American Consolidated B-32 Dominator four-engine bomber of the US Air Force at the Hickam Field airfield in the Hawaiian Islands, USA. Pacific Theater of Combat Operations, World War II.
Location: Hickam Field, Hawaii, USA
Time when the photo was taken: 1938
Consolidated B-32 Dominator bomber:
The history of the Consolidated B-32 Dominator bomber began with the preparation of a successor to the Boeing B-17 flying fortress. This program eventually led to the development of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, but in June 1940 the USAAF command assigned the joint factories to work on a competitive bomber project if the XB-29 program was delayed.
According to assumptions, the new bomber was not supposed to be a further development of the Liberator B-24 design, but Consolidated engineers tried to use solutions that had proven themselves on its predecessor (including the tail and wings) to speed up design work. The power plant was to be the same type of engine used on the B-29, to reduce the cost of future operation of both types of vehicles (the B-32 was never intended to replace the B-29, but would only fill the gap if there were delays in deliveries Boeing bombers). The B-32 Dominator bomber would also have a pressurized cabin and remote-controlled small arms.