The most Heavily armed WWII aircraft ever built?

The Birth of the YB-29

In August 1941, the US Army Air Corps released a statement that urged aircraft manufacturing companies to design an effective long-range escort for every new bomber type produced.

Fast-forward two years later, and the fourth YB-29 (a B-29 prototype) was modified into a 23-gun bomber escort. 

Its armament consisted of forward and aft dorsal and ventral turrets. Ventral turrets had twin 0.50 cal machine guns, while the dorsal forward turret had four remotely controlled in three sighting blisters. The tail turret also had two more 0.50-cal machine guns and a 20mm cannon.

Moreover, the prototype was fitted with an experimental ERCO ball turret on the nose with two 0.50-cal machine guns and four remote-controlled Emerson model 126 barbettes on the side.

After a few more testing runs, its defensive armament was later standardized at ten .50-cal machine guns in turret-mounted pairs. Not a bad aircraft at all, but the introduction of better, long-range escort fighters put this monstrosity to the grave.