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B-66 Destroyer | bgcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Douglas B-66 Destroyer | olspan="3" align="center"|
Douglas B-66 Destroyer | | gcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Description | | ole | colspan="2"|tactical bomber (also reconnaissance) | | rew | colspan="2"|3 | | irst Flight | colspan="2"|1954 | | anufacturer | colspan="2"|Douglas Aircraft Company | | gcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Dimensions | | ength | 75 ft 2 in | 22.9 m | | ingspan | 72 ft 6 in | 22.1 m | | eight | 23 ft 7 in | 7.2 m | | ing area | 780 ft² | 72.5 m² | | gcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Weights | | mpty | 42,540 lb | 19,300 kg | | oaded | 57,800 lb | 26,200 kg | | aximum takeoff | 83,000 lb | 38,000 kg | | gcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Powerplant | | ngines | colspan="2"|2 × Allison J71-A-11 or -13 turbojets | | hrust | 10,200 lbf | 45 kN | | gcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Performance | | aximum speed | 631 mph | 1,000 km/h | | ombat range | 900 miles | 1,400 km | | erry range | 2470 miles | 4,000 km | | ervice ceiling | 39,400 ft | 12,000 m | | ate of climb | 5000 ft/min | 1,500 m/min | | ing loading | lb/ft² | kg/m² | | gcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Avionics | | vionics | colspan="2"|APS-27 and K-5 radars | | gcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Armament | | uns | colspan="2"|2 × 20mm cannon in tail turret | | ombs | 15,000 lb | 680 kg | The Douglas B-66 Destroyer was a Strategic Air Command light bomber based on the United States Navy's A3D Skywarrior, and intended to replace the Douglas B-26 Invader. A RB-66 photo-reconnaissance version was ordered simultaneously. At first, the Air Force thought the conversion would be an easy matter of removing the carrier-specific features, so no prototypes were ordered, just five pre-production RB-66A models (the reconnaissance mission was deemed higher priority). The list of modifications grew, and before long, the easy conversion became a substantially new aircraft. Many of the changes were due to the Air Force's requirement for low-level operations, while the Navy plane was a high-altitude bomber. The first RB-66A preproduction aircraft flew in 1954, while the first production RB-66B aircraft flew in early 1955. Deliveries to the USAF began in 1956, and 145 of this model were produced. They were used as the major night photo-reconnaissance aircraft of the USAF during this period. Meanwhile, 72 of the B-66B bomber version were built, 69 fewer than originally planned. Thirteen B-66B aircraft were modified into EB-66B electronics countermeasures aircraft for the Vietnam War. The RB-66C was a specialised electronic reconnaissance and ECM aircraft with a crew of seven; 36 were built. The additional crewmembers occupied what was the camera/bomb bay of other variants. RB-66C aircraft had distinctive wingtip pods. They were used over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and later over Vietnam. In 1966, they were redesignated EB-66C. The final B-66 variant was the WB-66D weather reconnaissance aircraft, 36 of which were constructed. The B-66 had left USAF service by 1970. One RB-66B is at the USAF Museum. References - USAF Museum. DOUGLAS RB-66B "DESTROYER". http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/modern_flight/mf31.htm
- J. Baugher. (2001). Douglas B-66 Destroyer. http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b66.html
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