List of United States bomber aircraft

United States military aircraft
  • Airships
  • Airborne early warning aircraft
  • Anti-submarine aircraft
  • Bomber aircraft
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  • Electronic warfare aircraft
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    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)

    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)

    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

    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

    References

    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

    • 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.
    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bomber aircraft of the United States.