Boeing B-54: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
m Category |
VDT is still not a synonyme for turbo compound, and in the case of the R-4360 it is simply a turbo charger |
||
| (96 intermediate revisions by 54 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{short description|Bomber aircraft project by Boeing}} |
|||
The [[Boeing]] B-54A was the planned production version of the [[B-50 Superfortress | YB-50C]]. The standard [[Pratt & Whitney R-4360]] engines of the normal B-50 had been replaced with R-4360 [[Variable Discharge Turbine]] (VDT) engines, the [[fuselage]] was lengthened by over 10 feet and the wingspan was extended by 20 feet, which required the installation of outrigger landing gear. |
|||
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. --> |
|||
{|{{Infobox Aircraft Begin |
|||
|name = B-54 |
|||
|image = File:RB-54A mockup nose.jpg |
|||
|caption = Mockup of the B-54 |
|||
}}{{Infobox Aircraft Type |
|||
|type = Strategic bomber |
|||
|national origin = United States |
|||
|manufacturer = [[Boeing]] |
|||
|first flight = |
|||
|introduced = |
|||
|retired = |
|||
|status = Canceled |
|||
|primary user = [[United States Air Force]] (intended) |
|||
|more users = |
|||
|produced = |
|||
|number built = 0 |
|||
|unit cost = |
|||
|developed from = [[B-50 Superfortress]] |
|||
|variants with their own articles = |
|||
|developed into = |
|||
}} |
|||
|} |
|||
The '''Boeing B-54''' was an American [[strategic bomber]] designed by [[Boeing]] for use by the [[United States Air Force]]. Derived from the |
|||
The project was cancelled due to the development of better-performing jet aircraft. The YB-50C was never built, and production of the B-54A and RB-54A never began. |
|||
[[B-50 Superfortress|YB-50C Superfortress]], construction of the prototype was canceled before completion, and the aircraft was never flown. |
|||
==Design and development== |
|||
[[Category:U.S. bomber aircraft]] |
|||
Begun in 1947, the B-54 was the planned production version of the [[B-50 Superfortress|YB-50C]] prototype. The standard [[Pratt & Whitney R-4360]] engines of the normal B-50 bomber were replaced with R-4360-51 Variable Discharge Turbine (VDT) engines, the [[fuselage]] was lengthened by over {{convert|10|ft}} and the wingspan was extended by {{convert|20|ft}}, which required the installation of outrigger landing gear in the first and fourth engine nacelles. Large fuel tanks under the outboard wing section were required to carry an additional {{convert|3000|usgal}} of fuel to reach the intended {{convert|9300|mi}} range; 14 .50-caliber machine guns comprised the specified defensive armament.<ref name="Jones">Jones 1974, p. 183.</ref> |
|||
On May 29, 1948, contracts were placed by the Air Force for 14 B-54A bombers and 29 RB-54A [[aerial reconnaissance|reconnaissance]] aircraft.<ref name="USAF">NMUSAF 2009</ref><ref>Redding and Yenne 1989, p.117.</ref><ref>Andrade, John (1979). U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Midland Counties Publications. {{ISBN|0-904597-22-9}}.</ref><ref name="Jones"/> However, on April 18, 1949, the B-54 project was cancelled due to the development of better-performing jet aircraft; construction of the prototype B-54A had started at Seattle but was never completed.<ref name="Jones"/> The cancellation was lambasted by the Seattle press, who claimed that it was a political decision instead of a military one.<ref>Olson 2003, p.184.</ref> |
|||
==Variants== |
|||
;B-54A: Intended production version of the YB-50C |
|||
;RB-54A: Reconnaissance version |
|||
==Specifications== |
|||
{{Aircraft specs |
|||
|ref=<ref name="USAF"/> |
|||
|prime units?=imp |
|||
|crew=10 |
|||
|capacity= |
|||
|length m= |
|||
|length ft=111 |
|||
|length in= |
|||
|length note= |
|||
|span m=49.08 |
|||
|span ft=161 |
|||
|span in= |
|||
|span note= |
|||
|height m= |
|||
|height ft=32 |
|||
|height in=8 |
|||
|height note= |
|||
|wing area sqm= |
|||
|wing area sqft= |
|||
|wing area note= |
|||
|aspect ratio= |
|||
|airfoil= |
|||
|empty weight kg= |
|||
|empty weight lb= |
|||
|empty weight note= |
|||
|gross weight kg= |
|||
|gross weight lb=230000 |
|||
|gross weight note= |
|||
|max takeoff weight kg= |
|||
|max takeoff weight lb= |
|||
|max takeoff weight note= |
|||
|fuel capacity= |
|||
|more general= |
|||
|eng1 number=4 |
|||
|eng1 name=[[Pratt & Whitney R-4360]]-51 |
|||
|eng1 type=[[radial engine|radial piston]] |
|||
|eng1 kw= |
|||
|eng1 hp=4500 |
|||
|power original= |
|||
|prop blade number= |
|||
|prop name= |
|||
|prop dia m= |
|||
|prop dia ft= |
|||
|prop dia in= |
|||
|prop note= |
|||
|max speed kmh= |
|||
|max speed mph=430 |
|||
|max speed kts= |
|||
|max speed note= |
|||
|max speed mach= |
|||
|cruise speed kmh= |
|||
|cruise speed mph=305 |
|||
|cruise speed kts= |
|||
|cruise speed note= |
|||
|stall speed kmh= |
|||
|stall speed mph= |
|||
|stall speed kts= |
|||
|stall speed note= |
|||
|never exceed speed kmh= |
|||
|never exceed speed mph= |
|||
|never exceed speed kts= |
|||
|never exceed speed note= |
|||
|minimum control speed kmh= |
|||
|minimum control speed mph= |
|||
|minimum control speed kts= |
|||
|minimum control speed note= |
|||
|range km= |
|||
|range miles=9000 |
|||
|range nmi= |
|||
|range note= |
|||
|combat range km= |
|||
|combat range miles= |
|||
|combat range nmi= |
|||
|combat range note= |
|||
|ferry range km= |
|||
|ferry range miles=10562 |
|||
|ferry range nmi= |
|||
|ferry range note= |
|||
|endurance= |
|||
|ceiling m= |
|||
|ceiling ft=40000 |
|||
|ceiling note=service |
|||
|g limits= |
|||
|roll rate= |
|||
|glide ratio= |
|||
|climb rate ms= |
|||
|climb rate ftmin= |
|||
|climb rate note= |
|||
|time to altitude= |
|||
|lift to drag= |
|||
|wing loading kg/m2= |
|||
|wing loading lb/sqft= |
|||
|wing loading note= |
|||
|fuel consumption kg/km= |
|||
|fuel consumption lb/mi= |
|||
|power/mass= |
|||
|more performance= |
|||
|guns= 14 × .50-caliber machine guns in turrets |
|||
|bombs= {{convert|36000|lb}} |
|||
|avionics= |
|||
}} |
|||
==See also== |
|||
{{Aircontent |
|||
|related= |
|||
* [[Boeing B-29 Superfortress]] |
|||
* [[Boeing XB-39 Superfortress]] |
|||
* [[Boeing B-50 Superfortress]] |
|||
|similar aircraft= |
|||
* [[Convair B-36]] |
|||
* [[Tupolev Tu-85]] |
|||
|lists= |
|||
* [[List of bomber aircraft]] |
|||
* [[List of military aircraft of the United States]] |
|||
}} |
|||
==References== |
|||
===Notes=== |
|||
{{Reflist |group=N}} |
|||
===Citations=== |
|||
{{Reflist }} |
|||
===Bibliography=== |
|||
{{refbegin}} |
|||
* {{Citation | last = Jones | first = Lloyd S | title = U.S. Bombers, B-1 1928 to B-1 1980s | place = Fallbrook, CA | publisher = Aero Publishers | orig-year = 1962 | edition = 2nd | year = 1974 | ISBN = 0-8168-9126-5}}. |
|||
*{{cite web |url= http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2617 |title=Factsheets: Boeing B-54A |date=July 7, 2009 |publisher= National Museum of the United States Air Force |access-date= 2017-07-09 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120616091921/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2617 |archive-date=June 16, 2012}} |
|||
*{{cite book|last=Olson |first= James C.|title= Stuart Symington: A Life|year=2003 |publisher= University of Missouri Press |location= Columbia, MO |isbn= 978-0-82621503-1}} |
|||
*{{cite book |last1= Redding |first1= Robert |first2= Bill |last2= Yenne |title= Boeing: Planemaker to the World |year= 1989 |publisher= Crescent Books |location= New York |isbn= 978-0-51742270-0 |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/boeingplanemaker00redd }} |
|||
* Swanborough, F. G. and Peter M. Bowers. ''United States Military Aircraft since 1909.'' Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989. {{ISBN|978-0-87474880-2}}. |
|||
*{{cite book|last= Wagner |first= Ray|title= American Combat Planes|year=1968 |publisher= Doubleday |location= New York |isbn= 978-0-38504134-8}} |
|||
{{refend}} |
|||
{{B-29 family}} |
|||
{{Boeing model numbers}} |
|||
{{Boeing combat aircraft}} |
|||
{{USAF bomber aircraft}} |
|||
[[Category:Boeing military aircraft|B-54]] |
|||
[[Category:Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United States]] |
|||
[[Category:Four-engined tractor aircraft]] |
|||
[[Category:Boeing B-29 Superfortress|B-54]] |
|||
[[Category:Mid-wing aircraft]] |
|||
[[Category:Four-engined piston aircraft]] |
|||
Latest revision as of 17:54, 24 April 2024
| B-54 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Mockup of the B-54 | |
| Role | Strategic bomber |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Status | Canceled |
| Primary user | United States Air Force (intended) |
| Number built | 0 |
| Developed from | B-50 Superfortress |
The Boeing B-54 was an American strategic bomber designed by Boeing for use by the United States Air Force. Derived from the YB-50C Superfortress, construction of the prototype was canceled before completion, and the aircraft was never flown.
Design and development[edit]
Begun in 1947, the B-54 was the planned production version of the YB-50C prototype. The standard Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engines of the normal B-50 bomber were replaced with R-4360-51 Variable Discharge Turbine (VDT) engines, the fuselage was lengthened by over 10 feet (3.0 m) and the wingspan was extended by 20 feet (6.1 m), which required the installation of outrigger landing gear in the first and fourth engine nacelles. Large fuel tanks under the outboard wing section were required to carry an additional 3,000 US gallons (11,000 L; 2,500 imp gal) of fuel to reach the intended 9,300 miles (15,000 km) range; 14 .50-caliber machine guns comprised the specified defensive armament.[1]
On May 29, 1948, contracts were placed by the Air Force for 14 B-54A bombers and 29 RB-54A reconnaissance aircraft.[2][3][4][1] However, on April 18, 1949, the B-54 project was cancelled due to the development of better-performing jet aircraft; construction of the prototype B-54A had started at Seattle but was never completed.[1] The cancellation was lambasted by the Seattle press, who claimed that it was a political decision instead of a military one.[5]
Variants[edit]
- B-54A
- Intended production version of the YB-50C
- RB-54A
- Reconnaissance version
Specifications[edit]
Data from [2]
General characteristics
- Crew: 10
- Length: 111 ft (34 m)
- Wingspan: 161 ft 0 in (49.08 m)
- Height: 32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)
- Gross weight: 230,000 lb (104,326 kg)
- Powerplant: 4 × Pratt & Whitney R-4360-51 radial piston, 4,500 hp (3,400 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 430 mph (690 km/h, 370 kn)
- Cruise speed: 305 mph (491 km/h, 265 kn)
- Range: 9,000 mi (14,000 km, 7,800 nmi)
- Ferry range: 10,562 mi (16,998 km, 9,178 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 40,000 ft (12,000 m) service
Armament
- Guns: 14 × .50-caliber machine guns in turrets
- Bombs: 36,000 pounds (16,000 kg)
See also[edit]
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References[edit]
Notes[edit]
Citations[edit]
Bibliography[edit]
- Jones, Lloyd S (1974) [1962], U.S. Bombers, B-1 1928 to B-1 1980s (2nd ed.), Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers, ISBN 0-8168-9126-5.
- "Factsheets: Boeing B-54A". National Museum of the United States Air Force. July 7, 2009. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
- Olson, James C. (2003). Stuart Symington: A Life. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press. ISBN 978-0-82621503-1.
- Redding, Robert; Yenne, Bill (1989). Boeing: Planemaker to the World. New York: Crescent Books. ISBN 978-0-51742270-0.
- Swanborough, F. G. and Peter M. Bowers. United States Military Aircraft since 1909. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989. ISBN 978-0-87474880-2.
- Wagner, Ray (1968). American Combat Planes. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-38504134-8.