1
The
USAAF's Other Very Heavy Bomber
Tom
Wisker
NYMAS / WBAI
NYMAS / WBAI
The
Consolidated B-32
B-32 in
flight-- note slight nose-up attitude, normal for this aircraft
| P.1 Title page: B-32 in flight-- note slight stats table nose-up attitude, normal for this aircraft *********************** stroyed a few hours after delivery when the main gear collapsed on landing. Lower picture is a B-26, incl. because it's pretty ********************************* props and engine installation (shown on model) 3-view ________________________________________________________________________ P.2 another 3-view color side-view ********************************* XB-32-- the 2nd prototype with original close-up of previous shot tail configuration. Note pre-war style rudder stripes painted out with O.D. ***************************** The third XB-32, with final tail configuration TB-32 trainers on the production line at Fort Worth ____________________________________________________________________ P.3 B-32 #544-- engine run-up in the TB-32, nice shot showing Philippines, Summer 1945. open bomb doors and general 386th BS outline ***************************** TB-32, head-on shot instrument panel ********************************* XB-32 2nd prototype, with original tail, and pre-war style rudder stripes. First production B-32 (#471), with interim B-29 tailfin & rudder 3rd XB-32 again, with final tail design for comparison _______________________________________________________________________ P.4 Line-up of TB-32 trainers at Fort Worth, DO NOT USE TOP PHOTO #--500 closest to camera TB-32 of 2519th AAFBU at Fort Worth- engine start ************************************* TB-32 in flight Three TB-32s in formation ************************************* 2nd production B-32 (#-472) in flight. This Main gear folding mechanism, was the first B-32 delivered to the USAAF. showing complexity and non- A few hours after delivery, it was destroyed unitary main strut when the main gear collapsed on landing -472, later the same day DO NOT USE BOTTOM PHOTO ____________________________________________________________________ P.5 Unit insignia-- DO NOT USE First mission, 29 May 1945 Philippines ***************************************** wreckage--- DO NOT USE 386 BS B-32 back in US after the war. 5th AF and 412th BG insignia visible. If war had lasted, the other 3 A-20 sqdns of the 412th would have converted to the B-32 **************************************** 37 virtually complete B-32s on the line at Fort Worth. These were never delivered, never flew DO NOT USE TOP and never even got out of the factory except as PHOTO scrap-- came in as parts, were assembled, were cut up, left as pieces. The second-source plant, specially built at San Diego for the B-32, delivered B-32 at Kingman, AZ, only ONE aircraft, with dozens more scrapped awaiting scrapping post- virtually complete, as these were. war ___________________________________________________________________ P.6 The last B-32, held in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB for the Air Force Museum. Eventually scrapped in 1949, evidently part of the scrapping frenzy that also destroyed several hundred German Q & A and Japanese aircraft stored at several locations slide around the USA, notably the ex-USAAF collection of enemy aircraft stored at O'Hare Field (all that survived was the forward fuselage of a Henschel Hs-129 attack aircraft) ***************************************** Blue Sky slide *************************************** All photos are USAF and General Dynamics, except for the first one on P.6, which is from the San Diego Aerospace Museum. The "DO NOT USE" items are from other sources, a couple of whom wanted money, and the rest simply not responding. Take no chances in this litigious age! Sorry for the delay This computer been essentially disabled for the last few weeks. I cannot print out anything-- it comes out in mirror-image, and the culprit cannot remember how she got it that way (I suspect it's passing-aggressive-something...) Note the weird spacing problems in these last lines. Maddening. See you tomorrow, I hope. --Tom P.1 Title page: B-32 in flight-- note slight stats table nose-up attitude, normal for this aircraft *********************** color side-view of "Hobo Queen" of -472 in flight-- the second pro- 386th BS, and JNAF N1K2-J Shiden-Kai duction aircraft, which was de- interceptor stroyed a few hours after delivery when the main gear collapsed on landing. Lower picture is a B-26, incl. because it's pretty ********************************* props and engine installation (shown on model) 3-view ________________________________________________________________________ P.2 another 3-view color side-view ********************************* XB-32-- the 2nd prototype with original close-up of previous shot tail configuration. Note pre-war style rudder stripes painted out with O.D. ***************************** The third XB-32, with final tail configuration TB-32 trainers on the production line at Fort Worth ____________________________________________________________________ P.3 B-32 #544-- engine run-up in the TB-32, nice shot showing Philippines, Summer 1945. open bomb doors and general 386th BS outline ***************************** TB-32, head-on shot instrument panel ********************************* XB-32 2nd prototype, with original tail, and pre-war style rudder stripes. First production B-32 (#471), with interim B-29 tailfin & rudder 3rd XB-32 again, with final tail design for comparison _______________________________________________________________________ P.4 Line-up of TB-32 trainers at Fort Worth, DO NOT USE TOP PHOTO #--500 closest to camera TB-32 of 2519th AAFBU at Fort Worth- engine start ************************************* TB-32 in flight Three TB-32s in formation ************************************* 2nd production B-32 (#-472) in flight. This Main gear folding mechanism, was the first B-32 delivered to the USAAF. showing complexity and non- A few hours after delivery, it was destroyed unitary main strut when the main gear collapsed on landing -472, later the same day DO NOT USE BOTTOM PHOTO ____________________________________________________________________ P.5 Unit insignia-- DO NOT USE First mission, 29 May 1945 Philippines ***************************************** wreckage--- DO NOT USE 386 BS B-32 back in US after the war. 5th AF and 412th BG insignia visible. If war had lasted, the other 3 A-20 sqdns of the 412th would have converted to the B-32 **************************************** 37 virtually complete B-32s on the line at Fort Worth. These were never delivered, never flew DO NOT USE TOP and never even got out of the factory except as PHOTO scrap-- came in as parts, were assembled, were cut up, left as pieces. The second-source plant, specially built at San Diego for the B-32, delivered B-32 at Kingman, AZ, only ONE aircraft, with dozens more scrapped awaiting scrapping post- virtually complete, as these were. war ___________________________________________________________________ P.6 The last B-32, held in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB for the Air Force Museum. Eventually scrapped in 1949, evidently part of the scrapping frenzy that also destroyed several hundred German Q & A and Japanese aircraft stored at several locations slide around the USA, notably the ex-USAAF collection of enemy aircraft stored at O'Hare Field (all that survived was the forward fuselage of a Henschel Hs-129 attack aircraft) ***************************************** Blue Sky slide *************************************** All photos are USAF and General Dynamics, except for the first one on P.6, which is from the San Diego Aerospace Museum. The "DO NOT USE" items are from other sources, a couple of whom wanted money, and the rest simply not responding. Take no chances in this litigious age! Sorry for the delay This computer been essentially disabled for the last few weeks. I cannot print out anything-- it comes out in mirror-image, and the culprit cannot remember how she got it that way (I suspect it's passing-aggressive-something...) Note the weird spacing problems in these last lines. Maddening. See you tomorrow, I hope. --Tom P.1 Title page: B-32 in flight-- note slight stats table nose-up attitude, normal for this aircraft *********************** color side-view of "Hobo Queen" of -472 in flight-- the second pro- 386th BS, and JNAF N1K2-J Shiden-Kai duction aircraft, which was de- interceptor stroyed a few hours after delivery when the main gear collapsed on landing. Lower picture is a B-26, incl. because it's pretty ********************************* props and engine installation (shown on model) 3-view ________________________________________________________________________ P.2 another 3-view color side-view ********************************* XB-32-- the 2nd prototype with original close-up of previous shot tail configuration. Note pre-war style rudder stripes painted out with O.D. ***************************** The third XB-32, with final tail configuration TB-32 trainers on the production line at Fort Worth ____________________________________________________________________ P.3 B-32 #544-- engine run-up in the TB-32, nice shot showing Philippines, Summer 1945. open bomb doors and general 386th BS outline ***************************** TB-32, head-on shot instrument panel ********************************* XB-32 2nd prototype, with original tail, and pre-war style rudder stripes. First production B-32 (#471), with interim B-29 tailfin & rudder 3rd XB-32 again, with final tail design for comparison _______________________________________________________________________ P.4 Line-up of TB-32 trainers at Fort Worth, DO NOT USE TOP PHOTO #--500 closest to camera TB-32 of 2519th AAFBU at Fort Worth- engine start ************************************* TB-32 in flight Three TB-32s in formation ************************************* 2nd production B-32 (#-472) in flight. This Main gear folding mechanism, was the first B-32 delivered to the USAAF. showing complexity and non- A few hours after delivery, it was destroyed unitary main strut when the main gear collapsed on landing -472, later the same day DO NOT USE BOTTOM PHOTO ____________________________________________________________________ P.5 Unit insignia-- DO NOT USE First mission, 29 May 1945 Philippines ***************************************** wreckage--- DO NOT USE 386 BS B-32 back in US after the war. 5th AF and 412th BG insignia visible. If war had lasted, the other 3 A-20 sqdns of the 412th would have converted to the B-32 **************************************** 37 virtually complete B-32s on the line at Fort Worth. These were never delivered, never flew DO NOT USE TOP and never even got out of the factory except as PHOTO scrap-- came in as parts, were assembled, were cut up, left as pieces. The second-source plant, specially built at San Diego for the B-32, delivered B-32 at Kingman, AZ, only ONE aircraft, with dozens more scrapped awaiting scrapping post- virtually complete, as these were. war ___________________________________________________________________ P.6 The last B-32, held in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB for the Air Force Museum. Eventually scrapped in 1949, evidently part of the scrapping frenzy that also destroyed several hundred German Q & A and Japanese aircraft stored at several locations slide around the USA, notably the ex-USAAF collection of enemy aircraft stored at O'Hare Field (all that survived was the forward fuselage of a Henschel Hs-129 attack aircraft) ***************************************** Blue Sky slide *************************************** All photos are USAF and General Dynamics, except for the first one on P.6, which is from the San Diego Aerospace Museum. The "DO NOT USE" items are from other sources, a couple of whom wanted money, and the rest simply not responding. Take no chances in this litigious age! Sorry for the delay This computer been essentially disabled for the last few weeks. I cannot print out anything-- it comes out in mirror-image, and the culprit cannot remember how she got it that way (I suspect it's passing-aggressive-something...) Note the weird spacing problems in these last lines. Maddening. See you tomorrow, I hope. --Tom |