5 Facts About The Other Superbomber of WW2

While a lot of aviation fans may be familiar with the B-29 not all may be familiar with the B-32 Dominator.

Here are five facts about America’s “other” Superbomber of WWII:

1. It was developed from the B-24 Liberator

Consolidated Aircraft also designed the famous B-24 Liberator. The B-32 had a similar layout, four engines, and a high wing. However, its fuselage was larger. The prototype is a twin-tail tailplane. However, the production variant used a conventional single tailplane instead.

2. The name Terminator was considered but was switched to Dominator

At one point, the name Dominator was considered inappropriate for the post-war environment, and the jet was just supposed to be referred to as the B-32. However, the name Dominator stuck, anyway.

3. The very first B-32 was written off on its very first day

On September 19th, 1944, the plane’s nosewheels collapsed on landing and the machine was scrapped. Not a great operational beginning!

4. It was plagued with issues

Supposedly, the instrument layout was poor and the cockpit had very high noise levels. Moreover, the bombardier vision was bad which isn’t good for a bomber aircraft. It was also prone to engine fires, and frequent landing gear failures.

5. The Dominator Participated in the Last Air Battle after the war ended

The B-32 was utilized to ensure compliance with the ceasefire agreement with Japan on August 15, 1945, However, three days later, a pair of B-32s doing photo reconnaissance missions over Tokyo was attacked by Japanese fighters. One B-32 took significant damage resulting in crew casualties.

During the attack, among the wounded was the photographer, Staff Sergeant Joseph Lacharite. He would later lose his life and would become the last American to die in air combat during the war.