Convair worked ambitiously to create a B-36 Peacemaker equipped with jet propulsion systems. This heavy bomber designed for the United States Air Force sought to leverage jet technological innovations.
Despite never entering mass production the YB-60 has secured its place as a significant historical milestone in aviation.
Design and Development
Convair YB-60 was born on 25 August 1950. Convair had proposed a swept-wing, jet-powered, piston-engined B-36. This proposal led on 15 March 1951 to an authorization to modify and convert two B-36Fs. Originally designated as B-36G due to radical design changes, this aircraft was renamed YB-60.
The YB-60 shared 72% of its parts with the B-36. While the fuselage design remained similar to that of the B-36, some modifications were made.
It featured four pairs of twin engines mounted below the wings. Each pod had eight Pratt & Whitney J57P-3 jet engines. Convair weighed alternative options, including the use of six turboprops (or twelve J47s) or other J47s. They finally settled on this configuration.
Performance and Capabilities
The YB-60 could carry a bomb load of up to 72,000 pounds. This is a significant increase over its rival, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Some of its other important specifications were:
Specifications
You can get YB-60 value for as low as YB-60
Crew: 5-9 depending on the configuration
Length: 171 ft (52.2 m)
Wingspan: A 206-foot (63 m),
Maximum Speed: 508 mph ( 818 km/h )
Service Ceiling: 53.300 ft 16 200 m
Combat Range: 2,920 miles (4,700 km)
Despite the YB-60’s impressive payload capabilities, there were significant issues. Although it was slower, the B-52 had an approximately 100 mph slower cruising speed.
Competition and Flight Testing
Beryl Erickson was the pilot for Beryl’s first flight on April 18, 1952. Boeing’s YB-52’s maiden flight was three days earlier. This gave Boeing a major advantage when it came to the Air Force’s competition for its next-generation tactical bomber.
Comparison of two Aircrafts
Boeing B-52, lighter, faster, more agile. Initial bomb loads were smaller. However, the modification “big belly”, which allowed for 60,000 lbs of weight to be carried by this aircraft, was added.
Convair YB-60 had a larger bomb-carrying capacity and shared parts with the B-36. But lacked B-52-like speed and overall performance.
On January 20 the Air Force decided to end the YB-60 program. Convair was paid for completing prototypes but it wasn’t considered as capable as its Boeing rival.
Fate of the YB-60
After testing, the YB-60 prototypes never flew again. The second, nearly completed prototype never received its engine or any of the other necessary equipment. After July 1954 both airframes, which were nearly complete, had been scrapped. This marked the end of YB-60.
Legacy and lessons
Despite the B-52 surpassing the YB-60 to become the leading jet-powered bomber in history, the latter aircraft offered important information about bomber design principles. Convair shifted its focus to civil aviation by creating the Convair-880 series airliner.
The YB-60 represents both the aviation transformation that took place during the mid-20th Century and the fierce struggle for aerial supremacy.
Convair’s YB-60 falls
The Convair YB-60 represents the difficulties encountered during the transition from piston-driven strategic bombers to those powered by jet engines. The YB-60’s advanced design and substantial payload capacity were undermined by fundamental flaws which made it less effective than the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.
Performance Limitations
Its performance was not as impressive despite its 72,000-pound payload. Speed Deficiency – YB-60: At high altitudes, its maximum speed was 508 mph. Boeing B-52 had a 545 mph. Also, the cruising speeds were about 100mph behind. That’s an important disadvantage when it comes to military operations.
Handling Issues: Designed for aircraft with slower engines, the YB-60 suffered significant handling problems when it reached higher speeds. It was more difficult to control and less responsive compared to the B-52.
Technological and Design Challenges
Although this shared component approach reduced production costs for the YB-60, there were inherent limitations.
Control Systems: The YB-60 is unable to perform jet thrust due to its use of B-36 controls.
Aerodynamics: While the B-52’s wings aerodynamically improved their design, it was still inferior to the B-52 with its swept-back wings.
Engines: Although the YB-60 was powered by the same Pratt & Whitney Turbojet J57-P-3 engines as the B-52 aircraft, the YB-60’s larger size and reduced aerodynamic efficiency made these engines less effective.
Boeing B-52 – Competition With Other Aircraft
A direct comparison was made between the YB-60 vs. B-52, and there were no doubts. B-52 proved not only to be quicker and easier-to-handle, but that it had a much better potential for long-term upgrades and adaptability.
Compare payloads: Although initially, the YB-60 had a higher bomb load (72,000 lbs vs. 43,000 lbs for the B-52), Boeing engineers soon addressed this gap with changes like the design of the B-52 that increased its payload from 43,000 lbs to 60,000 pounds.
Operational Flexibility: Due to its superior speed, performance, and range, the B-52 has become a highly reliable, versatile,e and flexible option that meets Air Force strategic requirements.
Cost and Strategic Implications: YB-60’s cost was $14.3m, relatively low at the time. Air Force acknowledged that the cost-effectiveness of converting the B-36 aircraft into the YB-60 would not be able to outweigh the shortcomings of this particular model. Even though the B-52 is more expensive than its predecessor, it offers a superior value when considering long-term strategies and modernization.
Abandonment YB-60: After the YB-60’s flight tests were completed in 1953, it quickly lost the interest of the Air Force. The second, nearly completed prototype never got the engines and equipment it needed. Although Air Force officials accepted them, neither prototype flew any missions. Mid-1954 saw them dismantled, and they were scrapped.
Convair was also faced with insurmountable barriers when trying to repurpose the YB-60 as a commercial airplane. It was determined that the airport infrastructure needed to be upgraded due to the wingspan and weight of this aircraft. Convair decided to focus its attention on the Convair airliner instead, as it was considered a viable commercial venture.
Aviation and Legacy
The YB-60, a radical attempt at bridging the gap between piston bombers and future jet aircraft, was a successful project. Even though it never entered production, its impact on aviation was profound in many ways.
1. Jet Propulsion Lessons
The YB-60 provided essential understanding of how jet engines could be used for large aircraft. Designers at Convair developed their expertise in jet propulsion and aerodynamics through their work. Their work made significant contributions to the development processes of subsequent aircraft models.
2. Strategic Aviation Advancements
The strategic bomber competition between YB-60s and B-52s demonstrated the importance of adaptability along with agility and speed in military aircraft design. Future aircraft design standards developed to maintain military aviation’s technological leadership.
3. Historic Significance
The YB-60 remains an interesting subject for study even though its aviation history significance has been eclipsed by the B-52. The project demonstrated how challenging it was to update designs for new technology while emphasizing the requirement for innovative approaches to achieve dominance.
4. Convair’s Transition to Civil Aviation
Convair relied on the lessons learned from the YB-60 to create its later civilian airliners, such as the Convair 990 & 880. Modern design concepts were based on the company’s military project.
Conclusion
While short-lived, the Convair’s Convair-YB-60 bomber represents a notable chapter in strategic aircraft history. The Convair was a plane that was a transitional phase between the jet and piston engine. Though limited in scope, the YB-60 provided valuable insight that served to aid subsequent military, as well as civilian, aerospace development.
The YB-60’s ultimate failure underscored, in the end, the need for aircraft designers to be innovative and forward-looking. The Boeing YB-60 was also no match for the Boeing B-52. But it lives on in the legacy of how the technology evolved so quickly in the middle the 20th Century.
