Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms Space By Flag By Year By Tag

Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster

History of the Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster

World War II (1939-1945) provided a blank canvas for American aerospace engineers as they attempted to sell new aircraft to the U.S. military. Many companies see fit in participating in private venture capital projects to improve their chances of earning potential profits, as was the case with Douglas Aircraft and its XB-42 "Hybrid Master" medium bomber proposal.

During the conflict, American war planners still required the medium bomber type, and also provided a "bridge" platform between the light attack model and the multi-engine "heavy" models in service at the time.

The XB-42 proposal was submitted to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in May 1943. The design sought to simplify the existing bomber design approach by installing two engines side by side in the rear of the fuselage. This frees up the front and center parts of the fuselage for the crew compartment, defensive weapons and weapons transport options. Likewise, the wings have no obstacles that introduce drag.

Douglas' idea was to install two engines, each driving a separate propeller unit in reverse, to counteract the inherent torque effects and direct the drive along a more unique path behind the plane. Tail propeller aircraft are nothing new - they are considered the "propeller" type - but are unconventional compared to the more traditional "tractor" type, which has a propeller system mounted on the nose of the aircraft.

The engines of choice are two liquid-cooled Allison V1710-125 12-cylinder systems producing 1,325 horsepower each.

Dimensions include a length of 53.7 feet, a wingspan of 70.5 feet, and a height of 18.9 feet. The standard crew consists of three people, including the pilot, co-pilot and a dedicated bombardier. The co-pilot also served as the gunner. The proposed defensive armament consisted of six .50 caliber heavy machine guns spread over two rearward mounts, two on the trailing edge of the wing, and two on fixed forward mounts. Since the XB-42 is expected to outperform any interceptor, defensive armament can be kept to a minimum.

Internal bomb loads are rated up to 8,000 lbs.

Although the airframe originated in the 1940s, it was more of a 1950s jet approach. It is streamlined from nose to tail, with the nose in the bombardier's position under heavy plexiglass. The pilot and co-pilot sit under a "double-bubble" canopy above the nose with an impressive view of the plane - their seats side by side.

The fins taper to the engine mounts and use a cruciform fin arrangement (dorsal, ventral and horizontal in the game). To expose the ventral rear wing, a tricycle undercarriage was installed - novel in an era when "smearing" was still the norm.

A dedicated attack form known as the XA-42, said to have about 16 machine guns in total, with a covered nose section to clear bombardier positions. Other suggested weapons for this model are 1 x 75mm gun and 2 x 12.7mm machine guns.

The USAF has contracted two prototypes, designated "XB-42" (S/N 43-50224 and 43-50225). Douglas engineers responded quickly with an airworthy prototype that flew for the first time on May 6, 1944, and another with Westinghouse turbojets at the request of the U.S. Air Force. Apparently, the double bubble cap disrupted the communication between the two pilots, so a smooth bubble cap was replaced, which also added extra streamline.

Other issues involved the design of the aircraft itself, which proved to be unstable in certain flight states. However, the performance of the in-line engine arrangement was fairly consistent - as fast as any conventional twin-engine mounts seen in the war.

With the end of the war in August 1945, the XB-42 program was threatened, and nearly all programs still in development were threatened. To make matters worse, the jet age began when the piston-propeller plane reached its technological zenith. In the long run, the U.S. military has not spent more money on piston aircraft, preferring instead to develop pure jets.

Still, work on the XB-42 continued to an extent, and in December 1945, a record-breaking flight from Long Beach, California to Washington, D.C. completed approximately 2,300 miles in 5.5 hours while maintaining speed?scale Inclined at 433. 6 mph.

Another prototype was equipped with 2 Westinghouse 19XB-2A turbojets, each with 1,600 lbs of thrust, and was named "XB-42A" to distinguish it from the propeller powered model. Interestingly, the inline propeller engine at the rear of the fuselage was retained. The jet's maiden flight took place on May 27, 1947, and it reached a top speed of 488 mph.

A hard landing during the test damaged the tail so badly that the plane was grounded for a while. Although repaired, the aircraft was no longer of interest to U.S. military authorities during the massive post-war dismantling periodplus, more specialized turbojet designs were underway, promising improved performance.

The prototype, serial number 43-50225, was lost in an accident at Bolling Field, leaving only serial number 43-50224 intact.

The XB-42 program officially ended in 1948.

Unlike many other aircraft prototypes seen and scrapped after the war, serial number 43-50224 has stood the test of time and is currently awaiting restoration at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.