In 1943, the Douglas began a company funded study to a high speed bomber design which was not liked the traditional wing mounting engines. It was an unusual idea to install the two engines within the fuselage, driving a pair of propellers mounted at the tail. That can leaving the wing and fuselage clean and free of aerodynamics-reducing protrusions. Douglas submitted an unsolicited proposal to USAAF, and was awarded a contract for two prototypes. The first prototype first flew in May 1944. Performance was excellent as described in the original proposal. The second prototype joined the flight test program in August, 1944, and was destroyed in crash in December 1945. By the end of war and the jet-powered bomber soon be forthcoming, the Army Air Force had decided that the XB-42 would not be put into the production. The surviving XB-42 was continued for tests and modification until 1948.

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Experimental light bomber

To explore new design for high-speed bomber

70ft.6in.

53ft.8in.

18ft.10in.

2x Allison V-1710-125

410 mph

3

4x 0.5 inch machine gun / 8000 pounds bomb load

The Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster is suitable to group with the following collection series.

Post war U.S.A.F. bomber 1946~1962

Convair B-36 Peacemaker

Douglas XB-42 (XA-42) Mixmaster

Douglas XB-43 Jetmaster

Boeing-Pratt & Whitney XB-44 (B-29D) Superfortress

North American B-45 Tornado

Convair XB-46

Boeing B-47 Startojet

Martin XB-48

Northrop YB-49 Flying Wing

Boeing B-50 Superfortress

Martin XB-51 (XA-45)

Boeing B-52 Startofortress

Convair XB-53 (XA-44)

Boeing XB-54 (B-50C)

Boeing XB-55

Boeing XB-56 (B-47C)

Martin B-57 Canberra

Convair B-58 Hustler

Boeing XB-59

Convair YB-60

Martin B-61A (TM-61) Matador

Northrop XB-62 (SM-62) Snark

Boeing B-63 (GAM-63) Rascal

North American XB-64 (SM-64) Navaho

Convair XB-65 (SM-65 / X-11 / X-12) Altas

Douglas B-66 (A-3) Destroyer

Radioplane XB-67 (GAM-67) Crossbow

Martin XB-68 (SM-68) Titan I

Lockheed RB-69A (P2V-7U / SP-2H) Neptune

North American XB-70 Valkryie

Lockheed XB-71 (SR-71 / A-11 / YF-12A) Blackbird

U.S.A.A.F.  bomber in World War II 1937~1945

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Douglas B-18 Bolo

Douglas XB-19A Flying Behemoth

Boeing XB-20

North American XB-21 Dragon

Douglas XB-22 Bolo

Douglas B-23 Dragon

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

North American B-25 Mitchell

Martin B-26 Marauder

Martin XB-27

North American XB-28

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Lockheed XB-30 Constellation

Douglas XB-31

Consolidated B-32 Dominator

Martin XB-33 Super Marauder

Lockheed B-34 Ventura

Northrop XB-35 Flying Wing

Convair XB-36 Peacemaker

Lockheed B-37 Lexington

Boeing-Lockheed-Vega XB-38

Boeing XB-39 Spirit of Lincoln

Boeing-Lockheed-Vega YB-40

Consolidated-Vultee XB-41

Douglas XB-42 (XA-42) Mixmaster

Douglas XB-43 Jetmaster

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Post war U.S. experimental aircraft

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War-time U.S. experimental aircraft