The Douglas XB-31 was a was the design submitted by Douglas aviation company to US army air corp as a requirement of a long range heavy bombers. Around 1938, United States Army General Henry H. 'Hap' Arnold, the head of the Army Air Force, was growing alarmed at the possibility of war in Europe and in the Pacific. Hoping to be prepared for the long-term requirements of the Air Force ,Arnold created a special committee chaired by Brigadier General W. G. Kilner;,one of its members was Charles Lindbergh. After a tour of Luftwaffe bases, Lindbergh became convinced that Nazi Germany was far ahead of other European nations. Despite the promising design, it never progressed past the design stage, the reason is because the Boeing B-29 was already chosen to be main heavy bomber for Pacific theatre.
Specifications
- Crew: 8 (2 pilots, 4 gunners, 1 radioman, 1 radar technician)
- Length: 35,7m
- Wingspan:63.1 m
- Height:12,99m
- Wing area:310m²
- Empty weight:49,530 kg
- Loaded weight:60,870 kg
- Take off weight:89,800 kg
- Powerplant: 4x Pratt & Whittney Wasp Mayor radials
- Max speed:357mph
- Range:3000 miles
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