The Lockheed XB-30 (company model L-249)Stringfellow and Bowers 1992, p. 31. was the design submitted by Lockheed after the request by the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

for a very heavy bomber, the same request that led to the

Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the Bo ...

, the Douglas XB-31 and

Consolidated B-32 Dominator The Consolidated B-32 Dominator (Consolidated Model 34) was an American heavy strategic bomber built for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. A B-32 was involved in the last air combat engagement of the war, resulting in the ...

Design and development

Around 1938, General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, the head of the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

, 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 Corps, Arnold created a special committee chaired by Brigadier General Walter G. Kilner; one of its members was

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, and author. On May 20–21, 1927, he made the first nonstop flight from New York (state), New York to Paris, a distance of . His aircra ...

. After a tour of ''

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

'' bases, Lindbergh became convinced that

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was far ahead of other European nations. In a 1939 report, the committee made a number of recommendations, including development of new long-range heavy bombers. When war broke out in Europe, Arnold requested design studies from several companies on a Very Long-Range bomber capable of traveling . Approval was granted on 2 December 1939. Based on the design of the Lockheed L-049 (subsequently adopted by the

as the

C-69 C69 or C-69 may refer to: * Bill C-69, a 2019 act of the Parliament of Canada * Caldwell 69, a planetary nebula * Eye neoplasm * , a County-class heavy cruisers of the Royal Navy * Lockheed C-69 Constellation The Lockheed C-69 Constellation ...

), the L-249 never progressed past the design stage, mainly because

Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...

had a head start with its

, using the same Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone radials as the XB-30 was intended to use. Only a scale model was built. Retaining the wings and tail surfaces of the Model 49, the Model 249-58-01 was to have had a new fuselage with up to six gun turrets (one in the nose, two above and two below the fuselage, and one in the tail) housing ten .50-caliber guns—twinned up in each turret for the nose, dorsal, and ventral emplacements; and one 20-mm cannon for the tail defensive position. Ventral bomb bays were to accommodate eight bombs.

Specifications (as proposed)

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * Stringfellow, Curtis K., and Peter M. Bowers. ''Lockheed Constellation''. St. Paul, Minnesota: Motorbooks, 1992.

External links

USAF Museum — XB-30 Factsheet
{{USAF bomber aircraft B-030 Four-engined tractor aircraft Low-wing aircraft Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United States XB-30 Four-engined piston aircraft Triple-tail aircraft Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear

Design and development

Specifications (as proposed)

See also

References

External links