Douglas B-18 Bolo
Douglas · United States · first flew 1935 · bomber
The Douglas B-18 Bolo was the standard US Army Air Corps bomber of the late 1930s, selected over the Boeing Model 299 (prototype B-17) on cost grounds. Although technically inferior to the B-17, it equipped the bulk of USAAC bomb groups when the US entered WWII.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Distinctive deep oval fuselage nose with Plexiglas bombardier position |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Twin-engine USAAC bomber of the late 1930s, DC-2 wing/powerplant
- Distinctive deep oval fuselage nose with Plexiglas bombardier position
- Fixed or retractable undercarriage, Wright Cyclone engines
The B-18 has a distinctive fat, deep fuselage with a large oval glazed bombardier nose, Douglas DC-2 style twin Wright Cyclone engines, retractable main gear in long nacelles, and a broad mid-wing — more rotund than the B-17.
Specifications
- The Douglas B-18 Bolo has a length of 17.63 m (58 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 27.74 m (91 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 346 km/h (215 mph).
- Typical crew: 6.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in April 1935, the B-18 used the wing, engines, and undercarriage of the Douglas DC-2 airliner mated to a new deeper fuselage. It won the 1936 USAAC bomber competition and entered service in 1937. By Pearl Harbor it was already being replaced by the B-17, but B-18As were destroyed on the ground in the attack. Modified B-18Bs with radar served effectively in the ASW role over the Atlantic.
Variants
The B-18 was the original; the B-18A featured a redesigned nose with more glazing; the B-18B was an ASW conversion with search radar and depth charges, the most operationally effective post-1941 variant.
Where you'll see it
Served with USAAC and RCAF; B-18Bs sank several German U-boats in the Atlantic 1942–43. Rapidly phased out of front-line service by 1944.
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