Consolidated B-32 Dominator

The Consolidated B-32 Dominator was a long-range, strategic bomber which was in service with the US Army's Air Forces during the last year of World War. It was developed by Consolidated as an 'insurance' against any possibility that the Boeing B-29 project might fail. If events had turned out differently, the big and powerful B-32 might have led the 1944/45 bombing campaign against the Japanese home islands. However, the B-29 succeeded and became and outstanding bomber. Thus, the Dominator importance became marginal, flying only ten combat sorties in the Pacific Theater of Operation before it was retired from service on August 30, 1945. Nevertheless, it was a rugged and stable aircraft, with good handling characteristics, and it could take a lot of beating in the air and it was still able to fly to return to their home base.

The prototype of the Consolidated B-32 Dominator (XB-32 serial #41-141) made its maiden flight on September 7, 1942, fourteen days before the B-29 was able to take to the air. After more than two years of flight tests, it was finally introduced into service with the US Army's Air Forces on January 27, 1945. It was assigned to the 386th Bomb Squadron, which moved from the Philippines to Okinawa, bombing Japan during the last of month of the war. Consolidated built a total of 118 Dominators between 1944 and 1945. The records showed the B-32 was not a total failure her detractors had wrongly claimed. When pressed into combat duty by the Far East Air Forces, the B-32 proved itself to be a sturdy and reliable bombing platform, distinguishing itself for having fought and won the final aerial combat against the Japanese Empire.

Technical Characteristics

The Consolidated B-32 Dominator was a large, four-engine monoplane. It had a semi-monocoque, cylindrical, all-metal fuselage, with flush riveting on the forward section, and standard brazier-head riveting aft of the flight deck. This aircraft was fitted with cantilever, high wing, whose leading and trailing edge tapered towards the tip. The crew compartments were located fore and aft of the dual tandem bomb-bays and they were connected by a catwalk running along a heavily-built beam. The bomb-bays doors were hydraulically powered. The wing was built up on two spars, with metal ribs and flush riveted aluminum skin. The wing central section was mounted high and went through the shoulder of fuselage, and it housed four self-sealing fuel tanks which supplied the bomber's four Wright R-3350-13 Cyclone radial engines with gasoline. Each one of these engines could deliver 2,200 horsepower. The tail assembly consisted of a large vertical fin and rudder, and a tail plane, with a leading edge that swept slightly backward.

Specifications

Type: long-range heavy bomber

Length: 25.32 m (83 feet, 1 inch)

Wing Span: 41.15 m (135 feet)

Wing Area: 132.10 m2 (1,422 square feet)

Height: 10 m (33 feet)

Power Plant: four 2,200-HP, Wright R-3350-13 Cyclone radial, piston engines

Maximum Speed: 575 km/h (357 mph)

Range: 6,115 km (3,800 miles)

Service Ceiling: 10,670 m (35,000 feet)

Crew: 10

Armament: ten 12,7-mm (.50-cal.) M2 Browning machine guns. Provision for 9,100 kg (20,000-lb) of bombs.