Consolidated B-32 Dominator

The Consolidated B‑32 Dominator was the last heavy bomber produced by Consolidated Aircraft before the company merged into Convair. Development began in 1940 as a response to a United States Army Air Forces requirement for a long‑range, high‑payload bomber that could rival the emerging Boeing B‑17 and later the B‑24. The prototype first flew on 28 July 1941, and after a series of modifications that added a pressurized cockpit, remote‑controlled defensive gun turrets, and a reinforced wing structure, the aircraft entered limited combat service in the Pacific theater in 1945. Powered by four Pratt & Whitney R‑4360 Wasp Major radial engines, the B‑32 could deliver a 20,000‑pound bomb load over 3,400 miles at a maximum speed of 355 mph. Its defensive armament comprised eight 0.50‑inch machine guns and two 20 mm cannons, all operated from electrically powered turrets. Although only 118 were built, the Dominator demonstrated advanced features such as a retractable landing gear, a nose‑mounted radar, and a sophisticated electrical fire‑suppression system. The B‑32’s brief combat record— notably the last aerial victory of World War II—underscored the rapid evolution of bomber design and marked the end of the era of large, piston‑engine strategic bombers, paving the way for the jet‑powered aircraft that followed.

Consolidated Aircraft

Consolidated B-32 Dominator

Classification

Production & History

Design & Classification