Boeing XB-38 Flying Fortress

Vega Aircraft Corporation · United States · first flew 1943 · bomber

The XB-38 was a one-off B-17 Flying Fortress converted by Vega (a Lockheed subsidiary) to test liquid-cooled Allison V-1710 engines as a hedge against shortages of the standard Wright Cyclone radials.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	4 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	22.56 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Standard B-17 Flying Fortress airframe with liquid-cooled inline engines instead of the usual radials
Slim, pointed engine nacelles in place of the B-17's round cowlings
Otherwise identical silhouette to a wartime B-17F

The slim, pointed inline-engine nacelles in place of the B-17's familiar round radial cowlings are the only visible difference from a standard Flying Fortress.

Specifications

The Boeing XB-38 Flying Fortress has a length of 22.56 m (74 ft).
It has a wingspan of 31.67 m (104 ft).
Its maximum speed is 526 km/h (327 mph).
Typical crew: 10.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Converted from a production B-17 airframe, it first flew in 1943 and initially showed a useful speed increase over the standard radial-engined B-17, but the programme ended when the sole prototype suffered an engine fire and crashed.

Variants

No other B-17s were converted to the Allison-engined configuration; the standard Wright Cyclone-powered B-17 remained in full production throughout the war.

Where you'll see it

It never reached combat or series production; radial engine supplies proved adequate, removing the need for the Allison-powered alternative.

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