41-2401

media-45710.jpeg UPL 45710 XB-38 (B-17E-BO) #41-2401
Experimental aircraft to test inline Allison liquid cooled engines on a B-17 airframe.

Object Number - UPL 45710 - XB-38 (B-17E-BO) #41-2401 Experimental aircraft to test inline Allison liquid cooled engines on a B-17 airframe.

Delivered Douglas (Vega) as XB-38 with Allison V-1710 liquid cooled four-engine product assigned for USAAF to Lockheed-Vega to study four V-1710-89 V-12 liquid-cooled engines to contrast standard air-cooled Wright Cyclones along with other modifications. It first flew 19-May-43, but crash landed Tipton, Cal. 16-Jun-43 due to engine fire and one passenger killed. Salvaged. Never served in the UK

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Events

Event Location Date Description

Crashed

Tipton, CA 16 June 1943 While the XB-38 delivered a substantially higher top speed, its service ceiling was lower. After a few flights it had to be grounded due to a problem with engine manifold joints leaking exhaust gases. Following the fixing of this problem, testing continued until the ninth flight on June 16, 1943. During this flight, the third (right inboard) engine caught fire, and the crew was forced to bail out. The XB-38 was destroyed and the project was canceled, in part because the V-1710 engines were needed for other projects such as the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Bell P-39 Airacobra, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, North American P-51A Mustang, and Bell P-63 Kingcobra fighters.

Revisions

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

B-17 Flying Fortress Story - Roger Freeman

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 1-Jun-2015. Appended Model to title (convention used ofr aircraft that neve served in the UK); added Block Number , manufacturer, Edited Description (wrote out acronyms) converted dates to military-style signification per "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story", Roger A. Freeman with David Osborne.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log

41-2401: Gallery (1 items)