请输入您要查询的百科知识:

 

词条 Boeing XB-55
释义

  1. Design and development

  2. Specifications (Estimated)

  3. See also

  4. References

     Citations  Bibliography 
{{short description|Strategic bomber project, U.S. Air Force, cancelled 1949}}
name = XB-55image =caption =

}}{{Infobox aircraft type

type = Strategic bombermanufacturer = Boeingdesigner =first flight =introduced =retired =status = Cancelledprimary user = United States Air Forcemore users =produced =number built = 0unit cost =developed from =variants with their own articles =developed into=
}}

Boeing XB-55 (company designation Model 474) was a proposed Boeing aircraft designed to be a strategic bomber. The XB-55 was intended to be a replacement for the Boeing B-47 Stratojet in United States Air Force (USAF) service.

Design and development

The XB-55 concept was contained in a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the United States Air Force in October 1947, two months before the first flight of the XB-47 prototype. Several United States manufacturers responded to the RFP. Boeing was selected from among this group and given a contract on 1 July 1948 to conduct further engineering studies. Boeing's initial approach was to mount four turboprop engines on an airframe similar to its B-47: the wing would have less sweepback; the Allison T40-A-2 engines would drive three-blade contra-rotating propellers, i.e., six blades per engine; the engines were to be mounted in nacelles hung from the wings, two per side; the landing gear was to be similar to the B-47's tandem gear with outriggers retracting into the outboard engine nacelles. The XB-55 had a projected top speed of {{convert|490|mph|abbr=on}} and a cruising speed of {{convert|435|mph|abbr=on}}, with a maximum weight of {{convert|153000|lb|kg|abbr=on}}, a wingspan of {{convert|135|ft|m|abbr=on}}, and length of {{convert|118.9|ft|m|abbr=on}}.[1]

There was a major disagreement between the engine manufacturer and the propeller manufacturer over whether the Allison T40-A-2 driveshaft was strong enough to take the forces caused at high revolutions per minute of the propellers. Allison was predicting that it would be at least four years before a successful powerplant would be delivered. In October 1948, a conference in Dayton, Ohio was addressing the problems of the XB-55 when it was proposed over lunch that the XB-52 (Boeing Model 464), which until that point had been planned with turboprop engines, could be equipped with the forthcoming Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet engines. Within a week, it was clear that not only would the XB-52 outperform the XB-55, it could be flying at least a year before the XB-55 could be expected to have reliable engines. Also bearing on the decision to abandon the XB-55 program were government funding constraints and the growing realization that the B-47 was becoming more successful than first projected. On 29 January 1949, the Air Materiel Command was directed to cancel the Boeing XB-55 contract.

Under a revised contract, the Boeing Project 474 was converted into the Boeing Project 479, which included a study of using six J40 turbojet engines in place of the turboprops on a similar wing platform, but with a thicker root section. Work on detailed engineering and mockup construction was canceled, although Boeing was contracted to continue conceptual studies and wind tunnel investigations. These studies proved valuable in development of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, which first flew on April 15, 1952.

The XB-55 project did not result in construction of a prototype.

Specifications (Estimated)

{{Aircraft specs
|ref=Air Force Museum Fact Sheet[2]
|prime units?=kts


|crew=ten
|length ft=118
|length in=11
|span ft=135
|span in=0
|height ft=33
|height in=8
|gross weight lb=153,000
|max takeoff weight lb=168,000


|eng1 number=4
|eng1 name = Allison T40A-2
|eng1 type=coupled turboprop engines
|eng1 hp=5,600


|max speed kts=426
|cruise speed kts=391
|range nmi=4,350
|ceiling ft=42,000


|guns= 10× 20 mm (.79 in) cannons
|bombs= 24,000 lb (10,900 kg) bombs
}}

See also

{{Aircontent
|related=
  • B-47 Stratojet

|similar aircraft=
  • Tupolev Tu-95
  • B-52 Stratofortress
  • Myasishchev M-4

|lists=
  • List of bomber aircraft
  • List of military aircraft of the United States

}}

References

Citations

1. ^XB-55 fact sheet {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090102111928/http://www.home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b55.html |date=January 2, 2009 }}
2. ^National Museum fact sheet on XB-55 program {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090806072439/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2666 |date=August 6, 2009 }}

Bibliography

{{refbegin}}
  • Bowers, Peter M. Boeing Aircraft Since 1916. London: Putnam, 1989. {{ISBN|0-85177-804-6}}.
  • Butler, Tony (2010). American Secret Projects. Hinckley, England: Midland Publishing. {{ISBN|978-1-85780-331-0}}.
  • Jones, Lloyd S. U.S. Bombers, B-1 1928 to B-1 1980s. Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers, 1962, second edition 1974. {{ISBN|0-8168-9126-5}}.
{{refend}}{{Boeing model numbers}}{{Boeing combat aircraft}}{{USAF bomber aircraft}}

7 : Boeing military aircraft|Four-engined tractor aircraft|Aircraft with contra-rotating propellers|Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United States|Four-engined turboprop aircraft|High-wing aircraft|Bomber aircraft

随便看

 

开放百科全书收录14589846条英语、德语、日语等多语种百科知识,基本涵盖了大多数领域的百科知识,是一部内容自由、开放的电子版国际百科全书。

 

Copyright © 2023 OENC.NET All Rights Reserved
京ICP备2021023879号 更新时间:2024/11/11 0:05:46