BOMBER B-18 “BOLO”

Defensive armament consisted of three 7.62 mm machine guns. In the nose of the fuselage was placed on top of a shielded installation, rotated manually by means of a chain transmission. The left-to the right of her screen was moving along with the machine gun, and up and down the trunk walked on the cracks in the screen. The top turret was in the tail section of the fuselage, in front of the keel. In the stowed position it is fully retracted into the fuselage, so that its roof is flush with the casing. Raised and lowered the turret and twisted manually. And finally, the last gun was fired through the sunroof down and back.

 

The manufacturing of the prototype of the bomber was completed in April 1935, and to be sent to Wright field managed to carry out production tests. Maximum speed was 375 km/h, service ceiling 7,620 m With a given load of 2000 pounds, the new aircraft could fly 1660 km is quite consistent with the requirements of the job. Significant damage to the machines is not revealed, which was hardly surprising: it used the nodes have brought mass-produced passenger liners.

 

But comparative tests of the bomber company “Boeing” easily blocked all the performance of competitors. He was faster and had a greater service ceiling, excelling at the same time and radius, and armament. But the future of a b-17 during the tests crashed, and the winner announced on DB-1. I believe that a significant role was played by money: “Douglas” was asked in one plane is 55 000 dollars, and “Boing” – about twice as much. But the losers also tried not to offend. Two other firms received a “consolation prize”: “Boeing” still ordered a 13 “fortresses” for military trials, and “Martin” encouraged with the contract for the latest batch of In-10.

 

In January 1936 “Douglas” received an order for 33 production aircraft, named-18 “Bolo”. Production machines differed slightly modified bottom glazed shortened the bow and motors (3-1820-45 with a capacity of 930 HP First copy handed over to the customer on February 23, 1937, After installation on the aircraft a full set of weapons and military equipment, the weight increased, which adversely affected the flight data. The maximum speed fell to 349 km/h and a range with normal bomb load (2000 lb) up to 1370 km. But still it was at that time the best American bomber.

 

In June of 1936 at the company “Douglas” in Santa Monica “a military version of the DC-2” saw the delegation of the Soviet aircraft manufacturers, headed by A. N. Tupolev. But the car was not allowed. However, another group of Soviet specialists headed by the head of Department of logistics of the air force brigade commander Basenowym, in the same year, got acquainted with the prototype In-18 at the airport Wright field.

 

 

Bomber B-18 “Bolo”

 

Apparently, this bomber has caused some interest. In any case, in a number of domestic documents referred to the plans to build in the Soviet Union on the basis of licenses parallel to the passenger DC-3 and bomber based on it (war machine had to do the factory number 18 in Voronezh), using the American experience and advice of experts “Douglas”. Directly to sell us the documentation for the At-18 was impossible because the plane was in the list of the U.S. war Department. But the “schematic drawings of military arrangements” the Americans agreed. Interest in In-18 in our country has gone after the mass production of domestic long-range bomber DB-3 in 1937.

 

And in America, “Bolo” continued to build, the United States war Department has issued new orders. The factory has a “Douglas” in Santa Monica was built In 131-18.

 

Into their number entered and the prototype brought up to full production standard. The first series had a coke bushings screws, later refused them. 22 cars produced in variant b-18M, intended for use in bombs of large caliber. Bomb racks types-7 and R-3 for small munitions on them dismantled. According to other sources, IN 18M was a training modification even without bomb armament. The last flight from 131 designated DB-2, got a mechanized front turret and a new cabin mate with a larger glass area on the sides. November 8, 1937, he arrived at Wright field for testing. However, the military, novshestva not approved, a bomber modified according to the standard model and in this form passed. But in line units, he did not hit, the machine used for testing of aerial cameras mounted in front of the cabin.

Experienced D-1 also did not remain long in the form of serial 18. In 1939 in its bomb Bay was mounted a 75-mm field gun М1898. Her trunk lay parallel to the axis of the aircraft. The front part of the fuselage was shortened so that it is acted out. After firing on the ground were tested in air over lake Erie and Aberdeen proving ground. The impact caused such severe shaking of the whole structure that firing in the air stopped and put the plane “on a trick”.

 

After the entire order for In-18 the plant started production of modification-18A. She completely redesigned the nose of the fuselage. The reason for this were complaints about overcrowding in front of the cabin. Navigator interfere with the arrow and the gunner / Navigator. On a new modification of the nose shape became like the ship. In its upper part placed Bombardier-Navigator, which had a lovely view through the abundant glazing. On a flat sloping panel stood the bombsight. Infantry unit, on the contrary, moved down, setting the gun in a small hemispherical “Apple”. The top turret was fixed in the extended position and made convex top of the screen.

 

 

In the 18th century, exhibited in our days in the aviation Museum in Pima (USA)

 

The aircraft was fitted with more powerful engines R-1820-53 (1000 HP), nosing and exhaust system which significantly modified. Steel screws are fully flugelheim. In the rear part of the fuselage appeared at three additional Windows on each side (one at the bottom of the front door on the left). The equipment includes radiolucent, ring antenna which was placed above the fuselage behind the cockpit.

 

Air corps ordered a 217-18A. The first of them took to the air April 15, 1938, six weeks later, the bomber was transferred to Wright field. In combat units, these machines began to arrive in June of the same year. 19 bombers released in-18АМ, air armament similar to that IN the-18M. Two aircraft were built without armament as a transport; they received the designation S-58.

 

In 1938, with “Bolo” was visited by representatives of the British air force. They were interested in the opportunity to use it as a Maritime reconnaissance aircraft and petrographically. But the conclusions of the English Commission was negative; flight data unsatisfactory because of low thrust-weight ratio, weapons of the weak. Yes, and have requested Americans with future allies, many; 109, 000 dollars – almost twice the price for her. The command of the Royal air force refused the deal.

 

But in 1939 on the b-18A received an order from Canada. Of the air force of this country has acquired 20 machines. From their “brothers” for the American aircraft they differed only with radios and machine guns English samples. In particular, the guns had a caliber of 7,69 mm. the air force of Canada, these bombers arrived as “Digby” I. the Delivery was carried out from December 1939 and completed in may 1940

 

In September 1939, ten IN-18A was offered to the Soviet Union at 147 000 dollars apiece (nearly one and a half times more expensive than for English). But for the money the firm “Douglas” was willing to modify the car under the Soviet demands or even to prepare a new revision. However, experts from the Department of the air force in January of the same year was estimated AT-18A as obsolete type. The same opinion was expressed by V. K. Kokkinaki and M. Kh. Gordienko, who after the flight to America on a plane “Moscow” made a tour of aviation facilities and airfields in the country. 4 October the chief of the red army air force A. D. Loktionov in writing and reported to the people’s Commissar of defense K. E. Voroshilov that this American bomber “is a deprecated type” and purchase it impractical. From the acquisition of IN-18A our refused, the Americans had to stop its production.

 

Operation-18 combat units in air corps army of the United States began in spring of 1937, Three cars arrived in the 7th bomber group on the basis of Hamilton field in California. Just got three bomber groups: except for the 7th, it was 5 – on the island of Oahu (Hawaiian Islands) and the 19th – at the base March field in California. Each group consisted of four squadrons and the number of cars roughly corresponded to the prewar Soviet regiment. B-18 to fly and three reconnaissance squadrons: the 18th, 21st and 38th. In the summer of 1938-18 participated in large maneuvers, during which received a temporary mottled camouflage washable water-based paints. “Bolo” was applied to conditional strikes on the “enemy” landed on the coast of the United States. The program of exercises included practical bomb bombing in landfills. It is interesting that the ground composition was forced to work in gas masks, giving an introduction about the use of poisonous gases by the enemy. Around the same time, the air corps Park began to fill IN-18A, which is additionally armed with another bomber group, 2nd at the airport of Langley field.

 

 

In-18 and b-18A had to fly in various conditions – from the cold North to the deep South. They operated on the territory of the United States, and later in Alaska, Hawaii or the Panama canal Zone. Three squadrons were stationed at the canal, one in Trinidad, one on the island of Santa Lucia, one in Suriname.

 

“Bolo” has shown himself to operate very good machines. The use of units of mass well brought the passenger plane as a whole is justified. There were no problems neither with the pilot nor with the service. The bomber was obedient to the pilots, stable and fairly maneuverable. Overall, a very good peacetime bomber. Operation “Bolo” cost is relatively inexpensive. They trained many of the crew of the rapidly burgeoning in those years of military aircraft of the United States.

 

But the “downside” was the fact that In-18 inherited and flight passenger data “Douglas”, quite suitable for civil aviation, but insufficient for the military. Defensive weapons “Bolo” was also weak, which rightly noted English experts. While the U.S. army focused purely on defense of its own territory and actions on the trust territories (in fact, the colonies), it was all arranged. But with the beginning of world war II, American military aviation required a different technique, able to fight on equal terms with the aircraft of potential adversaries. This has led to the displacement of the In-18 from bomber and reconnaissance aircraft in other applications.

 

Almost immediately after the outbreak of the Second world war, American planes began patrolling the Atlantic in search of German submarines. We used sea and land aircraft. “Bolo” had a significant duration of the flight, could carry bombs of various types, numerous the crew was provided with virtually all-round visibility. These aircraft included in the specially formed marine search and attack squadrons.

 

But effective search of submarines with V-18 was only possible by day and in good weather. To correct this deficiency, in the bow under a large semi-circular fairing mounted radar SCR-517. She took the place of the former cockpit of the Bombardier-Navigator, which “moved” down to the place the front of the arrow. “Apple” with a machine gun out. The radar could detect submarines on the surface day and night, in any weather. Search submarines in shallow water was carried out using a magnetometer attached to the place of the tail cone.

 

Since flying was over the open sea, often without sight of land, provided for the modernization of navigation equipment. Externally, this is reflected in the appearance of the antenna of the radio compass in the teardrop-shaped fairing above the fuselage.

 

Anti-submarine version was designated V-18V. It altered the previously released IN-18A; modified 122 instance. Some of them received, in addition to the internal, the external load of bombs.

 

By the end of 1941, the air force of the U.S. army (it was renamed the air corps) had quite a significant number of b-18 and b-18A. The parts that were stationed in America, used them mainly for training purposes. To the front they went after relearning on a more modern technique. Limited participation in hostilities took only aircraft stationed in Hawaii and the Philippines. 23 cars the 5th and 11th groups at the time of the Japanese RAID on pearl Harbor was on the Hikam airfield on the same island of Oahu. A considerable part of them has been sabotaged strikes Japanese carrier-based aircraft. The bombers were in the hangar and on the tarmac. They attacked with bombs from level flight and dive, and then Japanese fighters walked through the lined up at the airport “Bolo” from guns and machine guns. In some machines on the field managed to take the place of hands, which opened fire from the top guns. But it did not save American planes. Some of them flunked the collapsed roof of the hangars, some have burned or got so badly damaged that it was inadequate to repair.

 

Shortly before the outbreak of hostilities in Manila on the decks of ships in the boxes transferred the technique of the 28th bomb squadron. From there, the aircraft moved to the base Nichols field and began to collect. But in the battle of “Bolo” to participate was not possible. Part of the aircraft destroyed on the ground by Japanese pilots, and the survivors were used as transport and training. Four machine gave the 27-th group, awaiting the arrival of dive-bombers And 24.

 

In the course of the fighting in the Philippines In 18 it was carrying ammunition, spare parts and ground composition, flying mostly at night. Three aircraft conducted a flight to Australia, bringing out the cartridges for heavy machine guns. “Bolo” was already pretty worn out, spare parts to them was never enough. Therefore, in the Philippines, and left them.

On the Atlantic coast of the United States IN-18A continued to use to search for submarines. At this time there they flew 80th bomber squadron. However, for the most part, her aircraft were used for freight transport, carrying airfields 45th group depth charges. After replacing the IN-18A b-18B squadron was already full anti.

 

IN anti-18V in 1941 -1942 he has received several squadrons patrolling the Caribbean sea. By this time the US were already at war with Germany and opposed to “Bolo” were the German submarines hunted in this previously quiet neighborhood.

 

At the-18V was carrying depth charges, at least-the so-called “retroboy” reactive braking devices.

 

There were several instances of detecting submarines on the surface and shallow depths, but none of them ended with the sinking of the enemy aircraft. The crew of captain N. Meadowcroft of 90 squadron took off on patrol from the airfield Sandri in Suriname. He got an assignment to investigate reports of a German submarine in a given area of the Caribbean sea. From a height of about 1000 m, the pilots noticed under the water slowly moving shadow. Deciding that this is a German boat, they dropped the four depth charges. Flared but not oil spots and debris, and a large dead whale…

 

Three “Bolo” because of the various problems made a forced landing in the sea. The crew already mentioned Meadowcroft was on a floating aircraft after failure of one engine. People took a Dutch patrol boat. On the fifth day after the incident received a report that a large plane floating in the ocean. Sent a rescue tug, which found a “Bolo” on the water without substantial damage. Bomber on a rope held on to the nearest island. Then it is washed, dried and dismantled for parts.

 

Five days of sailing for the In-18 is not a record. One car of the 80 squadron, launched from Florida, was found on the water a week after a forced landing. She was dragged to the port and lifted onto the shore by the boat ramp for the flying boats of the company “pan American”.