Lockheed XB-30

Infobox Aircraft
name = Lockheed XB-30

---

caption = Scale model of the Lockheed XB-30 bomber concept.
type = Heavy bomber
manufacturer = Lockheed Corporation
designer =
first flight = n/a
status = Design only
primary user = United States Army Air Forces
number built = 0
unit cost = The Lockheed XB-30 (company model L249) [Stringfellow and Bowers 1992, p. 31.] 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.

pecifications (as proposed)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

crew=12
length main=104 ft 8 in
length alt=31.91 m
span main=123 ft 0 in
span alt=37.50 m
height main=23 ft 9 in
height alt=7.25 m
area main=1,646 ft²
area alt=153 m²
empty weight main=51,616 lb
empty weight alt=23,462 kg
loaded weight main=85,844 lb
loaded weight alt=39,020 kg
max takeoff weight main=93,808 lb
max takeoff weight alt=42,640 kg

number of props=4
type of props=radial engines
engine (prop)=Wright R-3350-13
power main=2,200 hp
power alt=1,600 kW

max speed main=382 mph
max speed alt=615 km/h
range main=5,333 mi
range alt=8,045 km
ceiling main=17,832 ft
ceiling alt=5,440 m
climb rate main= ft/min
climb rate alt= m/s
loading main=52 lb/ft²
loading alt=255 kg/m²
power/mass main=0.10 hp/lb
power/mass alt=170 W/kg

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

ee also

aircontent

related=
* Lockheed Constellation

similar aircraft=
* B-29 Superfortress
* Douglas XB-31
* B-32 Dominator
* Messerschmitt Me 264

lists=
* List of Lockheed aircraft

References

Notes

Bibliography

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

External links

* [http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2578 USAF Museum]