Consolidated B-32 Dominator — Living Collection

The Consolidated B-32 Dominator (Model 34) stands as one of the most technically ambitious — and historically overlooked — heavy bomber programs of World War II. Developed by Consolidated Aircraft as a contingency fallback for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, the B-32 was pushed through a compressed engineering schedule that exposed fundamental challenges across aerodynamics, propulsion, and structural stability. This Living Collection brings together the surviving primary-source documentation that tells that story in the engineers' own words.

Individual volumes from this series are commercially available at prices exceeding €150–€200 each. This Living Collection delivers the full documentation set — six primary manuals plus engineering bulletins — in a single acquisition, with free lifetime updates as new documents surface.

Collection Manifest

• AN 01-SEQ-1 — Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions for Army Model B-32 Airplanes (5 March 1945, revised 10 May 1945)
• AN 01-SEQ-2 — Erection and Maintenance Instructions for Army Model B-32 (15 August 1944) — superseded early technical orders; standardized field maintenance on non-pressurized crew layout and manual turret interfaces
• AN 01-SEQ-3 — Structural Repair Instructions for Army Model B-32 Series Airplanes (15 April 1945) — Alclad aluminum skin panel repair and main landing gear oleo strut reinforcement guidance
• AN 01-SEQ-4 — Parts Catalog, B-32 Airplanes (25 July 1944)
• FSE-33-1002 — Preliminary Erection and Maintenance Instructions, Model B-32 (Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft Corporation, Fort Worth Division)
• AAF Manual 51-126-7 — Airplane Commander Training Manual for the B-32 Dominator (Headquarters, Army Air Forces)
• Engineering Bulletins — Defensive systems modification bulletins; deletion of remote-controlled retractable cannon turrets; replacement with ten manually operated .50-caliber Browning M2 machine guns across five primary stations

Aerodynamic Reports

• Davis Wing airfoil analysis — high-aspect-ratio, low-drag profile inherited from the B-24 Liberator; stall characteristic documentation
• Fuselage contour optimization reports — transition from slab-sided B-24 architecture to continuous cylindrical fuselage
• Pressurization abandonment study — structural seal failure data from XB-32 prototype flight testing; weight penalty analysis
• Flap actuation system reports — unstable flap behavior documentation, including data related to the fatal XB-32 crash at Lindbergh Field, 1943

Engine Technical Notes

• Wright R-3350-23 Duplex-Cyclone powerplant configuration — four engines, 2,200 hp each at takeoff
• Thermal regulation deficiency reports — cylinder head overheating and induction system fire documentation
• Twin exhaust-driven turbocharger supercharging system notes — service ceiling 30,700 ft
• Curtiss Electric reversible-pitch propeller technical documentation — inboard engine ground taxiing and landing rollout data

Handling and Stability Studies

• XB-32 twin-vertical tail yaw instability reports — aerodynamic buffeting and asymmetric power directional control data
• Single fin retrofit documentation — 19 ft 6 in vertical fin and rudder assembly adapted from PB4Y-2 Privateer
• USAAF operational suitability studies — bombing platform stability evaluation, level flight profiles

Performance Data Sheets

• Maximum velocity: 357 mph (575 km/h) at 30,000 ft
• Cruise velocity: 290 mph (467 km/h)
• Maximum combat range: 3,800 miles (3,000 miles with 10,000 lb bomb load)
• Service ceiling: 30,700 ft (9,360 m)
• Gross weight loaded: 100,800 lb — MTOW: 123,250 lb
• Maximum payload: 20,000 lb internal ordnance

This is an archival, static-copy edition fixed at its original publication date. Intended for historical reference, flight simulation, museum restoration, and educational use only. Not approved for active airworthiness maintenance under FAA 14 CFR § 43.13, EASA Part-M, or equivalent international regulations. Operators of active aircraft must use current, revision-controlled publications from the Type Certificate holder or an authorized distributor.

⚠️ Regulatory Notice: Under FAA 14 CFR § 43.13 and EASA Part-M, any mechanic performing maintenance on an active aircraft must use current, manufacturer-approved revision-controlled data. This archival document does not satisfy that requirement.

Living Collections with Free Lifetime Updates – Please review our Legal Notice and Export Notice before purchasing.