The Incredible 4,800 Horsepower Plane Designed To Carry A Nuclear Bomb – SlashGear

The AJ Savage, according to Boeing carries the distinction of being the very first bomber designed to carry a nuclear payload when it was first penned in 1946. The first flight wasn’t until 1948. The actual function of the AJ Savage wasn’t that unusual. It was a carrier-based medium bomber that could carry atomic weapons. The actual execution was where it became less than conventional. For starters, it wasn’t just a propellor plane or just a jet. It used two traditional piston-driven propellors on the wings and a turbojet in the tail for propulsion. Even though propellor-driven aircraft were quickly going out of style, the two engines used to drive the props were not slackers. The Savage was equipped with two Pratt and Whitney R-2800-44W radial engines that made a combined 4,800 horsepower. The Allison turbojet helped things out by generating 4,600 pounds of thrust. The plane had a top speed of 471 miles per hour.

The aircraft was never a huge success and only 140 of the planes were ever produced. It was reportedly unpopular with aircraft carrier crews due to its size and relative unreliability. In addition to being a bomber, the Savage also served as a photoreconnaissance plane and airborne tanker but it was eventually retired for good in 1960, about 12 years after the first flight.