List of United States bomber aircraft

This is a list of United States bomber aircraft, including those with the capability of bombing, meaning aircraft such as strike aircraft (also known as tactical bombers) and torpedo bombers are included.

1915–1935 (First Flight) edit

Name & Role Year of
first flight
Introduction Status Number
built
Photo
Airco DH.4 1917 retired 1932  
Curtiss Model H patrol flying boat 1917 Retired 478  
Curtiss HS patrol flying boat 1917 Retired 1,178  
Curtiss F5L patrol flying boat 1918 Retired 227  
Martin MBT/MT 1918 Retired 20  
Consolidated P2Y patrol flying boat 1929 retired 1941 78  
Bellanca 77-140 medium bomber 1934 retired 1942 4  
Consolidated PBY Catalina maritime patrol flying boat/amphibian 1935 retired 1980s 4,051 ca.  
Curtiss A-3/A-4 Falcon attack/light bomber 1924 retired 1937 155  
Curtiss A-8 attack/light bomber 1931 retired 1939 13  
Curtiss A-12 Shrike attack/light bomber 1933 retired 1942 46  
Curtiss XA-14 attack/light bomber 1935 retired prototype 1  
Curtiss A-18 Shrike attack/light bomber 1935 retired 1943 13  
Curtiss B-2 Condor heavy bomber 1929 retired 1934 13  
Curtiss BF2C Goshawk fighter-bomber 1933 retired 1949 166  
Curtiss CS torpedo bomber 1923 Retired 83  
Curtiss T-32 Condor II bomber/transport 1933 Retired 45  
Douglas DT torpedo bomber 1921 Retired 90  
Douglas B-18 Bolo medium bomber 1935 retired 1946 350  
Douglas Y1B-7 heavy bomber 1931 retired prototype 8  
Fokker XB-8 heavy bomber 1929 retired prototype 7  
Great Lakes BG dive bomber 1933 retired 1941 61  
Huff-Daland XB-1 heavy bomber 1927 retired prototype 1  
Keystone B-3 light bomber 1929 retired 1940 36  
Keystone B-4 heavy bomber 1930 retired 30  
Keystone B-5 heavy bomber 1929 retired 30  
Keystone B-6 heavy bomber 1931 retired 44  
Martin NBS-1 night bomber 1920 retired 1929 130  
Martin T3M torpedo bomber 1926 retired 1932 124  
Martin T4M torpedo bomber 1927 retired 1938 155  
Martin B-10 & related heavy bomber 1932 retired 1949 342  
Curtiss SBC Helldiver dive bomber 1935 retired 1943 257  
Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bomber 1935 retired 1944 130  
Northrop A-17 attack bomber 1935 retired 1944 411  
Northrop BT dive bomber 1935 retired 1941 55  
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber 1935[1] 1938[1] retired 1959 12,731[1]  

1936–1945 (First Flight) edit

Name Year of
first flight
Retired/Status Number
built
Photo
Beechcraft XA-38 Grizzly medium/attack bomber 1944 retired prototype 2  
Boeing B-29 Superfortress/Washington heavy bomber 1942 retired 1960 3,970  
Boeing Model 306 heavy bomber n/a abandoned 1935 project 0
Boeing XB-15 heavy bomber 1937 retired prototype 1944 1  
Boeing XB-38 Flying Fortress heavy bomber 1943 Lost 1943 project cancelled 1  
Boeing XB-39 Superfortress heavy bomber 1944 retired prototype 1  
Boeing XF8B fighter bomber 1944 retired prototype 3  
Boeing XPBB Sea Ranger maritime patrol bomber 1942 retired prototype 1  
Brewster SB2A Buccaneer scout bomber 1941 retired 1944 771  
Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bomber 1939 retired 1968 18,482[notes 1]  
Consolidated B-32 Dominator heavy bomber 1942 retired 1945 118  
Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer patrol bomber 1943 retired 1962 739  
Consolidated PB2Y Coronado
maritime patrol flying boat
1937 retired 1945 217[notes 1]  
Consolidated XP4Y Corregidor
maritime patrol flying boat
1939 retired prototype 1  
Curtiss SB2C Helldiver/A-25 Shrike
dive bomber
1940 retired 1959 7,140  
Curtiss XBTC torpedo bomber 1945 retired prototype 2  
Curtiss XSB3C dive bomber n/a abandoned 1941 project 0
Douglas A-1 Skyraider attack aircraft 1945 retired 1985 3,180  
Douglas A-20 Havoc medium bomber 1939 retired 1949 7,478[notes 2]  
Douglas A-26 Invader medium bomber 1942 retired 1980 2,452  
Douglas XB-19 heavy bomber 1941 retired prototype 1  
Douglas XB-22
medium bomber
n/a abandoned project 0
Douglas B-23 Dragon medium bomber 1939 retired 38[notes 1]  
Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber 1940 retired 1959 5,936  
Douglas BTD Destroyer torpedo bomber/dive bomber 1943 retired 1945 30  
Douglas XTB2D Skypirate torpedo bomber 1945 retired prototype 2  
Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber 1941 retired 1966 9,839
Grumman AF Guardian anti-submarine aircraft 1945 retired 1955 389[notes 3]  
Grumman XTB2F torpedo bomber n/a abandoned 1944 project 0
Hall XPTBH torpedo bomber 1937 retired prototype 1  
Kaiser-Fleetwings XBTK torpedo/dive bomber – prototype 1945 project scrapped 1946 5  
Lockheed Hudson medium bomber/maritime patrol 1938 retired 1948 2,941  
Lockheed P2V Neptune maritime patrol 1945 retired 1984 1,132  
Lockheed Ventura/Harpoon medium bomber/maritime patrol 1941 retired 1974 3,010  
Lockheed XB-30 heavy bomber – project n/a abandoned project 0
Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber 1940 retired 1946 5,288  
Martin Baltimore
medium bomber
1941 retired 1949 1,575  
Martin PBM Mariner maritime patrol 1939 retired 1964 1,285  
Martin Maryland
medium bomber/reconnaissance bomber
1939 retired 1945 450  
Martin AM Mauler attack aircraft 1944 retired 1953 151  
Martin XB-27 heavy bomber n/a abandoned project 0
Martin XB-33 Super Marauder heavy bomber n/a abandoned project 0
Naval Aircraft Factory SBN dive bomber 1936 retired 1942 31  
North American A-27 attack 1940 retired 1941 10  
North American T-6 Texan light attack 1940 retired 15,495[notes 4]  
North American XB-21 medium bomber 1936 retired prototype 1  
North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber 1940 retired 1979 9,984  
North American XB-28 medium bomber 1942 retired prototype 2  
Northrop N-3PB patrol bomber 1940 retired 1943 24  
Republic P-47 fighter-bomber 1941 retired 1966 15,678[notes 2]  
Vought F4U Corsair fighter-bomber 1940 retired 1979 12,571  
Vought SB2U Vindicator/Chesapeake dive bomber 1936 retired 1945 260  
Vought TBU/Consolidated TBY Sea Wolf torpedo bomber 1941 retired 1948 180  
Vultee A-31/A-35 Vengeance dive bomber 1941 retired 1945 1,528  

1946–current edit

Name of Bomber Year of
first flight
Retired/Status Number
built
bombload
(kg)
Photo
Boeing B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber 1947 retired 1977 2,032 11,340  
Boeing B-50 Superfortress strategic bomber 1947 retired 1965 370 12,700  
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber 1952 operational 744 31,500  
Boeing XB-54 strategic bomber n/a abandoned 1948 project 0 16,400
Boeing XB-56 strategic bomber n/a abandoned 1950 project 0 11,300  
Boeing XB-59 strategic bomber n/a abandoned 1952 project 0 4,500  
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly light attack aircraft 1963 retired 577 1,860  
Convair B-36 Peacemaker heavy bomber 1946 retired 1959 384 39,600  
Convair B-58 Hustler strategic bomber 1956 retired 1970 116 8,820  
Convair XB-46 heavy bomber 1947 retired prototype 1 10,000  
Convair YB-60 heavy bomber 1952 retired prototype 2 33,000  
Douglas A2D Skyshark attack aircraft 1950 retired prototype 8 2,500  
Douglas A-3 Skywarrior strategic bomber 1956 retired 1991 282 5,800  
Douglas A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft 1954 retired 2,960 3,720  
Douglas B-66 Destroyer tactical bomber 1954 retired 1973 72 6,800  
Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft 1972 operational 716 7,260  
General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark medium bomber 1967 retired 1998 563 14,300  
Grumman A-6 Intruder attack aircraft 1960 retired 1997 693 8,200  
Grumman F9F Panther fighter-bomber 1947 retired 1969 1,382 910  
Grumman OV-1 Mohawk light attack 1959 retired 1996 380 450  
Grumman S-2 Tracker anti-submarine aircraft 1952 retired 1976 1,284 2,200  
Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk stealth attack aircraft 1981 retired 2008 64 2,300  
Lockheed P-3 Orion/CP-140 Aurora/Arcturus maritime patrol 1959 operational 757 9,100  
Lockheed S-3 Viking anti-submarine aircraft 1972 retired 188 2,200  
Martin B-57 Canberra reconnaissance bomber 1953 retired 403[notes 5] 3,300  
Martin P4M Mercator maritime patrol 1946 retired 1960 21 5,400  
Martin P5M Marlin maritime patrol 1948 retired 1967 285 7,200  
Martin P6M SeaMaster strategic bomber 1955 retired 1959 12 14,000  
Martin XB-48 medium bomber 1947 retired prototype 2 9,000  
Martin XB-51 attack bomber 1949 retired prototype 2 4,700  
McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II attack aircraft n/a abandoned 1983 project 0 2,300  
McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II attack aircraft 1978 operational 323 4,200  
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter-bomber 1958 retired 2016 5,195[notes 2] 8,500  
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter/attack aircraft 1978 operational 1,480 6,200  
North American A-5 Vigilante reconnaissance bomber 1958 retired 1980 156 6,200  
North American AJ/A-2 Savage nuclear attack bomber 1948 retired 1964 143 5,400  
North American B-45 Tornado reconnaissance bomber 1947 retired 1959 143 10,000  
North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco light attack 1965 operational 370 230  
North American T-28 Trojan light attack 1949 retired 1994 1,948 540  
North American XA2J Super Savage bomber 1952 retired prototype 1 4,800  
North American XB-70 Valkyrie strategic bomber prototype 1964 retired prototype 2 22,500  
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber 1989 operational 21 18,000  
Northrop YA-9 attack aircraft 1972 retired prototype 2 7,300  
Northrop YB-35 heavy bomber 1946 retired prototype 4 23,200  
Northrop YB-49 heavy bomber 1947 retired prototype 4 7,300  
Piper PA-48 Enforcer counter-insurgency/attack aircraft 1971 retired prototype 4 2,600  
Republic F-84 Thunderjet fighter-bomber 1946 retired 1973 7,524 2,000  
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak fighter-bomber 1954 retired 1991 3,428 2,700  
Republic F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber 1955 retired 1984 833 6,400  
Rockwell B-1 Lancer strategic bomber 1974 operational, to be retired by 2036 104 34,000  
Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bomber 2023 in development 1 18000 (est.)  

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "B-17G Flying Fortress". Air Mobility Command Museum. Retrieved 2023-12-31.
  1. ^ a b c Production figure includes aircraft used as transports
  2. ^ a b c Production figure includes fighters or other non-bomber variants
  3. ^ Production figure includes AEW variant
  4. ^ Production figure includes trainers
  5. ^ Production figure includes reconnaissance variants

Bibliography edit

  • Andrade, John M. (1979). U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials Since 1909. Midland Counties Publications. ISBN 978-0-904597-22-6.
  • Fahey, James C. (1946). U.S. Army Aircraft 1908–1946.
  • Michael J.H. Taylor, ed. (1991). Jane's American Fighting Aircraft of the 20th Century. New York, NY: Mallard Press. ISBN 978-0-7924-5627-8.