Martin XB-48 jet bomber. - Vintage Photograph

The Army Air Forces' first six-jet bomber, the Martin XB-48, makes it first take-off at 5:55 a.m., June 22, 1947, at The Glenn L. Martin Company's airport, Baltimore, Md., with O. E. (Pat) Tibbe, Martin's Director of Flight, and E. R. Gelvin, co-pilot, at the controls. The XB-48 later landed at the Petuxent River Naval Air Station after a 37-minute initial flight. Smoke trails from the six General Electrio jet engines mark the big plane's take-off run, and it's unique "Bicycle type" landing gear is plainly visible. Pairs of main wheels are mounted tandem and retract into the fuselage. Small outrigger wheels outboard of engine nacolles are for balance on the ground and retract into the wing. The Army Air Forces lists the Martin XB-48's speed as "Over 480 miles per hour" and it's bomb load as over 10 tons. The Martin XB-48 was an American medium jet bomber developed in the mid-1940s. It competed with the Boeing B-47 Stratojet, which proved to be a superior design, and was largely considered as a backup plan in case the B-47 ran into development problems. It never saw production or active duty, and only two prototypes, serial numbers 45-59585 and 45-59586, were built. The Army Air Forces' first six-jet bomber, the Martin XB-48, makes it first take-off at 5:55 a.m., June 22, 1947, at The Glenn L. Martin Company's airport, Baltimore, Md., with O. E. (Pat) Tibbe, Martin's Director of Flight, and E. R. Gelvin, co-pilot, at the controls. The XB-48 later landed at the Petuxent River Naval Air Station after a 37-minute initial flight. Smoke trails from the six General Electrio jet engines mark the big plane's take-off run, and it's unique "Bicycle type" landing gear is plainly visible. Pairs of main wheels are mounted tandem and retract into the fuselage. Small outrigger wheels outboard of engine nacolles are for balance on the ground and retract into the wing. The Army Air Forces lists the Martin XB-48's speed as "Over 480 miles per hour" and it's bomb load as over 10 tons. The Martin XB-48 was an American medium jet bomber developed in the mid-1940s. It competed with the Boeing B-47 Stratojet, which proved to be a superior design, and was largely considered as a backup plan in case the B-47 ran into development problems. It never saw production or active duty, and only two prototypes, serial numbers 45-59585 and 45-59586, were built.

Dimensions: 28.4 x 21.8 cm

IMS SKU: SCAN-TELE-01263084

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