Douglas B-66 Destroyer
The Douglas B-66 Destroyer is an American strategic bomber. It was used by the US Air Force during the Cold War and the Vietnam War. It could carry a nuclear weapon. It is a variant of the A-3 Skywarrior. It was used between 1956 and 1975. Some variants were built as reconnaissance aircraft or electronic warfare, as RB-66 and EB-66.
| B-66 Destroyer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A Douglas B-66B (53-506) in flight | |
| Role | Light bomber |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| First flight | 28 June 1954 |
| Introduction | 1956 |
| Retired | 1973 (USAF) |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| Number built | 294 |
| Unit cost | US$2.55 million (RB-66B)[1] |
| Developed from | Douglas A-3 Skywarrior |
| Developed into | Northrop X-21 |
About 145 of the 294 total built were the RB-66B reconnaissance version.[2] EB-66s were prominent in the skies over Vietnam during the Vietnam War, using electronic warfare to jam enemy air defense radars and missiles.[3]
Douglas B-66 Destroyer Media
A RB-66B of 19 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron based at RAF Sculthorpe England, 1957
A Douglas EB-66E Destroyer in flight. Aircraft of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, 41st or 42nd TEWS based at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base over Southeast Asia on 30 March 1970.
A Douglas RB-66B Destroyer
A WB-66D display at the Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB
3-view line drawing of the Douglas B-66B Destroyer
References
- ↑ Knaack, Marcelle Size. Post-World War II Bombers, 1945-1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1988. ISBN 0-16-002260-6.
- ↑ "Douglas RB-66B Destroyer". National Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ↑ "Blinding the Enemy: EB-66 Electronic Warfare over North Vietnam". National Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
