Lockheed XB-30

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Lockheed XB-30

Scale model of the Lockheed XB-30 bomber concept.
Type Heavy bomber
Manufacturer Lockheed Corporation
Maiden flight n/a
Status Design only
Primary user United States Army Air Forces
Number built 0

The Lockheed XB-30 (company model L249)[1] 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, the Douglas XB-31 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.

Based on the of the Lockheed L49 (adopted by the Army Air Force as the C-69), the L249 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. Retaining the wings and tail surfaces of the Model 49, the Model 249-58-01 was to have had a new fuselage with up to six gun turrets (one in the nose, two above and two below the fuselage, and one in the tail housing 10 .50 calibre guns and one 20-mm cannon. Ventral bomb bays were to accommodate eight 2,000-lb. (907 kg.) bombs.

Contents

[edit] Specifications (as proposed)

General characteristics

  • Crew: 12
  • Length: 104 ft 8 in (31.91 m)
  • Wingspan: 123 ft 0 in (37.50 m)
  • Height: 23 ft 9 in (7.25 m)
  • Wing area: 1,646 ft² (153 m²)
  • Empty weight: 51,616 lb (23,462 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 85,844 lb (39,020 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 93,808 lb (42,640 kg)
  • Powerplant: 4× Wright R-3350-13, 2,200 hp (1,600 kW) each

Performance

Armament

  • Guns:
    • 8× .50 in (12.7 mm) machineguns in four fuselage turrets
    • 2× .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns and
    • 1× 20 mm cannon in tail barbette
  • Bombs: 3,300 lb

[edit] See also

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Stringfellow and Bowers 1992, p. 31.

[edit] Bibliography

  • Stringfellow, Curtis K., and Bowers, Peter M. Lockheed Constellation. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks, 1992).

[edit] External links


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Aircraft produced by Lockheed
Manufacturer
designations

Basic Model Numbers: L-1 · L-2 · L-3 · L-4 · L-5 · L-7 · L-8 · L-9 · L-10 · L-11 · L-012 · (L-013 not assigned) · L-014 · L-015 · L-016 · L-017 · L-018 · L-019 · L-020 · L-021 · L-022 · L-023 · L-024 · (L-025 not assigned) · L-026 · L-027 · (L-028 not assigned) · L-029 · L-030 · L-031 · L-032 · L-033 · L-034 · L-035 · (L-036 not assigned) · L-037 · (L-038 and L-039 not assigned) · L-040 · L-041 · L-042 · L-044 · L-045 · L-049 · L-050 · L-051 · L-052 · L-060 · L-061 · L-062 · L-075 · L-080 · L-081 · L-082 · L-083 · L-084 · L-085 · L-086 · L-087 · L-088 · L-089 · L-090 · L-091 · L-092 · L-093 · L-094 · L-092 · L-099 · L-100 · L-193 · L-245 · L-246 · L-300 · L-329 · L-351 · L-500 · L-645

California Lockheed Temporary Design Numbers (TDN): CL-282 · CL-288 · CL-295 · CL-320 · CL-325 · CL-329 · CL-346 · CL-379 · CL-400 · CL-407 · CL-475 · CL-595 · CL-704 · CL-760 · CL-823 · CL-901 · CL-915 · CL-934 · CL-981 · CL-984 · CL-985 · CL-1026 · CL-1195 · CL-1200 · CL-1400 · CL-1600 · CL-1700 · CL-1800 · CL-1980 ·
By role

Airliners and Civil Transports: Vega · Electra · Electra Junior · Super Electra · Lodestar · Constellation · Saturn · Electra · L-402 · JetStar · L-1011

Military Transports: C-64 · C-121 · R6V · C-130/C-130J · C-141 · C-5 · TriStar

Experimental/Prototypes: NF-104A · XFV · XF-90 · XF-104 · XH-51 · XP-49 · XP-58 · XV-4 · YP-24

Fighters: P-38 · P/F-80 · F-94 · F-104 · F-16  · F-117 · F-22 · F-35

Helicopters: XH-51 · AH-56

Patrol: Hudson · PV · P-2 · P-3 · S-3 · CP-140

Reconnaissance: U-2 · A-12 · SR-71

Trainers: T-33 · T2V/T-1
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USAAS/USAAC/USAAF/USAF bomber designations 1924-1962
Bomber

XB-1  • B-2  • B-3  • B-4  • B-5  • B-6  • Y1B-7  • XB-8  • Y1B-9  • B-10  • YB-11  • B-12  • XB-13  • XB-14  • XB-15  • XB-16  • B-17  • B-18  • XB-19  • Y1B-20  • XB-21  • XB-22  • B-23  • B-24  • B-25  • B-26  • XB-27  • XB-28  • B-29  • XB-30  • XB-31  • B-32  • XB-33  • B-34  • YB-35  • B-36  • B-37  • XB-38  • XB-39  • YB-40  • XB-41  • XB-42  • XB-43  • XB-44  • B-45  • XB-46  • B-47  • XB-48  • YB-49  • B-50  • XB-51  • B-52  • XB-53  • B-54  • XB-55  • B-56  • B-57  • B-58  • XB-59  • YB-60  • B-61  • B-62  • B-63  • B-64  • B-65  • B-66  • B-67  • XB-68  • RB-69  • XB-70

see also: B-26 (redesignation of A-26)
Light Bomber

LB-1  • LB-2  • XLB-3  • XLB-4  • LB-5  • LB-6  • LB-7  • LB-8  • LB-9  • LB-10  • LB-11  • XLB-12  • LB-13  • LB-14
Heavy Bomber

XHB-1  • XHB-2  • XHB-3
Long-Range Bomber

XBLR-1  • XBLR-2  • XBLR-3
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