WORLD'S BIGGEST BOMBER

Evening Star, Issue 23882, 12 May 1941, Page 2

WORLD'S BIGGEST BOMBER

The world’s largest bomber troop carrier—it can take 125 fully-equipped soldiers 7,500 miles without refuelling—will shortly be in production in the United States. It may therefore be available for Great Britain. It is the monster B 19 Douglas bomber, which has already been nicknamed “ Hitler’s Headache.” Figures just disclosed show that it is more than twice the size of the famous Whitley, Britain’s biggest, having a wing span of 212 ft and an overall length of 122 ft. Weighing 80 tons fully loaded, it carries a “ war load ” of 28 tons —18 tons of bombs and 10 tons of armaments, fuel, stores, and undisclosed “ etceteras.” The B 19's amazing range of 7.500 miles fully loaded is accounted for by the fuel capacity of 11,000 gallons—carried in the wing tips and fuselage. It is powered by four Wright Duplex engines, each developing 2,000 horsepower, which at a service ceiling of 22,000 ft to 25,000 ft gives it a disclosed speed of 200 to 250 miles per hour. The extent of the work which has to be put into the birth of a B 19 can be gauged from the fact that it contains more than 10 miles of electric wiring and just over ,‘5,000,000 rivets are used to hold the metal sections together.