Martin XB-51

[robunos]

.....planned both a tandem-cockpit variant and a production model with wing tanks!

these from 'Air Force Legends' #201 'Martin XB-51' :-

XB-51 with two-seat 'Tactical Nose' and XB-51 with external wing mounted stores........


cheers,
Robin.

 

[Steve Pace]

I with the understanding that "Panther" was just a name suggestion for the XB-51 and subsequent production B-51s if they had been built.

 

[Stargazer]

"Panther" was Martin's inhouse name for the aircraft but certainly not given by the USAF to the XB-51 prototypes. Company names were not always accepted, such as "Martian" becoming Marauder for instance.

 

[Steve Pace]

Here's an image for you...

 

[Stargazer]

Beautiful!

 

[airrocket]

Any fan of the XB-51 must see the movie "Toward The Unknown" with fantastic in-flight XB-51 footage. TTU one of my favorite movies of all time. I truly value my pirated VHS copy from many years ago...priceless! Wish they made movies like that nowadays...first few minutes of Space Cowboys came close.

http://www.bellx-2.com/ttu/gallery/album04

 

[Steve Pace]

Yeh, the XB-51 had XF-120 emblazend on its nose.

 

[Stargazer]

Also rechristening "Martin" as "Gilbert" was pretty funny...

 

[Justo Miranda]

Some additional info from
-Le fanatique de l'Aviation -unknown issue and
-"Airpower"-volume 8 -num 4-July 1978
post-1

 

[Justo Miranda]

Some additional info from
-Le fanatique de l'Aviation -unknown issue and
-"Airpower"-volume 8 -num 4-July 1978
post-2

 

[Justo Miranda]

Some additional info from
-Le fanatique de l'Aviation -unknown issue and
-"Airpower"-volume 8 -num 4-July 1978
post-3

 

[Skyraider3D]

What a magnificent colour photo! Would anyone have it without split and print raster?

Here's a b&w copy from wikipedia:

 

[Sundog]

I actually have it without the split, but my scanner isn't hooked up. It's the color centerfold from the Wings/Airpower issue about it. I think it's from 1977, or 1979. I actually have a beautiful laminated version of it as well for my hobby area.

Maybe I'll get my scanner up and running this year.

 

[Steve Pace]

Lloyd S. Jones did the XB-51 cutaway. -SP

 

[Steve Pace]

I haven't seen this XB-51 shot from Life magazine before. -SP

 

[Stargazer]

First time ever I see this pic. Great find Steve!!

 

[Skyraider3D]

Great photo indeed. Nice wide lens angle. If it wasn't for the smoke trail, you'd think it's a vertical take off!

 

[Johnbr]

Here is a photo of cockpit

 

[AeroFranz]

Thought y'all might like the cover of this Flying magazine i came across this morning.

 

[Stargazer]

Sure do... ;D

Thanks a lot for sharing!

 

[Pioneer]

Wow Johnbr that 3-view, cutaway drawing is great!!
I've never seen the internal layout of the XB-51 before - let alone in such detail!!


Regards
Pioneer

 

[Abraham Gubler]

Its a shame he had to abuse Steve Ginter's copyright to provide the drawing.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Edited and replaced with low res copy. If you want to see this drawing in full glory buy a copy of Steve Ginter's excellent book on the XB-51.

 

[AeroFranz]

Agreed we should not encourage copyright infringement. Posting a low-res version is the appropriate course of action. In Johnbr's defense, that particular image comes up as hit number one if you Google "XB-51 cutaway", and I have seen it in at least another website besides that one.

 

[Johnbr]

There are about 20 photo's of the XB-51 on the air force web site.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/search/imagesearch.asp?q=xb-51&st=%2Fsearch%2Fimagesearch.asp&site=Museum&btnG.x=30&btnG.y=12

 

[Stargazer]

There are about 20 photos of the XB-51 on the air force web site.

"About 20 photos"?? You gotta be kiddin' me... It's no less than 93 king-size photos of the XB-51 prototypes, no less, including many I'd never seen before!!!

 

[Mark Nankivil]

Greetings All -

Here is some interesting artwork on the XB-51 mock up. Photos from the Gerald Balzer collection.

Enjoy the Day! Mark

 

[Stargazer]

Good grief!!!

It would seem that the name "Dragon" may have been right, after all, at least at some point. The creature in the logo doesn't look anywhere near a panther...

 

[hesham]

Hi,


the Martin XB-51 early artist drawings,from the book; The Martin XB-51
by Scott Libis.

 

[Steve Pace]

Good grief!!!

It would seem that the name "Dragon" may have been right, after all, at least at some point. The creature in the logo doesn't look anywhere near a panther...

FLYING DRAGON maybe... -SP

 

[tround]

I read somewhere that it had a antitank version with 4 guns of 75mm . It's a fake but who did it ?

 

[Stargazer]

FLYING DRAGON maybe... -SP

Er... Steve... Please. Not again! :

 

[lark]

The name 'Panther' was already in use for the U.S Navy with their Grumman fighter.
So , it is not likely that the USAF also should use the same name..

 

[Steve Pace]

FLYING DRAGON maybe... -SP

Er... Steve... Please. Not again! :

LOL - just joking -SP

 

[Stargazer]

Good grief!!!

It would seem that the name "Dragon" may have been right, after all, at least at some point. The creature in the logo doesn't look anywhere near a panther...

Quoting myself just to clarify this point... The logo may quite simply be the "purple martin", the bird that appeared on many company documents and publications over the years as an emblem.

I'm also attaching below an illustration from a Martin publication which depicts, not quite a B-51 but a later development with nose intake and cockpit blended in fuselage.

 

[Kartek]

Ugh, far uglier than the B-45, but many innovations.​

 

[cluttonfred]

Back to the beginning of this thread, that tandem seat "tactical nose" model is sexy!

.....planned both a tandem-cockpit variant and a production model with wing tanks!

these from 'Air Force Legends' #201 'Martin XB-51' :-

XB-51 with two-seat 'Tactical Nose' and XB-51 with external wing mounted stores........


cheers,
Robin.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Some nice artwork and info in these, scanned by Ryan Crierie.

XB-51 CS - 19 May 1950
XB-51 CS - 26 September 1949
XB-51 SAC - 19 May 1950
XB-51 CS - 11 July 1952
XB-51 SAC - 11 July 1952
XB-51 SAC - 26 September 1949

 

[RAP]

Here is a picture I found in my files of the XB-51 marked as the Gilbert XF-120. Just thought it was a cool picture with an F-100 tucked up next to it. Sorry for the small size.

 

[aim9xray]

That looks to be a screen capture from William Holden film "Toward the Unknown". The whole sequence is beautiful, with the F-100 catching up to the "XF-120" (XB-51) as the camera pans across.