Dimensionally, engineers drew up an aircraft with a wing span of 123 feet, a length of 104.7 feet and a height of 23.8 feet. Empty weight was 51,616lb against an estimated Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of around 86,000lb. For propulsion, the Wright R-3350-13 series radial was selected, each unit outputting 2,200 horsepower. The engines were held in nacelles along the wing leading edges, two engines to a wing, and driving three-bladed propellers. The engine also went on to power the Boeing B-29, was standard in the Lockheed Constellation series, and eventually used in the Douglas A-1 "Skyraider" attacker (of Vietnam War fame) seen in the post-war years.
Since the bomber would become a target for enemy interceptors it was to carry its own defensive armament. A 20mm cannon along with four 0.50 caliber heavy machine guns, would be fitted to a remotely-controlled tail turret to protect the aircraft's vulnerable "six" position. Two dorsal turrets were also envisioned, each armed with four 0.50 caliber heavy machine guns - providing all-around security. Another two-to-four-gunned turret was to be set ventrally. There would also be remote-controlled side-mounted turrets along the forward sides of the fuselage. Internally, the bomb load ranged up to 16,000 lb of conventional drop ordnance.
Lockheed engineers were able to conduct some testing on components related to the XB-30 design during 1940. Some performance estimates were detailed for the Lockheed submission - a maximum speed of 382 miles per hour, an operational range out to 5,333 miles, and a service ceiling up to 17,832 feet (requiring pressurization of the crew sections).
The progress already seen by Army authorities in the Boeing B-29 submission worked against the L-249 project which was still attempting to get its feet underneath it. Lockheed managed a scale model of their aircraft but its proposal was not selected for further development and promptly fell to aviation history. Similarly the Douglas XB-31 only managed to reach the design stage and was left out of further Army plans. Thus the path for the Boeing B-29 to shine in the Grand War was laid.
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