Consolidated-Vultee XB-46

[Paul Krumrei]

[bdk]

Why is that thing so long?

[Second Air Force]

I've always thought that was one of the most graceful bombers ever built. One of the most attractive airplanes Consolidated ever designed, in my opinion. Thx Paul.

Scott

[Ryan Keough]

Wow, such a design shift from the WWII aircraft the Consolidated made... the Catalina, Coronado, and the Liberator were so boxy and ungainly. Was Mac Laddon still in charge when this was rolled out?

[The Inspector]

Why so long? Gotta put the JP2 someplace and early jets guzzled the stuff. Just wait until they roll out the long range stretched version

I read somewhere years ago that early jets (this was about the B-47) had a switch on the throttle pedestal so you could ask the tanker 'whaddayagotpal?' and if it was 115/145 throw the switches one way to adjust the fuel controls on the engines to burn avgas. (COOL! lots more black smoke!!)

[bdk]

I don't think the engines of that era (like F-86) cared whether or not they burned kerosene or gasoline once running. I believe it is likely to overtemp on gasoline during the starting phase only. At least that is what I have heard.

[Tailspin]

We were getting (near) desperate for fuel in a B-47 coming back from Spain to the US. The only thing available was a KC-97 with no JP-4 just AVGAS. We took it gladly. I don't remember any switch, but we did have to allow for a range degradation and watch for over temps.
H

[famvburg]

It's all relative, but depending upon your definition, it's really not 'so long', it's skinny. Length is a little over 100 ft as is the span.

Why is that thing so long?

[Glyn]

Apparently Capt Edwards (after whom the base was named) gave a glowing report on the XB-46. I wish there was some way to read the test reports on-line. It would be a fascinating insight to the events of the early post-war world.