North American XB-28 Dragon

The North American XB-28 Dragon (NA-63) was an aircraft proposed by North American Aviation to fill a strong need in the United States Army Air Corps for a high-altitude medium bomber. It never entered production, with only two prototypes being built.

XB-28 Dragon
North American XB-28 with engines running
Role High-altitude medium bomber
Manufacturer North American Aviation
First flight 26 April 1942
Status Prototype
Primary user United States Army Air Forces
Number built 2
Developed from North American B-25 Mitchell

Design and development
Side view of the North American XB-28.

The order for a high-altitude medium bomber was put out on 13 February 1940; the XB-28 first flew on 26 April 1942. The XB-28 was based on North American Aviation's highly successful B-25 Mitchell, but as it evolved it became a completely new design, much more reminiscent of the Martin B-26 Marauder. The overall configuration of the B-25 and XB-28 were fairly similar; the most important distinction was that the twin tail of the B-25 was changed to a single tail on the XB-28. It was among the first combat aircraft with a pressurized cabin.

The XB-28 proved an excellent design, with significantly better performance than that of the B-25, but it was never put into production. High-altitude bombing was hampered significantly by factors such as clouds and wind, which were frequent occurrences in the Pacific. At the same time, medium bombers were becoming much more effective at lower altitudes. The gains in aircraft performance that came with high-altitude flight were not considered sufficient to justify switching from low-altitude bombing.

Testing and evaluation

Even though the Army Air Forces rejected the XB-28 as a bomber, they ordered another prototype. Designated XB-28A, it was meant to explore the possibility of use as a reconnaissance aircraft. The XB-28A crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Southern California after the crew bailed out on 4 August 1943.[1]

Specifications (XB-28A)
3-view line drawing of the North American XB-28 Dragon
3-view line drawing of the North American XB-28 Dragon

Data from [2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: Five
  • Length: 56 ft 4 in (17.17 m)
  • Wingspan: 72 ft 6 in (22.10 m)
  • Height: 22 ft 0 in (6.71 m)
  • Wing area: 675.9 sq ft (62.79 m2)
  • Empty weight: 25,575 lb (11,601 kg)
  • Gross weight: 35,763 lb (16,222 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 39,135 lb (17,751 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 18 cyl. air-cooled radial turbosupercharged piston engines, 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 372 mph (599 km/h, 323 kn) at 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
  • Cruise speed: 255 mph (410 km/h, 222 kn)
  • Range: 2,040 mi (3,280 km, 1,770 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 34,800 ft (10,600 m)
  • Rate of climb: 1,111 ft/min (5.64 m/s)
  • Wing loading: 52.87 lb/sq ft (258.1 kg/m2)
  • Power/mass: 0.112 hp/lb (184 W/kg)

Armament

  • Guns: 6 × .50 caliber (12.7mm) M2 machine guns in remote-sighted turrets
  • Bombs: Normal 2,000 lb (910 kg), Maximum 4,000 lb (1,800 kg)

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References
  1. Dean, Jack. "The Charge Of The Light Brigade". Airpower, Granada Hills, California, Volume 28, Number 6, November 1998. p. 9.
  2. Norton, Bill. American Bomber Aircraft Development in World War 2. Hersham, Surrey, UK: Midland Publishing, 2012. ISBN 978-1-85780-330-3. p. 68.
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