The Convair XB-46 was a single example of an experimental medium jet bomber which was developed in the mid-1940s but which never saw production or active duty. It competed with similar designs, the North American XB-45 and Martin XB-48, all of which saw little use after the successful development of the Boeing XB-47.

A preserved USAF B-45C Tornado at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Dayton, Ohio. Following the completion of the first prototype at North American's Inglewood facility, it was delivered by road in sections to Muroc Field, where it was reassembled and …

During 1951, the B-47 entered operational service with the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC), becoming a mainstay of its bomber strength by the late 1950s. Over 2,000 were manufactured to meet the Air Force's demands, driven by the tensions of the Cold War.

Consolidated Vultee Aircraft (Convair) Corporation answered the War Department's requirements with the design study of a 90,000 pound, jet propelled bomber. The design, submitted and accepted in...

Very shortly after the end of World War II Convair began the design of a turbojet-powered medium bomber, gaining a contract for three XB-46 prototypes from the US Army Air Force.

Apr 2, 2014 · Sixty-seven years ago today, the USAF/Convair XB-46 took to the skies on its maiden flight. Convair test pilot Ellis D. “Sam” Shannon was at the controls of the sleek, multi-jet prototype medium range bomber.

Nov 2, 2017 · With that said, there was born an initiative on the part of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) to provide an all-modern, high-flying jet-powered medium bomber capable of reaching out to 1,000 miles and carrying a considerable war load.

Convair's entry was a dramatically sleek airframe powered by four J35-C-3 engines of 4,000 pounds thrust each, yielding a cruising speed of 439 mph. Its oval fuselage was 105 feet in length and had a bomb capacity of 22,000 pounds; very thin wings reached 113 feet.

The final production B-46E was delivered to the USAF in 1956. The type remained in operation until 1965. During the Korean war the B-46B was used for night bombing of North Korean infrastructure from bases in Japan.

Oct 12, 2017 · Powered by four Allison J35-C3 axial-flow turbojets (built by Chevrolet) and mounted in pairs in wing-mounted nacelles, the aircraft was striking in appearance.