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Convair YB-60
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Convair YB-60 | |
|---|---|
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| YB-60 prototype, Convair B-36 is in the background. | |
| Type | Strategic bomber |
| Manufacturer | Convair |
| Maiden flight | 1952-04-18 |
| Status | Cancelled 1952-08-14 |
| Number built | 2 |
| Unit cost | US$14,300,000 for the program[1] |
| Developed from | Convair B-36 |
The Convair YB-60 was an American experimental bomber prototype built by Convair and first flown on April 18, 1952. Proposed as an updated B-36 with swept wings and all-jet propulsion, it was originally designated XB-36G, betraying its 72% parts commonality with its piston-engined forebear. The fuselage of the two aircraft were largely identical, although the YB-60 had a longer, pointed nose with a needle-like instrument probe, instead of the B-36's rounded nose, and the tail surfaces were all-new, swept to match the wings, instead of the B-36's more antiquated design. The swept wings actually used a lot of B-36 parts, with a wedge-shaped insert at the wing root to sweep the wings back more than the B-36's wings.
The YB-60's unofficial competition for an Air Force contract was Boeing's B-52 Stratofortress. Convair's proposal was substantially cheaper than Boeing's since it involved modifying an existing design rather than starting from scratch. Like the B-52, it was powered by eight Pratt & Whitney J57-P-3 turbojets mounted in pairs in four pods suspended below the wing.
Instead of the B-36's crew of fifteen, the YB-60's crew numbered only 10. Production B-60s were to have similar defensive armament to the B-36.
The Convair aircraft beat the Boeing YB-52 into the air by a mere three days, but it was soon obvious that it would win few other contests against Boeing's bomber. The YB-60 was approximately 100 mph (160 km/h) slower than the competition, and had severe handling problems in addition. It did carry a heavier bomb load - 72,000 pounds against 43,000 pounds (20 t) for the YB-52 - but the Air Force didn't see the need for the extra capacity given the YB-60's other drawbacks. (Later "big belly" mods increased the B-52's bombload to 60,000 lbs)
Accordingly, the flight test program was cancelled on January 20, 1953 with 66 flying hours accumulated, and a second prototype never completed. The airframe was built, but it was not fitted with engines or much other equipment. Since Convair had completed its prototype contract satisfactorily, both the YB-60s were formally accepted by the Air Force in 1954. However, the operational aircraft never flew again, and both airframes were scrapped by July of that year.
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General characteristics
- Crew: 5
- Length: 171 ft (52.1 m)
- Wingspan: 206 ft (62.8 m)
- Height: 60 ft 6 in (18.4 m)
- Wing area: 5,239 ft² (486.7 m²)
- Empty weight: 153,016 lb ()
- Loaded weight: 160,000 lb (73,000 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 300,000 lb (140,000 kg)
- Powerplant: 8× Pratt & Whitney J57-P-3 turbojets, 8,700 lbf (38 kN) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 508 mph (411 knots, 818 km/h) at 29,250 ft (8,915 m)
- Stall speed: 115 knots (132 mph, 212 km/h)
- Combat radius: 2,920 mi (2,540 nm, 4,700 km)
- Ferry range: 8,000 mi (7,000 nm, 13,000 km)
- Service ceiling: 53,300 ft (16,200 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,060 ft/min (5.38 m/s)
- Wing loading: 31 lb/ft² (150 kg/m²)
- Thrust/weight: 0.44
Armament
- ^ Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II bombers, 1945-1973. Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-16-002260-6.
- Jacobsen, Meyers K. and Wagner, Ray. B-36 in Action (Aircraft in Action No.42). Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1980. ISBN 0-89747-101-6.
- Jones, L.S. U.S. Bombers, B-1 1928 to B-1 1980s. Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers, Inc., 1962 (second edition 1974). ISBN 0-8168-9126-5.
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