Saturday, July 16, 2011

A Short History of Bombers-- Part 3

From the June 16th Chicago Tribune.

1940s and WORLD WAR II

EARLY 1940s:

Two medium bombers, the North American B-25 and the Martin B-26 are produced. The B-25 is used primarily throughout the Pacific Theater,including Doolittle's Raid). The B-26 is used in the European Theater.

1942:

The Boeing XB-29 Superfortress makes its initial flight. This long-range bomber is capable of carrying bomb loads as much as 20,000 pounds against targets as far away as 1,500 miles.


MID-1940s:

Jet engines are incorporated into the design of new bombers. The dual-jet engine Douglas XB-42A reaches a top speed of almost 500 mph.


1945:

The B-29s Enola Gay and Bochscar drop the first atomic bombs used as weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively.

Ended the War. --DaCoot

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