List of United States bomber aircraft
Appearance
This is a list of United States bomber aircraft, including those with the capability of bombing, meaning aircraft such as strike aircraft (also known as tactical bombers) and torpedo bombers are included.
1915–1935 (First Flight)
[edit]Name & Role | Year of first flight |
Introduction | Status | Number built |
Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Airco DH.4 | 1917 | retired 1932 | |||
Curtiss Model H patrol flying boat | 1917 | Retired | 478 | ||
Curtiss HS patrol flying boat | 1917 | Retired | 1,178 | ||
Curtiss F5L patrol flying boat | 1918 | Retired | 227 | ||
Martin MBT/MT | 1918 | Retired | 20 | ||
Consolidated P2Y patrol flying boat | 1929 | retired 1941 | 78 | ||
Bellanca 77-140 medium bomber | 1934 | retired 1942 | 4 | ||
Consolidated PBY Catalina maritime patrol flying boat/amphibian | 1935 | retired 1980s | 4,051 ca. | ||
Curtiss A-3/A-4 Falcon attack/light bomber | 1924 | retired 1937 | 155 | ||
Curtiss A-8 attack/light bomber | 1931 | retired 1939 | 13 | ||
Curtiss A-12 Shrike attack/light bomber | 1933 | retired 1942 | 46 | ||
Curtiss XA-14 attack/light bomber | 1935 | retired prototype | 1 | ||
Curtiss A-18 Shrike attack/light bomber | 1935 | retired 1943 | 13 | ||
Curtiss B-2 Condor heavy bomber | 1929 | retired 1934 | 13 | ||
Curtiss BF2C Goshawk fighter-bomber | 1933 | retired 1949 | 166 | ||
Curtiss CS torpedo bomber | 1923 | Retired | 83 | ||
Curtiss T-32 Condor II bomber/transport | 1933 | Retired | 45 | ||
Douglas DT torpedo bomber | 1921 | Retired | 90 | ||
Douglas B-18 Bolo medium bomber | 1935 | retired 1946 | 350 | ||
Douglas Y1B-7 heavy bomber | 1931 | retired prototype | 8 | ||
Fokker XB-8 heavy bomber | 1929 | retired prototype | 7 | ||
Great Lakes BG dive bomber | 1933 | retired 1941 | 61 | ||
Huff-Daland XB-1 heavy bomber | 1927 | retired prototype | 1 | ||
Keystone B-3 light bomber | 1929 | retired 1940 | 36 | ||
Keystone B-4 heavy bomber | 1930 | retired | 30 | ||
Keystone B-5 heavy bomber | 1929 | retired | 30 | ||
Keystone B-6 heavy bomber | 1931 | retired | 44 | ||
Martin NBS-1 night bomber | 1920 | retired 1929 | 130 | ||
Martin T3M torpedo bomber | 1926 | retired 1932 | 124 | ||
Martin T4M torpedo bomber | 1927 | retired 1938 | 155 | ||
Martin B-10 & related heavy bomber | 1932 | retired 1949 | 342 | ||
Curtiss SBC Helldiver dive bomber | 1935 | retired 1943 | 257 | ||
Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bomber | 1935 | retired 1944 | 130 | ||
Northrop A-17 attack bomber | 1935 | retired 1944 | 411 | ||
Northrop BT dive bomber | 1935 | retired 1941 | 55 | ||
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber | 1935[1] | 1938[1] | retired 1959 | 12,731[1] |
1936–1945 (First Flight)
[edit]Name | Year of first flight |
Retired/Status | Number built |
Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|
Beechcraft XA-38 Grizzly medium/attack bomber | 1944 | retired prototype | 2 | |
Boeing B-29 Superfortress/Washington heavy bomber | 1942 | retired 1960 | 3,970 | |
Boeing Model 306 heavy bomber | n/a | abandoned 1935 project | 0 | |
Boeing XB-15 heavy bomber | 1937 | retired prototype 1944 | 1 | |
Boeing XB-38 Flying Fortress heavy bomber | 1943 | Lost 1943 project cancelled | 1 | |
Boeing XB-39 Superfortress heavy bomber | 1944 | retired prototype | 1 | |
Boeing XF8B fighter bomber | 1944 | retired prototype | 3 | |
Boeing XPBB Sea Ranger maritime patrol bomber | 1942 | retired prototype | 1 | |
Brewster SB2A Buccaneer scout bomber | 1941 | retired 1944 | 771 | |
Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber | 1939 | retired 1968 | 18,482[notes 1] | |
Consolidated B-32 Dominator heavy bomber | 1942 | retired 1945 | 118 | |
Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer patrol bomber | 1943 | retired 1962 | 739 | |
Consolidated PB2Y Coronado maritime patrol flying boat |
1937 | retired 1945 | 217[notes 1] | |
Consolidated XP4Y Corregidor maritime patrol flying boat |
1939 | retired prototype | 1 | |
Curtiss SB2C Helldiver/A-25 Shrike dive bomber |
1940 | retired 1959 | 7,140 | |
Curtiss XBTC torpedo bomber | 1945 | retired prototype | 2 | |
Curtiss XSB3C dive bomber | n/a | abandoned 1941 project | 0 | |
Douglas A-1 Skyraider attack aircraft | 1945 | retired 1985 | 3,180 | |
Douglas A-20 Havoc medium bomber | 1939 | retired 1949 | 7,478[notes 2] | |
Douglas A-26 Invader medium bomber | 1942 | retired 1980 | 2,452 | |
Douglas XB-19 heavy bomber | 1941 | retired prototype | 1 | |
Douglas XB-22 medium bomber |
n/a | abandoned project | 0 | |
Douglas B-23 Dragon medium bomber | 1939 | retired | 38[notes 1] | |
Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber | 1940 | retired 1959 | 5,936 | |
Douglas BTD Destroyer torpedo bomber/dive bomber | 1943 | retired 1945 | 30 | |
Douglas XTB2D Skypirate torpedo bomber | 1945 | retired prototype | 2 | |
Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber | 1941 | retired 1966 | 9,839 | |
Grumman AF Guardian anti-submarine aircraft | 1945 | retired 1955 | 389[notes 3] | |
Grumman XTB2F torpedo bomber | n/a | abandoned 1944 project | 0 | |
Hall XPTBH torpedo bomber | 1937 | retired prototype | 1 | |
Kaiser-Fleetwings XBTK torpedo/dive bomber – prototype | 1945 | project scrapped 1946 | 5 | |
Lockheed Hudson medium bomber/maritime patrol | 1938 | retired 1948 | 2,941 | |
Lockheed P2V Neptune maritime patrol | 1945 | retired 1984 | 1,132 | |
Lockheed Ventura/Harpoon medium bomber/maritime patrol | 1941 | retired 1974 | 3,010 | |
Lockheed XB-30 heavy bomber – project | n/a | abandoned project | 0 | |
Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber | 1940 | retired 1946 | 5,288 | |
Martin Baltimore medium bomber |
1941 | retired 1949 | 1,575 | |
Martin PBM Mariner maritime patrol | 1939 | retired 1964 | 1,285 | |
Martin Maryland medium bomber/reconnaissance bomber |
1939 | retired 1945 | 450 | |
Martin AM Mauler attack aircraft | 1944 | retired 1953 | 151 | |
Martin XB-27 heavy bomber | n/a | abandoned project | 0 | |
Martin XB-33 Super Marauder heavy bomber | n/a | abandoned project | 0 | |
Naval Aircraft Factory SBN dive bomber | 1936 | retired 1942 | 31 | |
North American A-27 attack | 1940 | retired 1941 | 10 | |
North American T-6 Texan light attack | 1940 | retired | 15,495[notes 4] | |
North American XB-21 medium bomber | 1936 | retired prototype | 1 | |
North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber | 1940 | retired 1979 | 9,984 | |
North American XB-28 medium bomber | 1942 | retired prototype | 2 | |
Northrop N-3PB patrol bomber | 1940 | retired 1943 | 24 | |
Republic P-47 fighter-bomber | 1941 | retired 1966 | 15,678[notes 2] | |
Vought F4U Corsair fighter-bomber | 1940 | retired 1979 | 12,571 | |
Vought SB2U Vindicator/Chesapeake dive bomber | 1936 | retired 1945 | 260 | |
Vought TBU/Consolidated TBY Sea Wolf torpedo bomber | 1941 | retired 1948 | 180 | |
Vultee A-31/A-35 Vengeance dive bomber | 1941 | retired 1945 | 1,528 |
1946–current
[edit]Name of Bomber | Year of first flight |
Retired/Status | Number built |
bombload (kg) |
Photo |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Boeing B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber | 1947 | retired 1977 | 2,032 | 11,340 | |
Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber | 1947 | retired 1965 | 370 | 12,700 | |
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber | 1952 | operational | 744 | 31,500 | |
Boeing XB-54 strategic bomber | n/a | abandoned 1948 project | 0 | 16,400 | |
Boeing XB-56 strategic bomber | n/a | abandoned 1950 project | 0 | 11,300 | |
Boeing XB-59 strategic bomber | n/a | abandoned 1952 project | 0 | 4,500 | |
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly light attack aircraft | 1963 | retired | 577 | 1,860 | |
Convair B-36 Peacemaker heavy bomber | 1946 | retired 1959 | 384 | 39,600 | |
Convair B-58 Hustler strategic bomber | 1956 | retired 1970 | 116 | 8,820 | |
Convair XB-46 heavy bomber | 1947 | retired prototype | 1 | 10,000 | |
Convair YB-60 heavy bomber | 1952 | retired prototype | 2 | 33,000 | |
Douglas A2D Skyshark attack aircraft | 1950 | retired prototype | 8 | 2,500 | |
Douglas A-3 Skywarrior strategic bomber | 1956 | retired 1991 | 282 | 5,800 | |
Douglas A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft | 1954 | retired | 2,960 | 3,720 | |
Douglas B-66 Destroyer tactical bomber | 1954 | retired 1973 | 72 | 6,800 | |
Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft | 1972 | operational | 716 | 7,260 | |
General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark medium bomber | 1967 | retired 1998 | 563 | 14,300 | |
Grumman A-6 Intruder attack aircraft | 1960 | retired 1997 | 693 | 8,200 | |
Grumman F9F Panther fighter-bomber | 1947 | retired 1969 | 1,382 | 910 | |
Grumman OV-1 Mohawk light attack | 1959 | retired 1996 | 380 | 450 | |
Grumman S-2 Tracker anti-submarine aircraft | 1952 | retired 1976 | 1,284 | 2,200 | |
Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk stealth attack aircraft | 1981 | retired 2008 | 64 | 2,300 | |
Lockheed P-3 Orion/CP-140 Aurora/Arcturus maritime patrol | 1959 | operational | 757 | 9,100 | |
Lockheed S-3 Viking anti-submarine aircraft | 1972 | retired | 188 | 2,200 | |
Martin B-57 Canberra reconnaissance bomber | 1953 | retired | 403[notes 5] | 3,300 | |
Martin P4M Mercator maritime patrol | 1946 | retired 1960 | 21 | 5,400 | |
Martin P5M Marlin maritime patrol | 1948 | retired 1967 | 285 | 7,200 | |
Martin P6M SeaMaster strategic bomber | 1955 | retired 1959 | 12 | 14,000 | |
Martin XB-48 medium bomber | 1947 | retired prototype | 2 | 9,000 | |
Martin XB-51 attack bomber | 1949 | retired prototype | 2 | 4,700 | |
McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II attack aircraft | n/a | abandoned 1983 project | 0 | 2,300 | |
McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft | 1978 | operational | 323 | 4,200 | |
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter-bomber | 1958 | retired 2016 | 5,195[notes 2] | 8,500 | |
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter/attack aircraft | 1978 | operational | 1,480 | 6,200 | |
North American A-5 Vigilante reconnaissance bomber | 1958 | retired 1980 | 156 | 6,200 | |
North American AJ/A-2 Savage nuclear attack bomber | 1948 | retired 1964 | 143 | 5,400 | |
North American B-45 Tornado reconnaissance bomber | 1947 | retired 1959 | 143 | 10,000 | |
North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco light attack | 1965 | operational | 370 | 230 | |
North American T-28 Trojan light attack | 1949 | retired 1994 | 1,948 | 540 | |
North American XA2J Super Savage bomber | 1952 | retired prototype | 1 | 4,800 | |
North American XB-70 Valkyrie strategic bomber prototype | 1964 | retired prototype | 2 | 22,500 | |
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber | 1989 | operational | 21 | 18,000 | |
Northrop YA-9 attack aircraft | 1972 | retired prototype | 2 | 7,300 | |
Northrop YB-35 heavy bomber | 1946 | retired prototype | 4 | 23,200 | |
Northrop YB-49 heavy bomber | 1947 | retired prototype | 4 | 7,300 | |
Piper PA-48 Enforcer counter-insurgency/attack aircraft | 1971 | retired prototype | 4 | 2,600 | |
Republic F-84 Thunderjet fighter-bomber | 1946 | retired 1973 | 7,524 | 2,000 | |
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak fighter-bomber | 1954 | retired 1991 | 3,428 | 2,700 | |
Republic F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber | 1955 | retired 1984 | 833 | 6,400 | |
Rockwell B-1 Lancer strategic bomber | 1974 | operational, to be retired by 2036 | 104 | 34,000 | |
Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bomber | 2023 | in development | 1 | 18000 (est.) |
See also
[edit]- Bomber
- List of bomber aircraft
- List of military aircraft of the United States
- Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, US heavy bomber under development
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "B-17G Flying Fortress". Air Mobility Command Museum. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
Bibliography
[edit]This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (December 2014) |
- Andrade, John M. (1979). U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials Since 1909. Midland Counties Publications. ISBN 978-0-904597-22-6.
- Fahey, James C. (1946). U.S. Army Aircraft 1908–1946.
- Michael J.H. Taylor, ed. (1991). Jane's American Fighting Aircraft of the 20th Century. New York, NY: Mallard Press. ISBN 978-0-7924-5627-8.
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