Officially designated the XB-32, the prototype mega-bomber borrowed the efficient Davis airfoil wing and distinctive double tail of the layout of the earlier B-24 Liberator. To most observers, Consolidated’s creation was not an attractive-looking aircraft. Now Consolidated and Boeing were going head-to-head again, racing to develop a streamlined, massive, and fully-pressurized “very heavy” bomber that could reach deep into Germany, or even hit Tokyo. In the skies over Occupied Europe, the Boeing’s venerable B-17 Flying Fortress was joined by the newer, but in many ways analogous, Consolidated B-24 Liberator. With the Corsair modified for carrier duty, the last year of the war saw both aircraft types prowling the Pacific in great numbers. When the Vought F4U Corsair naval fighter ran into difficulties qualifying for carrier operations, Grumman’s Hellcat briefly took center stage alone as the Navy’s most capable front-line fighter. North American’s famous B-25 Mitchell and Martin’s speedy B-26 Marauder were born from the same 1939 medium bomber proposal. Parallel aircraft development programs were common as America geared up for a fight, often leading to a pair of similar and successful warplanes. As early as 1940, military officials consulted with Consolidated Aircraft Corporation and commissioned the company to design and build an aircraft similar to the vexing B-29. Rarely willing to put all of its eggs in one basket, the US Army Air Forces had a back-up plan in the event that Boeing’s developers, suppliers, or builders ultimately crashed and burned. As Boeing rushed to get the mammoth machine ready for service, a multitude of minor and major technical issues cropped up, including catastrophic engine cooling problems that led to the loss of a prototype aircraft in a fiery accident in early 1943. The “superbomber” was incredibly advanced and, as a result, it was more complex than any other aircraft in history. Top image courtesy of the National Archives.īefore the Boeing B-29 Superfortress became the linchpin to victory in the Pacific, it was a troublesome mess.

Xb 52 cockpit