:• : .... •".•'. '•"'••<• Boeing.B-50 .,..>.',; . \JA'.',••. 1 '•- Virtually indistinguishable in genera! outline from itswartime progenitor, the B-50 packs a lot more power and is faster and longer -ranged than the B-29. Apart fromti*e pouch-shaped engine nacelles, the most noticeable external difference consists of an increase in the verticaltail area, which adds about 5 feet to the height of the B-5G tail. This has meant the introduction of a folding devicein order to reduce the overall tail height for hangar stow- age. The real differences, however, are structural ratherthan aerodynamic, since about 75 per cent of the B-50 structure is an entirely new design, occasioned by the useof higher-grade aluminium-alloy, which permits consider- BOEING 8-SOA MEDIUM BOMBER.—Latest lineal descendant of a long family line of big bombers the B-50 is now corning into U.S.A.F. operationaJ service alongside the B-29 Superfort. Powered by four Pratt-Whitney Wasp Majors and well armed with five gun turrets, the altitude performance rates at the top of the piston-engined medium bomber class ft 9
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