Consolidated B-32 Dominator - strategic bomber (2024)

my uncle Tilliman Smith, worked for consolidated, convair, General Dynamics and Lockeed for 42 years and never left his area. He worked on everything they ever touched. I have some documentation he left me from the PLANT, and it included the B-32. Quit the air plane builder. His conversation and expertise made me become a naval aviator , 2700 hours F4=j 708 carrier landings , 262 sorties in VN.; Loved the guy for his knowledge, but he was a Texas demo, union guy, no other cars but from Charlie Hillard Ford,, by the way, Charlie Hillard Jr was killed in a crash of a Sea Fury about 20 years ago. Uncle worked on the B-24, B-36,B-58, B-57 canbera modification, B-32, F-111, F-16. I Wished I had talked to him more....

reply

I know this post is old but I just found it- in response to Jack's comments- my father was a B-32 Test Pilot.

reply

Henry Mitchell,
You're thinking of the PB4Y, which looks similar to the B-32 but is a very different plane.

reply

I am pretty sure that the Vintage Flying Museum is in possession of a B-32 dorsal turret.

reply

I really do hate it when so-called knowledgeable "experts" don't know what they're talking about. The U.S. Navy used these lumbering giants in coastal and sea patrols right up into the early 50's. I remember watching them taking off from the Chamblee Naval Air Station (along with Hellcats), now DeKalb-Peachtree Airport when I was a kid....I was born in 1944.

reply

hello i am looking for b-32 pilots to interview for a magazine please email me if you know a b-32 pilot or you were a b-32 pilot please and thank you

reply

My father, 1st Lt. Leonard E. Williams, trained in the B-32's. He had been an IP during most of the war. He indicated they were training to start bombing Japan. Destined at that time, I believe, he said Okinawa. The "Bomb" kept him out of combat.

reply

My father "Earl St Germain" was a radio opperator on the 32. He was in 385th Bomb group having crossed over from the 386th and the B-25's. Someone's wrote below that says they got these planes 2 weeks before the end of the war. This is incorrect as they had them several months. My Dad was also on those last couple of missions on Aug. 16,17, and 18th of 1945. He was on "The Lady is Fresh" and the "Hobo Queen II" I have a whole scapbook of photos of these planes and missions that he sent home to my Mother.

reply

I have a B-32 load adjuster and leather case in very nice condition. My dad who was a flight test engineer had it. I am sure someone else would enjoy it now. for sale...but I have no idea a fair price.

reply

I slept in all day after having flown the night before at Victorvile AAF. When I went to the club for supper I was told that other squadron members had been looking for me all day because I had been picked to fly to Fort Worth for a 90 day TDY. When no one thought to check the BOQ, Fred Matthews was given the assignment. Turned out that he was one of five radar navigator bombardiers who spent the last few days of the war on B-32 crews flying missions over Japan.

reply

I was a tail gunner on D>T>mCKinna's crew.He was fromj Madison,WI Havent seen or herd of any other crew members that flew the 32's.We all must be getting old or dying!

reply

Approximately 40 of us who were B-24 instructors at FT. Worth Army Airfield were trained in the B-32 beginning in March 1945. We were to pick up a crew after transition training then stage to go to the South Pacific but, midway through training,it was decided to keep some of us (if not all) as the core instructor unit in the 32s. My logbook shows first IP time logged in the 32 was 10 April 1945. My students were mostly seasoned combat bomber pilots who taught me more flying than I taught them. Had only a couple classes when the BOMB ended the war. Had a couple of interesting episodes with engine fires, otherwise found the aircraft stable and easy to fly and land. Would appreciate hearing from anyone who would like to share experiences.

reply

"Roses are red, Violets are blue.
You got a tail like a B -32"
was a popular ditty in Ft Worth in the 40's.
All the kids put it or got it in their autograph books. I still have one of mine. That ditty appears at least 3 or 4 times.
My dad worked at Consolidated Vultee /Convair /GD from 1942 until he retired in 1972.
We lived in "Liberator Village", which was a housing development just South of the "Bomber Plant". During the summer and on weekends, my friends and I would sneak out of out houses and go to the fence by the runway and watch the planes take off and land. (Notice "runway- there was /is only a north-south runway at the airfield, which is now called Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base at Carswell Field. The name is almost as long as the 10,000ft + runway.)
We moved about three miles south of the end of the runway in 1945, and I was fortunate to see the maiden flights of the B-36, B-58, FB-111, F-16 aircraft. All impressive, but I think the B-58 was just heart-stopping. A beautiful sight.

reply

reply

I have some black model aicraft that they used to train pilots in identification of aicraft in World War II. One of them is a large B-32. But it has twin tails like the B-24.

reply

I was at RTU at March Field, Cal ready to go overseas in B-24 when my crew was selected as one of 14 to go to Tarrant Air Base. Ft. Worth Tex. We were called "Demonstrator Crews" and were to get 100 hours and then go to Okinowa to fly 25 Missions against the wily Japs and then, if we survived, return to Walla Walla AFB, Washington to instruct in the AC. As you read, the big one was dropped before we got to Okie, byt some ATC crews did fly missions, one AC lost off the end of the runway at Okie. I stayed in the Air Reserves in Dallas, my home, and in the Little Rock, Ark ANG. We were activated in Oct 50 and sent to Langly to train in the new F-84. I was selected as a "volunteer" to go to Korea as a replacementF-51 pilot. I arrive Feb.2 1951 and flew 100 missions in 69 days. Came home in May. I have lived in Galveston, Texas for the past37 years. Made LC and retired in 68. I'd be happy to hear from any one with simialar experience. Cell phone is 409-599-1339. Low and slow and throttle back in the turns. Richard H Schiebel

reply

I flew the B-32 in 1945 at Tarant Field , TX, It ws called Fort Worth Army Air Field. I was one of 77 pilots to fly it, according a book written by William Wolf.It was a great improvement over the B-24.It was fast and handled like a much smaller A /C. I ended up with 30years in the USAF and flew about 30 military planes. I retired in1971 as a Lt /Col . Commissioned on 25 March 1943 and fought in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. The day the war ended we stopped flying the B-32 and started flying them out to Walnut Ridge and Flagstaff, Arizona. Parked brand new a /c in the grass and they started demobilizing them as soon as they defueled them. I was told they cost $800,000 a copy then. I am still flying at 88 years of age. Cheers!!!

reply

July of 1945 I was transferred to Okinawa to be checked out
as PIC in the B-32.. We were doing our flying out of Yontan
Air Field. Lost one on take off due to a prop malfunction I
believe. My hours of training were great ! Was ready to be scheduled when the war ended.

reply

In late 1943 I worked in engineering in the B-32 Controls
Group at Consolidated-Vultee in Ft Worth, Texas. If my memory is correct, the rudder design was borrowed from the B-29 and was adapted to the B-32.

reply

Dr. Joe Blanchard, of Baton Rouge, La., was a B32 pilot. He stated that 108 B32's were stationed in Texas and trained to drop 10 ton bombs that would completely destroy 32 square blocks if the atom bomb failed. There has been no mention of this on the internet or anywhere else that I can find. He said that it was a secret mission and that no one in the Army Air Force or Air Force he has talked to knew of this group. Dr. Blanchard is not the type of a man to make-up a fictitious story. Why hasn't this story been told? It is quite an interesting story with an intelligent survivor.

reply