B-32 What Was It????

[Jack Cook]

While a cool plane, I think it was a waste of time, money and badly needed strategic war materials.
It was to late to have any impact on the war and even if it had come earlier it did nothing a/c like the B-17/24/29
couldn't do better. I want my money back with interest
flame suit on

B-32 Hobo Queen II August 1945

[RMAllnutt]

Jack... I always thought it was developed in parallel to the B-29, in case that program failed. Cool looking plane though... and ugly too!

Cheers,
Richard

[Matt Gunsch]

As Richard said, it was a backup in case the B-29 failed. It was to have all the same features as the 29 such as remote turrets and pressurization. But there were so many problems with the engines and getting parts since the -29 had priority that they turrets were changed to manned ones and the pressurization systems were not installed.
The 5th AF wanted B-29s, but the 20th would not give them up, so they took the B-32 and put them to work. The last air to air combat between a US bomber and the Japan involved a B-32. Stan Stokes did a painting of it.
http://www.aviationarthangar.com/hqubdoavartp.html

[Steve T]

Yep, the Dominator was a competitor to/hedge against failure of the B-29...bit like the situation with the Vought/Vultee Seawolf, ordered in case the Grumman Avenger didn't pan out! Or, a bit later, the Martin Mauler, "runner-up" to the Skyraider.

Only one B-32 survives today, as everyone knows; it was discovered in the mid-80s by a stargazing photographer for The Weekly World News, parked in a crater on the Moon. Should be nary a speck of corrosion on the old gal anywhere...and no oxygen means she can't catch fire like the ill-fated B-29 in Greenland, either...anyone (way) up for a recovery??

(Seriously, I forget the location, but a B-32 outer wing panel does survive as a kind of sculptural monument to one of the American aviation pioneers.)

S.

[Obergrafeter]

"SERIOUSLY" I am serious let's go get that sucker before NASA makes Warbirds out of the Shuttles.

[Steve Nelson]

Unfortunately, the Weekly World News later had a headline that the Lunar B-32 had disappeared. I think the Russkies grabbed it, and have it stashed in the same hangar as the Doolittle Raider B-25.

An interesting airplane, but definately an "also ran." Of course when it came to sinking vast resources into dead-end designs, the US had nothing on the Luftwaffe, which continued to pursue the He-177 even after it became obvious that it was a total dud (actually a decent airframe, but with a nightmare powerplant setup.)

SN

[Obergrafeter]

I was all up for that moon trip...............don't know about Russia. Maybe I can talk Ryan Short into going and getting the Doolittle B-25 and bringing the Dominator back as a little pelon.

[mrhenniger]

(Seriously, I forget the location, but a B-32 outer wing panel does survive as a kind of sculptural monument to one of the American aviation pioneers.)

Here is the place Steve...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Montgomery Memorial Museum

Mike

[Jack Cook]

That's nuth'in. Do you know a flying saucer actually landed on the Nimtz

[CAPFlyer]

Hey, and don't forget the turrets!

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... hp?t=18694

[mustangdriver]

I think that would be cool. What about down the road, a full scale mock up?

I want my money back with interest

Oohhh....I really like this idea! Can I get my B-32 money back, too, please? Oh, and also my B-70 money, my P-83 money, my B-51 money, my XF-85 money, my B-60 money, my A2D money, my F6U money, my F-111B money. Interest, too, please...

Speaking of which, since the B-36, B-47 and B-58 never actually dropped bombs on anyone, can we talk about those as well? I could sure use the money.

[Second Air Force]

Sasnak,

I actually know someone who has planned for a number of years to build a B-29 mock-up using wood as the primary structure. I agree that it would be EXTREMELY expensive to make a convincing replica in that fashion, but I haven't talked him out of it completely. So...there are people out there that have the dream, so why not do a B-32!? Oh, as far as the turrets, let's just build a TB-32.

While on the subject, does anyone know how much (if any) is left of 42-108528 that crashed on takeoff in Okinawa? The fuselage burnt out, but a good bit of the wing and tail structure was damaged but intact.

Scott

[mustangdriver]

They built a mock up B-24, why not a B-32.

[Edward Sheetmetalhands]

I think that would be cool. What about down the road, a full scale mock up?

Here is the wing panel:

I think I could build an airplane out of that.... All we need is that wing panel and a data plate. Who has the data plate? Oh yeah, and the funds