Warbird Information Exchange

Of the various U.S. fighters and bombers that had a nosewheel, which of them were steerable (as opposed to free-castering in response to brake application)? I'm thinking of P-38, P-39, A-20/26, B-24, B-25, B-26 and B-29 particularly.

I don't know about the B-29, but I believe none of them were steerable. Just differential brakes and engines for steering.

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Same with the B-29.

I could be wrong but I think the only steer-able nose wheel aircraft built during WWII was the Lockheed Constellation. Reason I'm not sure is the earliest version, the 049, may not have had it.

John

That's interesting. I'm writing about the Heinkel He-219 night fighter, which had a steerable nosewheel. As far as I can tell, it was the world's second airplane with steerable trigear, preceded only by the Erco Ercoupe, which had as standard castering nosegear with the option of linking the nosewheel to the yoke (the Ercoupe had no rudder pedals). I'm pretty sure the -219 preceded the Constellation, and it certainly did if the 049 had castering gear.

While certainly not a fighter or bomber, the Douglas C-54/R5D/DC-4 had nosewheel steering on all versions.

Good point. I'll have to make the He-219 the third production aircraft with a steerable nosewheel, since its first flight was some months after the DC-4's. Thanks!

The C-54 has a steerable nose gear.

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Being Douglas products, did the B-19 or the original DC-4E have it?

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The constellation had a steerable nose wheel.