Boeing XB-44 Superfortress

[jzichek]

Check out this article at http://retromechanix.com/articles/aerospace/boeing-xb-44-superfortress/ on the Boeing XB-44 Superfortress, a B-29A upgraded with Pratt & Whitney R-4360-33 Wasp Major radial engines of 3,000 hp each:

This experimental engine testbed first flew in May 1945 and was essentially the prototype for the B-50, the core of the USAF's early postwar strategic bombardment capability. The accompanying gallery features 15 high resolution photos of this little known member of the Superfortress family.

-Jared

EDIT: correct link added.

 

[Deino]

Hmm .. can't get access to that link but I think these are the photos:

http://top81.jschina.com.cn/top81bbs/thread.php?cid=1&rootid=3392929&id=3392929

Deino

 

[javierarg]

I have three views, "US Bombers from 1928 to 1980s"

 

[sienar]

A different power plant for the XB-44. This cowling is akin to those of the V-3420 on the XB-19/39 yet the engine as drawn appears to be an H-24 of some kind.

"Application of TURBOSUPERCHARGERS to POSTWAR COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT" by F. W. DISCH

Application of TURBOSUPERCHARGERS to POSTWAR COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT on JSTOR

F. W. DISCH, Application of TURBOSUPERCHARGERS to POSTWAR COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT, SAE Transactions, Vol. 54 (1946), pp. 158-168

www.jstor.org

 

[iverson]

I

A different power plant for the XB-44. This cowling is akin to those of the V-3420 on the XB-19/39 yet the engine as drawn appears to be an H-24 of some kind.

I think that it is a V-3420. The left and right outer banks are 150 degrees apart. So it looks flatter than it is, and you can see both exhaust manifolds on the left side.

 

[NMaude]

So the XB-44A was basically the prototype for the YB-50A preproduction aircraft?

 

[iverson]

So the XB-44A was basically the prototype for the YB-50A preproduction aircraft?

I think that it was an intermediate design, a predecessor rather than a prototype as such.