XB-32 and B-29 on fire dump
Sun Aug 03, 2014 5:52 am
From the SDASM Archives, Colonel Orie W. Coyle Special Collection.
XB-32 41-18336 and a B-29A whose serial seems to be in the 42-939XX range.
Any guesses where this is? (Edit: McClellan AFB on the side of the fire truck)
Further edit: 336 in happier times (from airwar.ru):
XB-32 41-18336 and a B-29A whose serial seems to be in the 42-939XX range.
Any guesses where this is? (Edit: McClellan AFB on the side of the fire truck)
Further edit: 336 in happier times (from airwar.ru):
Re: XB-32 and B-29 on fire dump
Sun Aug 03, 2014 3:38 pm
Like the P4M Mercator it's a shame no B-32's were saved 
Re: XB-32 and B-29 on fire dump
Sun Aug 03, 2014 5:28 pm
I can see some B-36 in that B-32. 
Re: XB-32 and B-29 on fire dump
Sun Aug 03, 2014 5:55 pm
Nathan wrote:I can see some B-36 in that B-32.
x2
Re: XB-32 and B-29 on fire dump
Sun Aug 03, 2014 9:14 pm
Update: Potential ID on the B-29A. Might be 42-93978, which cracked up on landing at McClellan on October 28, 1951:
So if these photos were taken in late '51 or '52, at least, then this XB-32 (the third prototype) was probably the last survivor after 42-108474 was scrapped at Davis-Monthan in August 1949.
From AviationArchaeology.com:
So if these photos were taken in late '51 or '52, at least, then this XB-32 (the third prototype) was probably the last survivor after 42-108474 was scrapped at Davis-Monthan in August 1949.
Re: XB-32 and B-29 on fire dump
Thu Aug 07, 2014 5:17 pm
There is one surviving piece of a Dominator. Maybe it came from the one in the picture?
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=51097
Scroll down once you get to the page.
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=51097
Scroll down once you get to the page.
Re: XB-32 and B-29 on fire dump
Thu Aug 07, 2014 8:14 pm
That wing panel came from a static test example; possibly this one:
Re: XB-32 and B-29 on fire dump
Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:15 pm
To the B-32 and P4M one might add the P6M Sea Master...
This reminds me of a weird dream I had a few weeks ago. In the dream, my dad had found some derelict retired firebombers in open storage and was showing them to me. I really only glimpsed them in the dream...but sitting there in the scrub, very ratty and looking sorry for themselves, were at least two dark blue Sea Masters (one of which I think was on beaching gear)...and at least two very dilapidated bright yellow B-36s...! The Sea Master would, I'm sure, have made quite the lake skimmer, in the manner of a PBY, CL215 or the iconic Mars...
S.
This reminds me of a weird dream I had a few weeks ago. In the dream, my dad had found some derelict retired firebombers in open storage and was showing them to me. I really only glimpsed them in the dream...but sitting there in the scrub, very ratty and looking sorry for themselves, were at least two dark blue Sea Masters (one of which I think was on beaching gear)...and at least two very dilapidated bright yellow B-36s...! The Sea Master would, I'm sure, have made quite the lake skimmer, in the manner of a PBY, CL215 or the iconic Mars...
S.
Re: XB-32 and B-29 on fire dump
Fri Aug 08, 2014 2:15 pm
To the B-32 and P4M one might add the P6M Sea Master...
This reminds me of a weird dream I had a few weeks ago. In the dream, my dad had found some derelict retired firebombers in open storage and was showing them to me. I really only glimpsed them in the dream...but sitting there in the scrub, very ratty and looking sorry for themselves, were at least two dark blue Sea Masters (one of which I think was on beaching gear)...and at least two very dilapidated bright yellow B-36s...! The Sea Master would, I'm sure, have made quite the lake skimmer, in the manner of a PBY, CL215 or the iconic Mars...
S.
(Sorry about the double post. Computer's behaving a bit oddly at the moment.)
This reminds me of a weird dream I had a few weeks ago. In the dream, my dad had found some derelict retired firebombers in open storage and was showing them to me. I really only glimpsed them in the dream...but sitting there in the scrub, very ratty and looking sorry for themselves, were at least two dark blue Sea Masters (one of which I think was on beaching gear)...and at least two very dilapidated bright yellow B-36s...! The Sea Master would, I'm sure, have made quite the lake skimmer, in the manner of a PBY, CL215 or the iconic Mars...
S.
(Sorry about the double post. Computer's behaving a bit oddly at the moment.)
Re: XB-32 and B-29 on fire dump
Fri Aug 08, 2014 5:13 pm
Steve T wrote:I really only glimpsed them in the dream...but sitting there in the scrub, very ratty and looking sorry for themselves, were at least two dark blue Sea Masters (one of which I think was on beaching gear)...and at least two very dilapidated bright yellow B-36s...!
Sounds like some new ideas for "what if" modeling!
Re: XB-32 and B-29 on fire dump
Tue Dec 30, 2014 11:34 pm
Truly a sad end for any aircraft - to be relegated to a fire dump - but the XB-32?? If you've read anything about the Dominator, from start to finish, that model seemed doomed.
While it may not have measured up to the B-29 - for many reasons - the B-32 is credited with being involved in the very last aerial engagement of WWII - in my humble opinion, more than enough reason to have saved at least one example for posterity.
In any event, there are many more things remaining of the B-32 Dominator than most people realize, aside from several nose/tail Turrets and the famous San Diego WING - which, by the way, is described in that park's handout literature as being from a B-24. I tried to do some photo comparisons of the B-24 & B-32 wing, but came to no definite conclusion as to the San Diego example's true origin. The only way would be to access the inside of the WING and look for a part number: 32 prefix for the Liberator and 33 for the Dominator.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Dominator's final disposition (as far as the Kingman 38 are involved) should visit this webpage: http://www.depot41.com/B32.htm
While it may not have measured up to the B-29 - for many reasons - the B-32 is credited with being involved in the very last aerial engagement of WWII - in my humble opinion, more than enough reason to have saved at least one example for posterity.
In any event, there are many more things remaining of the B-32 Dominator than most people realize, aside from several nose/tail Turrets and the famous San Diego WING - which, by the way, is described in that park's handout literature as being from a B-24. I tried to do some photo comparisons of the B-24 & B-32 wing, but came to no definite conclusion as to the San Diego example's true origin. The only way would be to access the inside of the WING and look for a part number: 32 prefix for the Liberator and 33 for the Dominator.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Dominator's final disposition (as far as the Kingman 38 are involved) should visit this webpage: http://www.depot41.com/B32.htm
Re: XB-32 and B-29 on fire dump
Tue Dec 30, 2014 11:48 pm
In reference to the above image with MST3K's characters: I've seen that image elsewhere curiously titled "EDWARDS DROP TEST". Now, Edwards AFB was named Muroc Army Air Base during WWII, so was the photo labeled sometime after WWII? Whether or not that be the case, it seems unlikely that the outer wing from this test ship would have been removed and carted all the way down to San Diego for display. From what I've read, the San Diego WING supposedly was left over after contract cancellation (San Diego built both the B-24 and several B-32s) and some quick-thinking individual(s) made the effort to save it.