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| XB-28 | |
|---|---|
 North American XB-28 with engines running | |
| General information | |
| Type | High-altitudemedium bomber |
| Manufacturer | North American Aviation |
| Status | Prototype |
| Primary user | United States Army Air Forces |
| Number built | 2 |
| History | |
| First flight | 26 April 1942 |
| Developed from | North American B-25 Mitchell |
TheNorth American XB-28 (NA-63) was an aircraft proposed byNorth American Aviation to fill a strong need in theUnited States Army Air Corps for a high-altitudemedium bomber. It never entered production, with only two prototypes being built.
The order for a high-altitude mediumbomber was put out on 13 February 1940; the XB-28 first flew on 26 April1942. The XB-28 was based onNorth American Aviation's highly successfulB-25 Mitchell, but as it evolved it became a completely new design, much more reminiscent of theMartin B-26 Marauder. The overall configuration of the B-25 and XB-28 were fairly similar; the most important distinction was that the twin tail of the B-25 was changed to a single tail on the XB-28. It was among the first combat aircraft with apressurized cabin.
The XB-28 proved an excellent design, with significantly better performance than that of the B-25, but it was never put into production. High-altitude bombing was hampered significantly by factors such as clouds and wind, which were frequent occurrences in thePacific. At the same time, medium bombers were becoming much more effective at lower altitudes. The gains in aircraft performance that came with high-altitude flight were not considered sufficient to justify switching from low-altitude bombing.
In recent years, the name "Dragon" has been attributed to the XB-28. However, this name is not used in any contemporary accounts, or by the U.S. Air Force Museum site; it was almost unheard of, in that era, for an aircraft to receive an official nickname before a production order was placed, and theDouglas B-23 Dragon was already in service with the same name.
Even though theArmy Air Forces rejected the XB-28 as a bomber, they ordered another prototype. DesignatedXB-28A, it was meant to explore the possibility of use as a reconnaissance aircraft. The XB-28Acrashed into thePacific Ocean offSouthern California after the crew bailed out on 4 August 1943.[1]
Data from[2]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
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Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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