Boeing XB-15 superbomber
I-Prototype XB-15 (35-277) ngesikhathi sokuhlolwa kwempahla e-Wright Field ngo-1938. Ngesikhathi sokuhlolwa kwendiza, bekuyindiza enkulu kunazo zonke nesindayo kunazo zonke ezakhiwe e-United States.
Yakhiwe ngabakwa-Boeing maphakathi nawo-15s, i-XB-15 iyisizukulwane esilandelayo sesizukulwane esilandelayo samabhomu esindayo esinezinjini ezine ezinde. Ukudalwa kwayo kwaba umphumela wezingxoxo mayelana nendima yesu lamabhomu anamandla kanye nezindiza ezilwa ngokujwayelekile engxabanweni yezempi ezayo. Ngenkathi i-XB-XNUMX yahlala ingumshini wokuhlola, iqale ukuthuthukiswa kwalesi sigaba sezindiza e-USA.
Ekupheleni kweMpi Yezwe I, izikhulu ezimbalwa eziphezulu ze-American Expeditionary Forces (Air Service) eYurophu zabona ukuthi kungenzeka ukusebenzisa amabhomu njengesikhali esihlaselayo esibaluleke kakhulu, esikwazi ukucekela phansi amandla ezempi nezomnotho wesitha esingemuva. . ngaphambili. Omunye wabo kwakunguBrig. UGeneral William "Billy" Mitchell, umsekeli oqinile wokwakhiwa kwebutho lezindiza elizimele (okungukuthi, elizimele), futhi ekubunjweni kwalo ibutho elinamandla lamabhomu. Nokho, ngemva kokuphela kwempi, kwakungekho khono lobuchwepheshe noma intando yezombangazwe e-United States yokufeza iziphakamiso zikaMitchell. Noma kunjalo, ukuphikelela kukaMitchell kwaholela enhlanganweni ngo-1921-1923 yemizamo eminingana yokubonisa ukuqhumisa imikhumbi ngezindiza. Phakathi nesokuqala yazo, eyabanjwa ngoJulayi 1921 eChesapeake Bay, amabhomu akwa-Mitchell akwazi ukuqhumisa ibhomu umkhumbi wempi wangaphambili waseJalimane i-Ostfriesland, okubonisa ikhono labaqhubi bebhomu lokuncibilikisa imikhumbi yempi yezikhali olwandle. Kodwa-ke, lokhu akuzange kushintshe indlela yoMnyango Wezempi kanye neCongress ukuze iqhume amabhomu kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwezindiza zezempi ngokuvamile. Ukugxeka kukaMitchell esidlangalaleni inqubomgomo yezokuvikela yaseMelika kanye nezikhulu eziningi eziphakeme ebuthweni nasolwandle kwaholela ekuqulweni kwakhe icala yinkantolo yezempi futhi, ngenxa yalokho, ekusuleni kwakhe ebuthweni ngoFebhuwari 1926.
Imibono kaMitchell, nokho, yazuza iqembu elikhulu labasekeli e-United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), nakuba yayingeyona eqinile njengaye. Phakathi kwabo kwakukhona abafundisi abaningana nama-cadet abavela e-Air Corps Tactical School, ngokusemthethweni eyaziwa ngokuthi "i-Bomber Mafia". Bakha itiyori yokuqhunyiswa kwamabhomu njengendlela esebenzayo yokuthonya inkambo nomphumela wempi ngokushaya nokucekela phansi izinto ezivela emoyeni ezibaluleke kakhulu ekusebenzeni kwemboni yesitha namabutho ahlomile. Lona kwakungewona umqondo omusha ngokuphelele - inkolelo-mbono mayelana nendima enqumayo yezindiza ekuxazululeni izimpi yabekwa phambili ngujenene wase-Italy u-Giulio Due encwadini yakhe ethi "Il dominio dell'aria" ("The Kingdom of the Air"), eyanyatheliswa okokuqala ngo-1921 futhi enguqulweni eguquliwe kancane ngo-1927 Nakuba iminyaka eminingi inkolelo yokuqhunyiswa kwamabhomu ingazange ithole imvume esemthethweni evela kumyalo we-US Air Force noma osopolitiki eWashington, yaba enye yezinto ezibe nomthelela engxoxweni ye umqondo wokuthuthukisa nokusebenzisa amabhomu athembisayo.
Njengomphumela walezi zingxoxo, ekuqaleni kweminyaka yama-544 kanye ne-1200s, ukuqagela okuvamile kwaklanyelwe izinhlobo ezimbili zamabhomu. Eyodwa - elula uma kuqhathaniswa, iyashesha, enobubanzi obufushane kanye nomthwalo ofinyelela ku-1134 kg (amakhilogremu angu-2500) - yayizosetshenziselwa ukushaya okuhlosiwe ngokuqondile enkundleni yempi, kanti enye yayinzima, ibanga elide, ibhomu. elinamandla okuthwala okungenani amakhilogremu angu-2 (amakhilogremu amathathu) - ukucekela phansi okuhlosiwe okungemuva kude ngaphambili noma ngokumelene nethagethi yasolwandle ebangeni elide ukusuka ogwini lwase-US. Ekuqaleni, eyokuqala yayiqokwe njengebhomu losuku, kanti eyesibili yayiyibhomu lasebusuku. Ibhomu yosuku kwakudingeka ihlome kahle ukuze ikwazi ukuzivikela ngempumelelo ekuhlaselweni kwe-fighter. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, endabeni yokuqhunyiswa kwebhomu ebusuku, izikhali ezincane zazingase zibe buthaka, njengoba ubumnyama bobusuku kwakufanele bunikeze isivikelo esanele. Nokho, ukuhlukana okunjalo kuyekwa ngokushesha futhi kwafinyelelwa esiphethweni sokuthi zombili izinhlobo zezindiza kufanele zibe endaweni yonke futhi zivumelanelwe ukusetshenziswa nganoma yisiphi isikhathi sosuku, kuye ngezidingo. Ngokungafani namabhanoyi ahamba kancane uCurtiss (B-3) kanye ne-Keystone (B-4, B-5, B-6 ne-B-XNUMX) ngaleso sikhathi ayesebenza, womabili amabhomu amasha kwakuzoba ama-monoplane ensimbi yesimanje.
