the RAF and USAAF went into
World War II with the fervent belief that the bomber would always get through no matter how dense their opponent's air
defenses bombers would still be able to slip through and wipe out their intended targets however against the determined
opposition of the Luftwaffe it wasn't long before they were questioning
their faith in this military Doctrine even with the most sophisticated turret
defenses of the time bomber losses were heavy as the Allies clawed their way deeper into
Europe and looked to make a decisive blow against Japan they could not be complacent
new strategies in technology were needed to ensure victory against two ever
more desperate and deadly enemies when the usaaf began their bombing campaign
in Europe The Hope was that tightly boxed formations of heavily armed B-17s would be almost
impenetrable to German Interceptor attacks however The Luftwaffe's Fighters always seemed to find a
way to crack the defenses of the flying fortresses as losses mounted USAAF commanders searched for an
answer. one idea they'd come up with is to create a B-17 gunship the YB-40 so what they do is they
add another top turret to the B-17 the waste gun position is increased to 250 caliber machine
guns they're power assisted they also mount a chin turret on the front of the B-17 throw a whole
bunch of ammunition into it and what they do is they were inserting these YB-40s gunships into
the formations of B-17s as they went to Germany and their job was to add extra Firepower
into the formation. unfortunately for the YB-40 once the bomber formations had released
their bomb loads their speed increased but the YB-40s didn't so they tended to get left
behind and were extremely ineffective at the end of the day I think they managed to shoot
down two two Luftwaffe fighters in in their appearance in the European theater so their
appearance is short and and they make a quick exit as an escort gunship the
YB-40 was a complete failure 48 sorties were recorded. just five German Fighters
were claimed shot down for the loss of one gunship the extra weight of guns and additional
turrets slowed the YB-40. after bomb drop it could not keep Pace with the rest of the
formation despite the failure the Bendix chin turret was incorporated into the new B-17G
giving it a total of twelve 50 caliber machine guns in Germany turret development soon caught up with
the Allies known as The scourge of the Atlantic the Focker Wulf FW-200 was one of the most
heavily armed for engine bombers to see Luftwaffe service equipped with a forward dorsal powered top
turret the FW-200 was earned with up to three 20 millimeter cannons two 7.92 millimeter waste guns
and one rear dorsal 13-millimeter machine gun it was a formidable opponent but it had a weakness
structurally there was some weak point in the fuselage because there are quite a number of cases
of this aircraft Landing quite heavily Laden at times and breaking Midway down the fuselage I've
seen at least three photos of this happening at Bordeaux Mérignac for the Focker-Wulf 200C The
Kurier was best for anti Atlantic work the Heinkel He-177 reaching service in
October 1942 the He-177 was heavily armed it was the first and only heavy German bomber
to mount a remote controlled dorsal turret long before the B-29 appeared even with 720 millimeter
13 millimeter and 7.92 millimeter cannons and machine guns the He-177 was restricted to
strictly Maritime and nighttime bombing operations The Messerschmitt Me-410 designed to replace
the Me-110 the Me-410 was the first twin-engine fighter to be equipped with an advanced rear
defense system operated by the rear observer this remote gun system provided good protection over
the entire rear hemisphere with very little drag during 1943 the B-17F or the brunt of
early deep penetration rates into Germany losses were horrendous American commanders clung to the idea of the self-defending
bomber despite the staggering losses with the introduction of the B-17g
with the chin mounted Bendix turret and improved tail turret it was
still vulnerable to fighter attack like the B-17 the Consolidated B-24 Liberator
entered service with more handheld guns than turrets. entering RAF service first British
B-24s were equipped with two Boulton Paul top and tail turrets each was armed
with four 303 caliber machine guns in early combat the B-24 like the B-17 was
vulnerable to head-on attacks the B-24J model addressed the problem with a nose-mounted
Emerson or Consolidated turret armed with two 50 caliber machine guns it also carried a Martin top
turret Sperry ball and a Consolidated tail turret even with four powered turrets the B-24 was
still vulnerable against determining Luftwaffe fighter attacks in the end the Mast formations
of B-17s and B-24s could not defend themselves interestingly enough during the Battle of
Britain the Luftwaffe fights their battles and sends their bomber creatures over to
England using fighter escort during the Battle of France the liftoff learns that their
bombers are not invulnerable to fighter attack they face for the first time monoplane fighters
like the Spitfire, Hurricane and the Curtis P-36 from the French Air Force and even though
they're victorious in France and Belgium and the Netherlands the losses they suffered
during that battle are quite high and they begin to realize that they're bombers their Heinkels
their JU-88s their Dorniers and even the JU-87 without fighter escort are vulnerable to fighter
attack so during the entire Battle of Britain the Germans used fighter escort to escort their
bombers into England of course this lesson is not learned on the Americans and they continue with
the idea that their bombers in the future would be invulnerable to fighter attack by late 1943
the solution was clear only long-range escort Fighters equipped with drop tanks could provide
the heavy bombers with the protection they needed in over three and a half years of war the USAAF
Lost 6,866 bombers to fighters, flak and accidents. as the Americans pounded German targets by
day and the RAF used a cover of darkness to attack Germany at night losses to the
Luftwaffe night Fighters began to rise new four-engine bombers like a Short Stirling
Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax were introduced starting in 1941. each was equipped
with three power turrets but it wasn't enough the Short Stirling was the first
RAF heavy bomber to enter surface equipped with Frazer-Nash nose, dorsal
and tail turrets it was armed with just six 303-inch caliber machine guns. The
Handley Hage Halifax introduced in 1942 the Mark 1 was equipped with the Boulton
Paul nose mid-upper and tail turrets the Boulton Paul Type E rear turret
was the most heavily armed with four 303 inch machine guns and one of the
most successful turrets ever produced it also has to be remembered that the uh
the British bombers like the Short Stirling Handley Page Halifax and Avro Lancaster were all
designed to be day bombers so when the British adopted their night bombing techniques they
were using a bomber force that was largely equipped for daylight operations now all the
new heavy bombers that the British introduced in 42 they were all equipped with power turrets
but they were armed only with Browning 303 inch machine guns which were basically
rifle caliber guns uh it was a weak Armament and they hadn't really studied how the turret
defenses would work at night because now at night the bombers would be flying as individual
aircraft they would not be flying in formation and have the mutual protection of a large number
of guns and overlapping fire so they had to figure out how to use their trained gunners and turrets
at night and that was a very difficult process Developed from the failure of the Avro Manchester
the Avro Lancaster was the Supreme bomb carrier powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlin's it
was equipped with Frazer-Nash turrets in the nose, mid upper, and tail positions. like
the Stirling and Halifax it was one of the most lightly armed heavy bombers of the war
just eight rifle caliber 303 inch machine guns designed as a day bomber the Lancaster's
turrets were even less effective at night German night Fighters armed with 20 millimeter
any 30 millimeter cannons simply outgunned and outranged it. The nose turret was all but useless
German night fighters never attack head on. the top turret saw a little action. Tail Gunners were
the most active but their contribution was minor spotting an approaching night fighter
was difficult let alone shooting it down it's not so surprising RAF bomber command was
slow to acknowledge a Lancaster had shot down a speedy Me-262. Eric wells in charge of
electronic countermeasures recalls his experience. In fact our aircraft shot down an
Me-262 the authorities would never allow us to confirm it but I saw it in my own eyes. my three
broad blocking Transmitters were working so I took a moment to go up to the front sit by
the by the bomb aimer who was also the front gunner and as I got there this aircraft was definitely the ****02?
and he opened a short this person the thing just blew up but the authorities
wouldn't accept it. there is a note in my thing enemy aircraft shot down but they would
not have it as a 262 but it was a 262 the role of RAF Gunners at night was far different
from their American counterparts. many RAF Pilots did not want their Gunners to open fire Gunners
were strictly used as Lookouts warning Pilots of approaching Fighters many Pilots use evasive
maneuvers like the corkscrew in order to survive it was either Corkscrew left or Corkscrew right
when the maneuver was called it would basically turn hard left or hard right and then would go
down into maneuver where it would basically do a corkscrew where it would throw off the the
enemy Fighter's aim and the contact I mean at night it's really essential the radar will
give you an early contact it'll give you a zone of sky to look for but until you get a visual
and can lock in on that visual then you're not going to get an a really essential aiming
point which is what they were looking for German night fighter tactics were simple after
locking onto a bomber with the radar they would approach from below and the rear they also had
a secret weapon the Heinkel 219 won the very Innovative and successful features it had was
Schräge Musik this was system where I by on top of the cockpit just between the two crew
were two 30 millimeter cannon inclined forward at an angle of 60 degrees with Schräge Musik you
just flew under the aircraft identified it if it was the enemy you then just blasted off
with your cannon and you've got him under the belly and the interesting thing is on the first ever
sortie operational sortie made by the Heinkel 219 it killed six Lancasters in one swipe. The British
Heavies had no defense against attacks from below a small number of Lancasters and Halifaxes were
fitted with the Frazer-Nash FN-64 under gun turret aiming through the periscope site proved
difficult to overcome and it was soon deleted just like there were American counterparts
British heavy bomber losses began to mount March 30th 1944 the RAF sent 795 bombers
to Nuremberg on that clear moonlit night 95 heavy bombers were shot down for RAF
bomber command it's a complete disaster unable to defend themselves the RAF's
heavy bombers were at a clear disadvantage even before the Nuremberg raid RAF
loss rates were climbing steadily to help defend the bombers the RAF formed a top
secret Electronics countermeasure unit known as number 100 group its job was to disrupt and jam
German radar and nightfighter Communications what the turrets couldn't do they
would with powerful Airborne jammers flying high above the main bomber stream
specially modified Lancasters pumped out a constant stream of electronic noise some of the
lancasters also carry german-speaking personnel their job was to tune in to
Luftwaffe nightfighter radio frequencies and give false
and misleading instructions the RAF Lancasters had a normal crew of seven but
the special operators as we were known as the ABC operator we were number eight our position was
a curtain put place right at the bottom steps beneath the mid upper Gunner at the center of the
aircraft. our job was to monitor German frequency players had Top Secret in those days you go
on top of the blue flicker switch that would eliminate that I had three transmitters so I could
disturb three trans submissions at the same time and we were of course very vulnerable first
of all because of the visual antennas and secondly because of the fact that we
were broadcasting so they could come at us but we had a device called they had a device
called the Veneto Beacon which would Vector them onto us and we had a device where we could
bend that Beacon so instead of it pointing towards us it bented and they were flying alongside out
beneath us thinking they were on the right Beacon it's a very clever thing
that at the time was brilliant so secret was their job that not even the
crew they flew with knew what they were doing they kept us well apart from the others and then I
say we were sworn to secrecy because we couldn't talk we had and it's not even the captain our skipper knew what
we were doing no one knew it's completely and utterly secret and we were the most unpopular
guys on the bloody Squadron I can tell you by War's end some Lancasters were equipped
with the automatic gun laying radar and two 50 caliber machine guns in the tail
the radar had its limitations the IFF identification, Friend, or Foe system had to
work perfectly even with 99 IFF accuracy it was estimated that four times as many bombers
would be shot down compared to night fighters in total RAF bomber command
lost 5,940 heavy bombers in sharp contrast just 260 of the Speedy
turretless mosquito bombers were lost the Boeing B-29 super Fortress the
ultimate expression of the self-defending bomber the B-29 was a Marvel of Technology
fully pressurized it could fly over 3,000 Miles and carry up to 20 000
pounds of bombss its most unique feature was the Revolutionary General
Electric remote control turret system Gunners no longer had to strap themselves into
cold cramped turrets equipped with four remote controlled turrets and a gunner in the tail the
B-29 bristled with twelve 50 caliber machine guns there were four assigned Gunners three manned
turrets from the pressurized position just after the wing. The upper and two side blister Gunners
controlled the upper aft turrets and lower rear turrets. the Bombardier or Navigator controlled
the front top and lower turrets the tail Gunner operated hits alone designed to allow one
gunner to control two turrets at once it doubled his firepower at the flick of a switch so
in 1944 probably one of the greatest bombers ever developed during World War II enter service it's
the Boeing B-29 it's streamlined it's fast it has great high altitude performance it has a Norden
bombsight but it's also equipped with the world's first remote controlled turret system developed
by General Electric the system is quite accurate each turret is controlled by an analog computer
and what the computer does is it takes care of speed, bullet drop, humidity, temperature
and Lead so the gunner in the B-29 does not have to worry about all those things all the B-29
gunner has to do is steadily lead his target and the computer will align the guns onto the target
and all the gunner has to do is pull the trigger What made it all work were the five central fire
control computers these computers analyze the gunsight information Parallax, ballistics
and deflection electrical signals were then sent to the corresponding turrets moving
the guns into the right firing position as long as the Gunner tracked his target smoothly
and adjusted for range the system was effective but it wasn't enough improvements were continually
being made the AN/APG-15B gun laying radar first installed in the B-29B. The new radar
was advertised as a can't miss system designed to log on to incoming enemy Fighters
the radar proved unreliable and ineffective fortunately for B-29 crews Japanese
fighter defenses were feeble at best. after over 31 000 sorties over the Japanese
home Islands Fighters shot down only 74 B-29s all told 360 B-29s were lost to all causes as
effective as the turret system was on the B-29 like the Germans the Japanese were quick to
adopt and discover one of the weaknesses in the B-29 which again was head-on attack there
was a certain area in front of the B-29 where the guns could not depress enough to cover that
area so the Japanese always tried to make head-on attacks as much as possible. But also to the
Japanese air defense at the time in 1944 was quite anemic they didn't have a lot of fighters
they didn't have a lot of well-trained Crews and at the height the B-29s flew their
performance of their fighters at high altitude was extremely poor so what they adopted
was a sort of kamikaze method of attacking the B-29 which was ramming so they developed
special ramming units now it wasn't quite a certain death for the pilots a lot of times
what they tried to do is crash their aircraft into the B-29 and hopefully bail out but it was
an extremely risky job and required a great deal of pilot training in order to you know get your
fighter crashing into another B-29. As in Europe the long-range P-51 escort fighter would prove
the best defense against enemy fighter attacks Korea 1951. B-29 Gunners face their greatest
threat the Soviet-built MiG-15 Swept Wing Fighter armed with two 23 millimeter and one 37 millimeter
cannon the MiG-15 was a true bomber killer with its high speed and immense Firepower it
MiG-15 could fire well outside the B-29s range for most B-29 gunners the Swift MiG-15
was little more than a distant blur unable to cope with the fast attacking MiGs the
B-29s were forced to abandon all daylight raids The Korean War and the buildup of
nuclear weapons ushered in a new era The Cold War Soviet Russia was now the enemy armed with
atomic bombs the U.S. and the Soviet Union now stood toe-to-toe in a world defined
by mad mutually assured destruction early nuclear weapons were big and bulky
devices getting them to a target required an aircraft with InterContinental range
Enter the Convair B-36 designed to bomb Germany from the U.S. the B-36 continued the
false belief in the self-defending bomber the B-36 was a behemoth a wingspan of 230 feet
with six three thousand horsepower radial engines armed with sixteen 20 millimeter cannon and eight
remote controlled turrets the B-36 was the most heavily armed strategic bomber ever produced
the turrets however proved problematic recoil vibration affected the electrical wiring vacuum
tubes were Jarred loose causing some electronics to malfunction even with its powered turrets the
B-36's ability to defend itself was still an issue several parasite fighter concepts were tried
including a trapeze mounted fighter in the Bombay and wingtip mounted RF-84Fs the concept
met with limited success and was soon abandoned at the same time that the Air Force was
developing the monster-sized B-36 they were also looking into a much smaller and cheaper
bomber and one with Advanced turrets of its own at the end of World War II Douglas
created prototypes for an Innovative experimental bomber the XB-42 also known as
the Mixmaster. this was a pusher aircraft with two engines in the fuselage driving a pair
of Contra rotating propellers in the tail placing the props in the tail not only
produced a more aerodynamic design it also left a room in the wings for rear
firing retractable machine gun turrets although these aircraft could
fly at record-setting speeds and a jet-powered variant was in
the works the project was shelfed. the swept Wing Boeing B-47 along
with the B-52 spelled the end of the power turret but not the Stinger's tail both aircraft were equipped with early remote
controlled tail turrets early versions of the B-47 carry 250 caliber machine guns later
up gun into the two 20 millimeter cannon the B-52 Strato Fortress operational since
1955 the B-52 was the longest serving combat aircraft in the U.S Air Force service it's also
credited with the last air-to-air victories using a powered turret. the early B-52s
the A model through F were equipped with a man tail turret armed with four 50 caliber
machine gun and the A3A Fire Control System the G-model moved the Gunner to the forward
crew compartment but retained the 450 caliber machine guns Armament in the B-52H changed
to a single 20 millimeter Vulcan Cannon December 18 1972 operation linebacker 2.
B-52 strike Targets in North Vietnam the North Vietnamese Air Force reacts with intense
Flak, Sam's and MiG interceptors the B-52 tail Gunners were ready turning away from their target
B-52 tail Gunner staff sergeant Samuel Turner tracked an incoming MiG-21 both engaged the
Radars once in range Samuel Unleashed his quad 50 calibers scoring hits on the MiG-21 seconds
later the MiG-21 exploded just out of the bomb witnessed by another B-52 tail Gunner the kill
was confirmed six days later tail gunner Airman First Class Albert Moore claimed another MiG-21
these two claims however were never confirmed by the North Vietnamese Air Force they were the last
fighters to be shot down by a powered gun turret today the power turret has all
but disappeared there are however a few bombers that still have the stingers tail the tupolev tu-95 bear like the
B-52 the tu-95 is a cold war classic a gunner still mends the rear turret but his job
is all but obsolete isolated from the rest of the crew it can be a lonely proposition the crew air
Commodore Phil Wilkinson recalls the complications of extracting the tail Gunner for a photograph
at the fairford air show the tail Gunner where was he well answer there's no through way
through the airplane to get to it and although he was able to climb in whilst at base he climbed in
by going up onto the revetment opening the hatch and getting in from ground level as it were we're
now on the ground at fairford and he's about 22 feet above the ground and he can open his hatch
but he can't get out So eventually and it took a long time we found somebody with a ladder and as
he came and we then had the complete team photo today the Strategic bomber relies on speed stealth
and a vast array of electronic countermeasures for protection the era of the manned power
turret was a short unsuccessful experiment while Marvel's of Technology they could never
overcome the Grim realities of air-to-wear combat in the end it was the fighter
that always got through This is the consolidated B-36 intercontinental bomber, sometimes referred to as the Peacemaker or the big stick. It was the largest conventional warplane ever built. It had tremendous range and a great payload, with its six piston engines turning and later, four more jets burning the B-36 for many years projected America's military might. It was a monstrous airplane. It's had six engines and they were pusher props. Now later on they hung jet pods on the ends of the wing, but the early models were were all piston engines, uh pushers. It was a huge airplane. And it was. It was designed, then, to carry atomic weapons. But by the mid 50s, its sheer size, cruciform shape and middling performance worked against it in a world of pure jets. However, in its heyday, the 36 was the very pinnacle of successful giantism. Rather surprising, given that a decade and a half earlier, the United States had all but abandoned the idea of operating massive aircraft known as XBLRs or the experimental bomber long range. The first attempt, the XBLR -1, resulted in the Boeing XP-15. This was an ambitious and useful experiment that demonstrated the importance of four engined bombers. The XP-15 carried a crew of 10. However, it's 150 foot wingspan proved too large for practical use. But Boeing's next offering, the XB-17, which followed a year later, perfectly met the needs of the army. Despite the Army Air Force's decision not to proceed with the XB-15, the political mood in 1938 was undergoing a sea change. With the acquisition of total power by the Nazi Party, American military planners had to contemplate a scenario of German domination of Europe, including Britain. In America in 1938, the question being secretly asked was what if Britain did fall? Perhaps the only way of striking back at the Axis powers in Europe was with the once dismissed experimental bomber long range. The XBLR- 2 came together as the XB-19. Somewhat bigger than the XB-15. And in fact, bigger than any other aircraft in the world at that time. It was to be built by Douglas Aircraft in California. However, by the time the B-19 first flew, the Battle of Britain had already been won when a few hundred pilots of RAF Fighter Command were just able to halt the Nazi juggernaut. Notwithstanding these events, the B-19 project continued. Some indication of the project size can be gained from the scope of its planning. The XB-19 required no less than four acres of drawings, 500 engineers and more than two million hours of R&D and construction. The wings on their own had a 212 foot span and were over one tenth of an acre in actual size. The wings also held four giant engines. Each one had more than twice the power of those on the B-15 predecessor. The B-19 even had its own hoists for changing the 16 foot propellers and was able to lift its own massive engines on and off the wings. Each wing contained a lighted passageway enabling. Crew to reach the engines in flight. The two massive main tires were 8 foot high and each was of 24 ply, using 150 miles of rayon cord and three miles of steel wire. Such were the proportions of what Douglas liked to refer to as their hemispheric defender. In theory, this behemoth flying machine could fly more than 1/3 of the distance around the world without refueling, perhaps reaching parts of Europe and the return trip too. On June 27th, 1941, the B-19 made its first flight from Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica to March Air Force Base. Despite various suggestions to the local press at the time, the B-19 was really a proof of concept aircraft to explore what could be learned about building giant aircraft. The B-19 also presented the same problems and lengthy delays as Boeing had endured with its four year development of the B-15. Knowing that many of the lessons recently learned were already becoming obsolete. Douglas suggested that the B-19 be abandoned. However, the army remained firm that the XBLR-2 would be delivered. In fact, the Douglas Company's view may have been quite sound, as the war had necessitated that the two prototype long range bombers be ordered six months before the B-19 ever flew. The Northrop B-35 and its competitor, the enormous consolidated B-36, would use whatever data could be migrated from Douglas. In fact, the B-35's design was a totally different concept, relying upon advanced flying wing aerodynamics to gain maximum range, an idea that was far ahead of its time. Nevertheless, it was the consolidated XB-36 which the Air Force adopted. It was a symbol, a pure 1940s giantism, and likely would have benefited from some of the ideas incorporated in the B-19. However, it was a virtual flying gas tank, carrying with it all the fuel it needed for a there and back European mission. The Second World War had come and gone before consolidated giant reach production. And as Britain did not fall to Germany, the 36's absence had no impact on the conflict. Although its presence became critical in the Cold War that followed. It was during this potentially cataclysmic test that America's peacemaker rarely came of age. The newly formed Strategic Air Command under General Curtis Lemay would regularly fly to far distant territories just to demonstrate its enormous reach. It was all a very effective show of force, although by the mid 50s one that was starting to be questioned. The airplane that flew like a glider. It was easy to fly. Anybody could have flown it with five hours of stick time. It was a beautiful airplane. It's good. That they never had to fly military missions, even with the four jet engines which were placed on later. The success of an earlier Strategic Air Command gamble with the B-47 Stratojet medium bomber demonstrated the need for a faster swept wing all jet power heavy bomber. Yet consolidated felt they could still provide a ready answer. The B-60 arrived after a stand at 36 fuselage was married to swept wings and tail surfaces. It was propelled by 8 turbojet engines. The concept would have been economical, but advances in in flight refuelling made it no longer necessary for massive fuel loads to be carried. The age of Giantism was coming to an end. Strategic Air Command wanted a smaller, faster and more sophisticated heavy bomber and Boeing B-52 Stratofortress fitted the bill. And in terms of years of service for dollars spent, the B-52 was able to adapt and evolve in a way Convairs's big stick never could. Still, credit where it's due. The B-36 was for a number of years, America's sole intercontinental bomber. And served as an effective deterrent, appropriately earning the type its other nickname, the Peacemaker. In aviation terms, Konstantin Kalinin's K7 was a classic exercise of early 1930s giantism. A massive aircraft for the time. And indeed for years to come, it was destined to break much new ground and many hearts during its relatively short career. Despite the K-7's massive 175 foot wingspan, which was almost twice the aircraft's length. It was not particularly hard to fly or even to handle. This was due to the fact that it employed A servo tab system on the control surfaces. These allowed the moving surfaces to be literally flown into position with very little effort from the pilot. We were very interested in type of controls because they were server tab controls. At least half of them were server tab and half were normal controls. They work together and It's offers a lot of advantages in lightning up the controls and it also they are very much less liable to enemy fire. They're not as vulnerable if you strike the controls, you don't really put them out of action. You've got to put the small tab out of action and that's a very different cup of tea. For all that, the K-7 even with its seven engines was not the largest winged aircraft ever built. That distinction was still to be held by the German Dornier DO-X flying boat, which was first flown in 1929. This behemoth aircraft was actually powered by no less than 12 engines and carried passengers who enjoyed unparalleled luxury. three DO-Xs were built and flew with relatively few mishaps, although they were never really practical or economically viable. However, also in 1929 another German manufacturer, Junkers, offered its G-38. Two were built and like the K-7 that followed, they were giant land plans, but not as large as the DO-X . The G-38s were nevertheless big, and they also shared something else with K-7. Both aircraft were more or less flying wings with a limited fuselage purely to support the tail plan for added stability. With both the K-7 and the G-38, nearly all the aircraft's vital components were placed in their massive wings. The K-7 wing was particularly interesting as Kalinin chose an elliptical shape similar to that later employed on the British Spitfire, the American Thunderbolt, and some German Heinkel designs. Elliptical wings, although more difficult to make, have some aerodynamic advantages. The K-7 would have had the largest elliptical wings ever made. Kalinin's vision for the K-7 was that there should be three different versions. First, the heavy bomber. This concept would rely upon tremendous defensive fire. The two narrow booms that supported the tail would each house Gunners, who would be able to reach their positions with the aid of their own power trolleys connected to the main wing. There were also many other gun positions. The K-7 bristled with machine guns and cannons. There were even gun positions in each of the enormous pontoons that also housed the undercarriage. Kalinin also foresaw the K-7 as a giant military transport, which could carry large numbers of troops and other heavy loads that might even include light tanks, a capability that Soviet military planners had long been interested in. Finally, the K-7 was also seen as a luxury airliner, a passenger plane to challenge even the opulence of the DO-X. And the exact opposite of what the proletariat revolution was supposed to have been all about. However, if Kalinin's ambition could see no limits to what might be done, a small group of Soviet planners were starting to rethink what had been done. 1933, the year that K-7 first flew, was also the year that the Nazi party came to power in Germany. Now there were two large dictatorships, fascism and communism. Both looking to influence Europe with their own dogma for a new world order and both were highly militaristic. However, there were differences in the needs and thinking of the two powers. Germany would ultimately turn to using larger numbers of two engine bombers and in contrast the Soviets, having to contemplate much greater distances, could see the need for a larger four engined aircraft, although nothing like the size or cost of Kalinin's K-7. Soviet planners started to look more closely at a simpler design that they already had. The TB-3 from the Tupolev Bureau was much smaller than the K-7, with an all up weight of about half of Kalinin's design. True, we'd had none of the sophistication of the K-7, However, it was a proven concept, affordable and most important adaptable. Later versions even succeeded in towing a light tank fitted as a glider. The only time in history such a task was ever achieved, the TB-3 became a workhorse of the Soviet Army and went on to provide years of valuable work long after it's expected service life. About the time that the K-7 made its first flight, the United States Army was itself putting together specifications for another very heavy bomber under what would be known as Project A. The Boeing Company was to be the successful contender with its model 294. Not quite as big as K-7, but still a very large aircraft indeed. Entering production, the 294 was given the service prefix XB-15. Only one example was ordered because the XB-15 was seen purely as a flying laboratory to test the pros and cons of giant aircraft. From concept to 1st flight. The project actually took over four years to complete. Such was the difficulty developing extra large aircraft. A year after issuing specifications for the XB-15, the Army Air Corps released another requirement for a multi engine bomber. Boeing, amongst other companies were again given a contract to build prototypes. Boeing's XB-17 was flying within one year. By the end of 1945 over 12,700 fortresses had been built and the Second World War come and gone. By contrast, only the one XB-15 was ever completed. However, it served its purpose. Both the U.S. and the Soviets had adequately demonstrated that a large four engine bomber could be a practical proposition, but not if it was too sophisticated or too complicated. The B-17 and TB-3 were basic and reliable. What happened to K-7? In November of 1933, during its 11th test flight, it crashed the result of structural failure. 15 people died in the accident. Although the project did continue for a while with two other prototypes commissioned, they were never finished. With the TB-3 and later the PE-8 Soviet planners established the need for large four engine bombers, but not giants. Konstantin Kalinin went on to develop other ambitious aviation projects, including a pure flying wing and an advanced rocket plane. Sadly, Kalinin was arrested in 1938 and suffered the same fate as so many forward thinkers in Stalin's pre-war purge.
