B-18 Bolo, U.S. Heavy
Crew
6
Dimensions
89'6" by 57'10" by 15'2"
27.28m by 17.63m by 4.62m
Wing area
965 square feet
89.7 square meters
Weight
16,321-27,673 lbs
7403-12,552 kg
Speed
215 mph at 10,000 feet
346 km/h at 3048m
Cruising speed
167mph
268 km/h
Landing speed
69 mph
111 km/h
Climb rate
17.5 feet per second
5.3 meters per second
Service ceiling
23,900 feet
7285 meters
2 1000hp (746 kW) Wright R-1820-53 nine-cylinder radial engines driving three bladed propellers
Armament
1 nose 0.30 machine gun
1 dorsal 0.30 machine gun
1 ventral 0.30 machine gun
Bomb load
4000 lbs (1814 kg) normal or overload of 6500 lbs (2948 kg)
Range
1150 miles (1850 km) with bomb load of 2500 lbs (1130 kg)
2225 miles (3580 km) ferry
Fuel
802 gallons
3040 liters
133 B-18 and 217 B-18A at Douglas Aircraft Company, Santa Monica, CA
Variants
The B-18 and B-18A were nearly identical.
In 1942, 76 B-18As were converted to antisubmarine duty with a radome in the nose and MAD detector in the tail. This configuration for antisubmarine patrol bombers would be used into the 21st century. These conversions were designated as B-18Bs or B-18Cs.
The Bolo was Douglas' response to an Army requirement for a successor to the B-10family of bombers. It was largely superseded by the B-17by the time war broke out, but about 30 were still stationed in Hawaiiand three squadrons were operating from Hamilton Field near San Francisco. Most were converted for antisubmarineduty and served on the East Coast.