Warbird Information Exchange

_________________
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Great article - It's not 100% accurate regarding the Boeing 314. There was a military follow-on, the Boeing PB-1, but it turned out to be quite unsatisfactory. So, the Navy agreed to drop production of the PB-1 so that the plant could be used to produce Boeing's new long range bomber -- the B-29.

Had the PB-1 been a success, the Navy may have been more reticent to turn over the production facilities and the B-29s production may have been delayed long enough to impact how World War II eventually ended. There probably still would have been an A-bomb, but only after an invasion of mainland Japan.

From what I've read, written by Boeing engineer and aviation historian peter M. Bowers, technically the PB-1 was fine.
He asserts that after the Battle of Midway, the Navy decided it wanted land based patrol bombers instead of flying boats...so the PB-1 was dropped and aircraft like the PBJ and were bought instead.

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

Correction - it was the PBB-1 Sea Ranger, not a PB-1. The PB-1 was, of course, the Navy equivalent of the B-17.

A little more research on the topic indicates that John B's account is an accurate one. The PBB-1 was considered unnecessary with the advent of longer ranged land based patrol aircraft. It was quite a plane, though.

_________________
Daviemax
Researcher of Post-War B-17 History
Maintains database of B-17s used from 46- on.

"...it can do everything but read."!!!!

_________________
"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."