Operational turboprop bombers?

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fishjay

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Besides the TU-95, did any other turboprop powered bomber make it to operational status? I know of the XB-47D (experimental only) but were there any others?

Thanks,

Fishjay
 
fishjay said:
Besides the TU-95, did any other turboprop powered bomber make it to operational status? I know of the XB-47D (experimental only) but were there any others?

Thanks,

Fishjay
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If i remember well Chinese has realized a turbo-prop version of the Russian Tu-4 "Bull" (the soviet copy of Boeing B-29).
 
A bomber of sorts, the Kawasaki P-2J TP version of the Lockheed Neptune.
 
Hi Verner.
sevan RB 69 (serial54-4037 to 4043) serve with USAF
for reconnaissance duty
Bye
 
If maritime patrol aircraft count, then there are several.

How small would you consider? Does the Westland Wyvern count?
 
The main problem is "..make it to operational status " !
The Wyvern, yes, a torpedo bomber, but honestly, I would regard
this as a trick, as principally it was a fighter bomber, that means a fighter
carrying bombs. AFAIK, the only version of the Neptune, which was powered
by turboprops was the japanese Kawasaki P-2J, and the chinese Tu-4 derivative
remained a prototype and was modified into an AWACS.
The North American XA2J-1 was a bomber, that really took off, but never reached
operational status, so still no idea.
 
Are you sure the PRC Tu-4s were only prototypes? They sure used them a long time in various roles to be prototypes.


Jemiba said:
The main problem is "..make it to operational status " !
The Wyvern, yes, a torpedo bomber, but honestly, I would regard
this as a trick, as principally it was a fighter bomber, that means a fighter
carrying bombs. AFAIK, the only version of the Neptune, which was powered
by turboprops was the japanese Kawasaki P-2J, and the chinese Tu-4 derivative
remained a prototype and was modified into an AWACS.
The North American XA2J-1 was a bomber, that really took off, but never reached
operational status, so still no idea.
Click to expand...
 
You're right, I've found another version used as a drone launcher (http://www.airliners.net/photo/1205559/),
so there really may have been an operational use, albeit as it seems, in secondary roles only.
 
Would a P3-Orion be classed as a "bomber" I quess they can drop depth charges.. and or would a Avro Shackleton have fitted the bill if it had ever had the Napier Nomad engines fitted?
many Regards
 
Zeppelin said:
Would a P3-Orion be classed as a "bomber" I quess they can drop depth charges.. and or would a Avro Shackleton have fitted the bill if it had ever had the Napier Nomad engines fitted?
many Regards
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The Napier Nomad was not a turboprop, it was a turbo compound diesel engine.
 
Madurai said:
If maritime patrol aircraft count, then there are several.
Click to expand...

That's the point.
We should also consider the Atlantic and P-3 Orion/CP-140 Aurora as well.

BTW I know that the Lockheed C-130 dropped special bombs for helo landing zone back in Vietnam War, could we consider that?
And so far even the AC-130 could be regarded in this way?

Recently we had the Argentinian two seat Pucarà that was for sure a light COIN bomber...
 
"We should also consider the Atlantic and P-3 Orion/CP-140 Aurora as well."

If someone here remembers the good old "open days" at THF Berlin Tempelhof airport, then perhaps he can
remember, too, the screaming of certain papers, when the visit of an "atomic bomber" was announced.
Indeed, we saw a P-3 Orion for the first time here and a canny journalist must have read, that it could be
armed with nuclear depth charges. What a scandal ! And it didn't matter at all, that the aircraft was in fact
a VP-3 staff transport ...
So, well, the Pucarà, the Super-Tucano or the OV-10 Bronco all qualify as "bomber". And maybe we even could
add the Mil 8, Bell Huey or Cobra: Occasionally all were dropping ordnance and they are powered by a form
of turbo prop engines.
But talking of a "bomber", I still have other ideas. ;)
 
The reason I suggested the P-2J is because it was derived from the P-2H & the USAF operated some Neptunes as RB-69s, so obviously the USAF considered a Neptune a bomber. I didn't suggest it to start grasping at straws.
 
"I didn't suggest it to start grasping at straws."

Sorry, I didn't want to say that ! In fact, from all the ASW aircraft coming to my mind,
the P-2 probably is the one coming nearest the "classical" bomber. By definition, a bomber
is just an aircraft intended to attack ground targets by dropping ordnance, so really a lot
of aircraft are falling into this category.
It was just my impression, based on the types mentioned by fishjay, that he had "real" bombers
in mind, that means, aircraft designed as bombers and those seem to be rare.
 
During the Indian-Pakistani war at 1965-66, the Indians sometimes used their An-12s as night bombers. And they were successful enough: during some raids they carried as much as 16 tons (!) of bombs. Here are some memoirs about this:
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1965War/An-12s.html
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1965War/An-12s-2.html

Once the Antonov was intercepted by the Pakistani Mirage, but escaped successfully!.. This Indian practice suggested the Antonov designers to make a special bomber version of the An-12. The An-12BKV was built in 1969; it was fitted by stationary conveyor (named TG-12MV) for bomb dumping, and could carry a bomb load up to 12 tons (70x 100-kg bombs, or 29-32x 250-kg, or 18-22x 500-kg bombs). It also could be used for mine-laying, carrying 18x UDM-500 aerial mines. I attach an interior photo of An-12BKV, with the conveyor loaded with bombs.
(The main source: An-12 monograph in "Aviatsia i Vremya" (Aviation & Time) magazine, No.1/1995)

And if you remember the Atlantic and Orion/Aurora, you also must not forget the Il-38!
 

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Jemiba said:
The Wyvern, yes, a torpedo bomber, but honestly, I would regard
this as a trick, as principally it was a fighter bomber, that means a fighter
carrying bombs.
Click to expand...

Does the Wyvern really warrant the fighter label? It was labelled a strike fighter, but isn't that simply a late '40s, version of the Battle or the Shrike? The single engine light bomber reborn. For a contemporary version, we have the strike-configured AT-37 Tucano
 
DWG said:
the strike-configured AT-37 Tucano
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??? ??? ??? ???

The AT-37 Dragonfly is a COIN version of the Cessna T-37 Tweet.
The Tucano is a Brazilian aircraft by Embraer and definitely not the AT-37, even in its COIN version!!!
 
While "AT-37" would / should have been the correct designation for the Dragonfly, the USAF officially had it designated A-37. One of the earlier versions of the USAF not following its own rules for designations.


Stargazer2006 said:
DWG said:
the strike-configured AT-37 Tucano
Click to expand...

??? ??? ??? ???

The AT-37 Dragonfly is a COIN version of the Cessna T-37 Tweet.
The Tucano is a Brazilian aircraft by Embraer and definitely not the AT-37, even in its COIN version!!!
Click to expand...
 
Really stretching the definition and showing off (I'm in the right seat as I was in a Navy S2F in 1956 as a kid, almost 40 years earlier), but it is a turboprop and a bomber, albeit of fires...
 

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BC-130 Commando Vault aircraft dropped 10,000-lb M-121 bombs and 15,000-lb BLU-82 bombs in Vietnam. MC-130s dropped the latter in Iraq and Afghanistan.

C-130 Carolina Moon aircraft dropped large floating mines against the Thanh Hoa Bridge in Vietnam.
 
iverson said:
BC-130 Commando Vault aircraft dropped 10,000-lb M-121 bombs and 15,000-lb BLU-82 bombs in Vietnam. MC-130s dropped the latter in Iraq and Afghanistan.

C-130 Carolina Moon aircraft dropped large floating mines against the Thanh Hoa Bridge in Vietnam.
Click to expand...

Never heard of that one! Can't find a thing about it online... Still classified?
 
I've found the "BC-130" or "B/C-130" designation used as a kind of a nickname.
 
Breguet BR 1150 Atlantic was able to carry and drop bombs, with a primitive bombsight inside the glazed nose.
and project Breguet BR 1190, derivation of Breguet BR 1150 Atlantic MPA. Not build, only paper.
Scheduled as nuclear bomber with in flight refuelling capacity.
 
Stargazer2006 said:
iverson said:
BC-130 Commando Vault aircraft dropped 10,000-lb M-121 bombs and 15,000-lb BLU-82 bombs in Vietnam. MC-130s dropped the latter in Iraq and Afghanistan.

C-130 Carolina Moon aircraft dropped large floating mines against the Thanh Hoa Bridge in Vietnam.
Click to expand...

Never heard of that one! Can't find a thing about it online... Still classified?
Click to expand...

Breaking the Dragon’s Jaw | Air & Space Forces Magazine

North Vietnam’s Thanh Hoa Bridge was a critical but seemingly invincible target. It took years of brav
www.airforcemag.com www.airforcemag.com
"The task force opted to use the versatile Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport and two crews from the 61st Troop Carrier Squadron at Sewart AFB, Tenn.

There were two crews: one led by Maj. Richard T. Remers and the second by Maj. Thomas F. Case. An array of specialists and technicians were deployed to examine how to drop the weapon, what parachutes to use, and how to ensure the weapon would navigate the river, subject as it was to its depth and current."
 
Tailspin Turtle said:
Really stretching the definition and showing off (I'm in the right seat as I was in a Navy S2F in 1956 as a kid, almost 40 years earlier), but it is a turboprop and a bomber, albeit of fires...
Click to expand...
The Taiwanese Air Force, Brazilian Navy and Argentine Navy converted their Grumman Trackers to turboprop engines. These used the Garret TPE331 turboprop conversion perfected by Marsh (USA).
 

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