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The B-18 was designed to meet a 1934 U.S. Army
Air Corps requirement for a bomber to replace the Martin B-10. Based upon
Douglas' proven DC-2 and DC-3 commercial airliners, the B-18 was one of three
aircraft in contention for the Air Corps
contract. The DB-1, as the B-18 was initially designated, won the competition
and deliveries began in February 1937.
Equipping both bomber and reconnaissance squadrons, the B-18 was joined in May
1938 by an improved model, the B-18A. By 1940, the Bolo was the most numerous
bomber in Air Corps service, but its days as a first-line aircraft were ending.
Although being replaced by newer models in the U.S. based groups, the attack
on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 found the Bolo as still the most common bomber
in use overseas. Virtually wiped out on the ground, the B-18s played no significant role in the
Pacific theater of operations.
The Bolo was employed as an anti-submarine patrol plane on the east coast
of the U.S. and in the Caribbean area, where it pioneered the use of Airborne
Surface Vessel detection radar. The B-18s patrolled the Panama Canal Zone and served
in the defense of Alaska against Japanese invasion forces.
Withdrawn from use as a bomber, the majority of B-18s served as cargo, transport
or training aircraft, many as bombardier trainers. A few Bolos were used
in the development of U.S. Army paratroop training programs.
Declared surplus in 1944, most Bolos were available inexpensively for use as cargo
planes or crop sprayers, with some still working into the late 1960s.
Our B-18A
Douglas built 133 B-18 and 217 B-18A aircraft for the Air Corps. Only
five are preserved in museums today. |
Specifications
| Wingspan |
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89 feet, 6 inches |
| Length |
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57 feet, 10 inches |
| Height |
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15 feet, 2 inches |
| Weight |
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24,000 lbs. design, 27,000 lbs. maximum |
| Powerplant |
|
Two 1,000 hp Wright R-1820-53 Cyclone
nine-cylinder radial piston engines |
| Speed |
|
maximum — 215 mph
normal cruise — 167 mph |
| Ceiling |
|
23,900 feet |
| Crew |
|
seven: pilot, co-pilot, radio operator,
bombardier/navigator, and three gunners |
| Armament |
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three .30 caliber M-2 machine guns located
in nose, retractable dorsal, and ventral positions. |
| Bomb Load |
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2,400 lbs. design, 4,400 lbs. maximum |
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Photos
(Click thumbnail image for larger version)
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