Convair YB-60

The Convair YB-60 was an American experimental bomber prototype for the United States Air Force canceled on August 14, 1952. The YB-60 betrayed its 72% parts commonality with its piston-engined forebear. The fuselage of the two aircraft were largely identical, although the YB-60 had a longer, pointed nose with a needle-like instrument probe, instead of the B-36's rounded nose, and the tail surfaces were all-new, swept to match the wings, instead of the B-36's more antiquated design. The swept wings actually used a lot of B-36 parts, with a wedge-shaped insert at the wing root to sweep the wings back more than the B-36's wings. Accordingly, the flight test program was cancelled on January 20, 1953 with 66 flying hours accumulated, and a second prototype never completed. The airframe was built, but it was not fitted with engines or much other equipment. Since Convair had completed its prototype contract satisfactorily, both the YB-60s were formally accepted by the Air Force in 1954. However, the operational aircraft never flew again, and both airframes were scrapped by July of that year.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Convair
• YB-60

[Skybolter]

This plane, the Convair YB-60 was the Rival of the B-52 ?

[Yukali373]

B-36 + B52 engine ?? . 1950s (a ha~ *-*)

[49bobbyk]

Convair's rendition of the aluminum overcast. Or was alot of the fuselage magnesium?

[NickB1967]

An interesting attempt to upgrade an old design, but the YB-60 was clearly inferior to the YB-52, hence the USAF decision.

[dorkf1sh]

The Iraqis used to surrender en masse at the sound of a BUFF flying over. Imagine what they would have done at the thought of this beasts payload raining down on em. Oh, I'm certain it never would have penetrated Soviet airspace, but damn it coulda done a number on Saddam.

[brtshstel]

Just think, this is was the B-52 competed against, and yet by the time it is retired from service, it will have flown on active duty longer than any other combat aircraft; over 90 years.

Still, I like the old B-36, and by old, I mean the original prototype versions intended to bomb Nazi Germany in the event of a Wermacht victory over Great Britain (thank God that didn't happen and the RAF was such a good force!). The original versions only had six props and didn't have jet engines.

[TalksWithDirt]

Gobble gobble gobble! TURKEY! No Jive Turkey! Amazing how the B-52 just keeps coming out on top when pitted against bomber after bomber... BUFFS forever!

[crotchboots]

should have put 4 wing fences on each wing and sold it to the russkies