Subject: Bomber Series--Boeing B-17 Fortress (9 of 27)

From: [email-masked]
Date: 9 Aug 94 16:58:18 GMT

>From [email-masked]

As part of its participation in the Boeing-Vega-Douglas manufacturing 
pool for the Fortress, the Vega division of Lockheed had been 
requested by the USAAF to explore the feasibility of adapting the 
basic B-17E airframe to the 1425 hp Allison V-1710-89 liquid-cooled 
V-12 engine.  

Negotiations for development of the new design, known as Vega Model 
V-134-1, began in March of 1942 and a contract was signed on July 10.  
The project was considered sufficiently different from the stock B-17E 
that a new series number was assigned--XB-38.  The ninth production 
B-17E (serial number 41-2401) had been turned over to Vega for study 
during the initial formation of the B.V.D.  manufacturing pool, and 
this plane was selected for the first XB-38 conversion.  

The basic airframe of the XB-38 was essentially that of the B-17E, 
with a few revisions necessitated by the installation of the new 
powerplants.  For example, the oil coolers of the B-17E were mounted 
in the leading edges of the wings, but they were moved to positions 
underneath the propellers in the XB-38.  Also, the coolant radiators 
for the Allisons were mounted in the wing leading edges between each 
pair of engine nacelles.  

The XB-38 made its first flight on May 19, 1943.  As a result of the 
increased power of the Allison engines, the XB-38 was slightly faster 
than its radial-powered B-17E counterpart.  However, the XB-38 
prototype was destroyed on June 16, 1943 as a result of an engine fire 
which could not be extinguished, and a full comparison with the 
Wright-powered B-17E could never be made.  In any case, the 
performance improvement offered by the XB-38 was only marginal, and 
since the liquid-cooled Allisons were in great demand for the P-38 
Lightning and P-40 Warhawk fighters, the USAAF decided to abandon 
further work on the XB-38, and plans for two additional XB-38 
conversions were cancelled.  

Specification of Boeing XB-38: 

Four Allison V-1710-89 liquid-cooled V-12 engines, rated at 1425 hp at 
25,000 feet.  Maximum speed 327 mph at 25,000 feet.  cruising speed 
226 mph.  Service ceiling 29,700 feet.  Range 2400 miles with 3000 
pounds of bombs, 1900 miles with 6000 pounds of bombs.  Maximum range 
3600 miles.  Dimensions: Wingspan 103 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 74 
feet 0 inches, height 19 feet 2 inches, wing area 1420 square feet.  
Weights: 34,748 pounds empty, 56,00 pounds gross, 64,000 pounds 
maximum.  Armament was the same as that of the standard B-17E, namely 
one 0.30-inch machine gun which could be mounted on any one of six 
ball-and-socket mounts in the extreme nose, one Sperry No.  645473E 
power turret in the dorsal position with two 0.50 Browning M2 machine 
guns with 500 rounds per gun, a remotely-controlled power turret in 
ventral position with two 0.50-inch Browning machine guns with 500 
rounds per gun, one 0.50-inch Browning M2 machine gun is each of the 
two waist windows, 400 rounds per gun, and two 0.50-inch M2 Browning 
machine guns in the tail position, with 500 rounds per gun.  

Sources:

  Flying Fortress, Edward Jablonski, Doubleday, 1965.

  Famous Bombers of the Second World War, Volume One, William
  Green, Doubleday, 1959.

  Boeing Aircraft Since 1916, Peter M. Bowers, Naval Institute
  Press, 1989.

  United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough
  and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.

  Lockheed Aircraft Since 1913, Rene J. Francillon, Naval
  Institute Press, 1987.

  Boeing B-17E and F Flying Fortress, Charles D. Thompson,
  Profile Publications, 1966.

  American Combat Planes, Ray Wagner, Third Edition, Doubleday, 1982.

  Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Military Press, 1989.

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