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Consolidated Aircraft Consolidated B-32 Dominator

Consolidated Aircraft · Heavy Bomber / Strategic Heavy Bombing (B-29 Backup) · USA · WWII (1939–1945)

Consolidated Aircraft Consolidated B-32 Dominator — Heavy Bomber / Strategic Heavy Bombing (B-29 Backup)
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The Consolidated B-32 Dominator was the U.S. Army Air Forces' backup heavy bomber design — built as a hedge in case the B-29 Superfortress programme failed. Consolidated built 118 B-32s between 1944 and the August 1945 surrender. The aircraft used the B-29's general configuration (4-engine, pressurised) with the wings, fuselage, and engines of the B-24 Liberator heavily redesigned and scaled up. The B-32 entered combat in May 1945 — too late to markedly affect the Pacific War. The type's most-publicised flight was a 1 August 1945 reconnaissance over Tokyo (4 days before Hiroshima); a 17 August 1945 sortie was reportedly the last U.S. air-to-air combat of WWII.

The B-32 was a four-engine high-wing heavy bomber. Power: four Wright R-3350 Cyclone 18-cylinder radials (2,200 hp each — same engine as the B-29). Maximum speed 357 mph; range 3,800 miles; service ceiling 30,700 ft. Bomb load: 20,000 lb internal (more than the B-29's 16,000 lb). Defensive armament: 10 .50-cal Browning machine guns in dorsal (twin), ventral (twin), tail (twin), and waist positions. Crew: 10. The pressurised crew compartment was abandoned in production B-32s in favour of unpressurised manned gun positions; the B-29's complex pressurisation worked, the B-32's did not.

Combat use was minimal. The B-32 entered service in May 1945 with the 386th Bomb Squadron at Clark Field, Philippines. Over June-August 1945, the squadron flew about 35 sorties against Japanese targets — primarily airfields in Formosa and Truk, plus a few raids against the Japanese home islands in the war's final weeks. The 17 August 1945 (after Japan had surrendered, but before Allied forces had landed) saw two B-32s flown over Tokyo on a reconnaissance mission. Japanese Naval Air Force fighters scrambled and engaged the B-32s; one B-32 gunner (Sgt. Anthony J. Marchione) was killed by a Japanese fighter — the last U.S. airman killed by enemy action in WWII.

The B-32 was retired immediately after V-J Day. Most surviving airframes were scrapped at Davis-Monthan AFB in 1947-1948 without any post-war service. The B-32 is one of the rarest WWII U.S. combat aircraft today; only a single airframe (the wreckage of B-32 #42-108532) survives, recovered from a 1945 crash site in the Philippines. No restored B-32 exists; no B-32 has flown since the 1940s.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Consolidated B-32 Dominator was a big American bomber from World War II. It had four engines and carried a crew of ten people. The army needed it as a backup plan in case the famous B-29 bomber had problems.

The B-32 shared parts with two other bombers. Its wings and engines came from a redesigned B-24 Liberator. Its four engines were the same ones used on the B-29 Superfortress.

This bomber was heavier than most trucks on the road today. It could carry up to 20,000 pounds of bombs inside its body. That was even more than the B-29 could carry! It could also fly as far as 3,800 miles without stopping.

The B-32 arrived late to the war. It flew its first combat mission in May 1945. One famous flight happened on August 1, 1945, when a B-32 flew a scouting mission over Tokyo. Only 118 of these planes were ever built.

After the war ended, the B-32 was no longer needed. The army already had the B-29, which was more advanced. The Dominator quietly faded from service soon after the fighting stopped.

Fun Facts

  • The B-32 Dominator had four powerful engines that each produced 2,200 horsepower.
  • It could carry more bombs than the famous B-29 — 20,000 pounds compared to 16,000 pounds!
  • The B-32 flew faster than a racing car, reaching a top speed of 357 miles per hour.
  • Ten defenders protected the plane using machine guns placed around the aircraft.
  • Only 118 B-32 Dominators were ever built, making it quite rare.
  • The B-32 could fly higher than 30,000 feet — that's higher than most mountains on Earth!
  • One B-32 flew a scouting mission over Tokyo on August 1, 1945, just days before the war ended.
  • The B-32 was bigger than a city bus from nose to tail.

Kids’ Questions

Why was the B-32 Dominator built?

The American army wanted a backup bomber in case the B-29 Superfortress had problems. So they asked Consolidated to build the B-32. It was a safety net to make sure the army always had a powerful bomber ready.

Did the B-32 fight in World War II?

Yes, but it arrived very late. The B-32 flew its first combat missions in May 1945. The war ended just a few months later in August 1945. It did not have much time to make a big difference.

How was the B-32 different from the B-29?

The B-32 used redesigned wings and parts from the B-24 Liberator. It could carry more bombs than the B-29. However, its crew areas were not pressurised like the B-29, which made high flights less comfortable.

How many people flew in a B-32?

A full crew of ten people flew the B-32 Dominator. Some crew members flew and navigated the plane. Others operated the machine guns to protect the aircraft from enemy fighters.

Variants

B-32-1 / -5 / -10 / -20 (production)
Production sub-variants 1944-1945. R-3350 engines, 20,000 lb bomb capacity. About 115 of the 118 total airframes.
TB-32 (training)
Training variant. About 40 conversions from B-32 production. Used briefly post-war as later-stage multi-engine bomber trainer; retired by 1947.

Notable Operators

U.S. Army Air Forces (386th Bomb Squadron)
Sole user. Combat service May-August 1945 with the 386th Bomb Squadron at Clark Field, Philippines. About 35 combat sorties before V-J Day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was the B-32 built?

As a hedge against the B-29 Superfortress programme's possible failure. The U.S. Army Air Forces ordered the B-32 design from Consolidated in 1940 alongside the B-29 from Boeing — both 4-engine pressurised heavy bombers — to ensure that at least one would succeed. The B-29 worked; the B-32 was therefore relegated to a small production run as a backup that was never fully needed.

How is the B-32 different from the B-29?

Same engines (R-3350 Cyclone) and similar bomb capacity (20,000 lb vs. B-29's 16,000 lb). The B-29 Superfortress had a fully-pressurised crew compartment with electrically-operated remote-control gun turrets; the B-32 abandoned pressurisation and used manned gun positions because the pressurisation system did not work reliably. The B-29 had a glass-house bombardier nose; the B-32 had a stepped-cockpit nose like a B-24. The B-29 was the better aircraft.

Did B-32s fight in WWII?

Yes, briefly. The 386th Bomb Squadron flew about 35 combat sorties in B-32s between May and August 1945, primarily attacking Japanese airfields in Formosa and Truk. The aircraft entered service too late to markedly affect the Pacific War. The last U.S. airman killed by enemy action in WWII (Sgt. Anthony Marchione, 17 August 1945) was a B-32 gunner.

How many B-32 Dominators were built?

118 airframes between 1944 and August 1945. Production was at Consolidated's Fort Worth, Texas plant. Production ended in August 1945 as the war ended; most production-line airframes were scrapped at Davis-Monthan AFB in 1947-1948 without any post-war service.

Are any B-32s preserved?

Only one — the recovered wreckage of B-32 #42-108532, which crashed in the Philippines in 1945 and was recovered in the 2000s. No restored B-32 exists; no B-32 has flown since the 1940s. The B-32 is one of the rarest WWII U.S. combat aircraft.

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