Douglas B-66 Destroyer
The Douglas B-66 Destroyer was a U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Command light bomber based on the United States Navy's A-3 Skywarrior. It was intended to replace the Douglas A-26 Invader. An RB-66 photo-reconnaissance version was ordered simultaneously. The USAF B-66 retained the three-man crew from the US Navy A-3, but incorporated ejection seats that the US Navy variant lacked.
Design and development
At first the USAF thought the conversion would be an easy matter of removing the carrier-specific features, so no prototypes were ordered, just five pre-production RB-66A models (the reconnaissance mission being considered a high priority). The list of modifications grew, and before long, the supposedly "easy" conversion became what was substantially a new aircraft. Many of the changes were due to the USAFs requirement for low-level operations, while the navy version had originally been designed and employed as a high-altitude nuclear strike bomber. Two major differences between the A-3 and the B-66 consisted in the types of jet engines used, and the emergency crew egress systems. The A-3 had two J57 turbojet engines, whereas the B-66 had two Allison J71s. In the second place, the B-66 was equipped with ejection seats whereas the A-3 was not.
The first RB-66A pre-production aircraft flew in 1954, whereas the first production RB-66B aircraft flew in the beginning of 1955.
The basic B-66 "Destroyer" design proved to be a versatile one, and was produced or modified into a variety of other versions, including the EB-66, RB-66 and the WB-66. Likewise, many variants of the A-3 Skywarrior were produced.
Operational history
Deliveries to the USAF began in 1956 with 145 of this model produced. RB-66s were used as the major night photo-reconnaissance aircraft of the USAF during this time, many examples serving with tactical reconnaissance squadrons based in the United Kingdom and in West Germany. A total of 72 of the B-66B bomber version were built, 69 fewer than originally planned. A total of 13 B-66B aircraft later were modified into EB-66B electronic countermeasures aircraft for the Vietnam War. Unlike the U.S. Navy's A-3 Skywarrior, which performed some bombing missions, the Destroyer was not used as a bomber in Vietnam.
The RB-66C was a specialized electronic reconnaissance and Electronic Counter Measure (ECM) aircraft with an expanded crew of seven, including the additional electronics warfare experts. A total of 36 of these aircraft were built with the additional crew members housed in what was the camera/bomb bay of other variants. RB-66C aircraft had distinctive wingtip pods and were used in the vicinity of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis and later over Vietnam. In 1966, these planes were renamed into EB-66C.
Unarmed EB-66B, EB-66C and EB-66E aircraft flew numerous missions during the Vietnam War. They not only helped to gather electronic intelligence about the North Vietnamese defenses, but also provided protection for the daily bombing missions of the F-105s by jamming North Vietnamese radar systems. Early on, B-66s flew oval "racetrack" patterns over North Vietnam, but after one of the aircraft was shot down by a MiG, the vulnerable B-66 flights were ordered back, just outside of North Vietnam.
On 10 March 1964, a 19th TRS RB-66C flying on a photo-reconnaissance mission from the Toul-Rosières Air Base in France, was shot down over East Germany by a Soviet MiG-21 after it had crossed over the border due to a compass malfunction. The crew ejected and were taken prisoner briefly before being repatriated.
The final Douglas B-66 variant was the WB-66D weather reconnaissance aircraft, 36 of which were constructed.
The EB-66C/E was removed from USAF service by 1975 and most examples either scrapped in place or placed in storage for eventual scrapping.
Variants
- RB-66A
- (Douglas Model 1326) All-weather photo-reconnaissance variant, five built.
- RB-66B
- (Douglas Model 1329) Variant of the RB-66A with production J71-A-13 engines and higher gross weight, 149 built.
- B-66B
- (Douglas Model 1327A) Tactical bomber variant of the RB-66B, 72 built.
- NB-66B
- One B-66B used for testing and a RB-66B used for F-111 radar trials.
- RB-66C
- Electronic reconnaissance variant of the RB-66B, included an additional compartment for four equipment operators, 36 built.
- EB-66C
- Four RB-66Cs with uprated electronic counter measures equipment.
- WB-66D
- Electronic weather reconnaissance variant with the crew compartment modified for two observers, 36 built with two later modified to X-21A.
- EB-66E
- Specialized electronic reconnaissance conversion of the RB-66B.
Northrop X-21
The Northrop X-21 modified the WB-66D with an unusual wing to conduct Laminar Flow Control studies. Laminar-flow control was thought to potentially reduce drag by as much as 25 %. Control would be by removal of a small amount of the boundary-layer air by suction through porous materials, multiple narrow surface slots, or small perforations. Northrop began flight research in April 1963 at Edwards Air Force Base, but with all of the problems encountered, and money going into the war, the X-21 would be the last experiment involving this concept.[3]
B-66 in the media
Operators
Specifications (B-66)
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Length: 75 ft 2 in (22.9 m)
- Wingspan: 72 ft 6 in (22.1 m)
- Height: 23 ft 7 in (7.2 m)
- Wing area: 780 ft² (72.5 m²)
- Empty weight: 42,540 lb (19,300 kg)
- Loaded weight: 57,800 lb (26,200 kg)
- Max. takeoff weight: 83,000 lb (38,000 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × Allison J71-A-11 or -13 turbojets, 10,200 lbf (45 kN) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 631 mph (548 kn, 1,020 km/h)
- Combat radius: 900 mi (780 nmi, 1,500 km)
- Ferry range: 2,470 mi(2,150 nmi, 3,970 km)
- Service ceiling: 39,400 ft (12,000 m)
- Rate of climb: 5,000 ft/min (25 m/s)
- Wing loading: 74.1 lb/ft² (361.4 kg/m²)
- Thrust/weight: 0.35
- Guns: 2 20 mm M24 cannons in radar-controlled/remotely operated tail turret
- Bombs: 15,000 pounds (6,803.9 kg)
Avionics
- APS-27 and K-5 radars
Aircraft on display
- RB-66B
- 53-0475 - National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. [5]
- RB-66C
- 54-0465 - Shaw AFB, South Carolina.[6]
- JRB-66D
- WB-66D
See also
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- Related lists
References
Notes
- ↑ "Douglas B-66 Destroyer." National Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved: 5 August 2010.
- ↑ Knaack, Marcelle Size. Post-World War II Bombers, 1945-1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1988. ISBN 0-16-002260-6.
- ↑ "B-66 Information." B66.info. Retrieved: 5 August 2010.
- ↑ "B-66 Destroyer/53-0466." Warbird Registry. Retrieved: 4 December 2012.
- ↑ "B-66 Destroyer/53-0475." National Museum of the US Air Force. Retrieved: 21 May 2012.
- ↑ "B-66 Destroyer/54-0465." Warbird Registry. Retrieved: 4 December 2012.
- ↑ "B-66 Destroyer/53-0412" Chanute Aerospace Museum. Retrieved: 2 May 2013.
- ↑ "B-66 Destroyer/55-0390." Warbird Registry. Retrieved: 4 December 2012.
- ↑ "B-66 Destroyer/55-0392." Museum of Aviation. Retrieved: 21 May 2012.
- ↑ "B-66 Destroyer/55-0395." Pima Air & Space Museum. Retrieved: 21 May 2012.
Bibliography
- Baugher, Joe. "Douglas B-66 Destroyer." USAAC/USAAF/USAF Bomber Aircraft: Third Series of USAAC/USAAF/USAF Bombers, 2001. Retrieved: 27 July 2006.
- Donald, David and Jon Lake, eds. Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft. London: AIRtime Publishing, 1996. ISBN 1-880588-24-2.
- "Douglas RB-66B 'Destroyer'." National Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved: 27 July 2006.
- Winchester, Jim, ed. "Douglas A-3 Skywarrior." Military Aircraft of the Cold War (The Aviation Factfile). London: Grange Books plc, 2006. ISBN 1-84013-929-3.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Douglas B-66. |
- B-66 "Destroyer" Website History of US Tactical Warfare, website by former B-66 crews
- B-66 on display at Chanute Aerospace Museum
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