Boeing B-29 Superfortress Variants - XB-39 Superfortress

XB-39 Superfortress

Section source: see Baugher and National Museum

The XB-39 Superfortress was a single YB-29 modified to use water-cooled Allison V-3420-17 inline engines. Since the Army Air Force was concerned that problems might develop with their first choice of engine, the Wright R-3350, they contracted General Motors to do testing on a modified aircraft to show that it could still be used even if the R-3350 failed. Since the R-3350 did not have significant enough problems to prevent its use, no XB-39s were ordered.

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