Leavitt Pacifiste

Pacifiste
A Pacifiste B.1 of the Montesayettean Air Force in 1947
General information
Type	Strategic bomber
National origin	Montesayette
Manufacturer	Leavitt Aviation (1946–1994) Kimaco Group (1994–present)
Status	In service
Primary user	Montesayettean Air and Space Force
Number built	214
History
Introduction date	10 February 1948 (1948-02-10)
First flight	25 June 1946 (1946-06-25)
Developed into	Leavitt Harmonie

The Leavitt Pacifiste is a Montesayettean large, four-engine propeller-driven strategic bomber and missile platform. Originally designed and built by Leavitt Aviation, and later supported by Kimaco Group after it absorbed Leavitt, the Pacifiste has continued to receive upgrades over time. First flown in 1946, it entered service with the Montesayettean Air Force in 1948, during the final months of the South Ecros War, becoming the first flying wing aircraft to enter full-scale production. From 1946 to 1989, the Pacifiste held the record for being the largest flying wing until it was surpassed by its successor, the Leavitt Vagabond. Although the Vagabond was intended to replace it, its high production costs limited mass deployment. For this reason, the Pacifiste remains one of the last radial piston-engined military aircraft still in active service and is expected to remain operational until at least 2034.

Specifications (Pacifiste B.9)

General characteristics

• Crew: 9: pilot, copilot, bombardier, navigator, engineer, radio operator, three gunners
• Length: 53 ft 1 in (16.18 m)
• Wingspan: 172 ft 0 in (52.43 m)
• Height: 20 ft 3.5 in (6.185 m)
• Wing area: 4,000 sq ft (370 m²)
• Aspect ratio: 7.4
• Airfoil: root: NACA 65₃-019; tip: NACA 65₃-018
• Empty weight: 91,000 lb (41,277 kg) with turrets
• Gross weight: 154,000 lb (69,853 kg) with turrets
• Max takeoff weight: 209,000 lb (94,801 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 10,000 US gal (8,300 imp gal; 38,000 l) internal; 18,000 US gal (15,000 imp gal; 68,000 l) with bomb-bay auxiliary tanks fitted
• Powerplant: 2 × R-4360-45 28-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) each mounted left and right outboard

(R-4360-17 with 8-bladed contra-props)

• Powerplant: 2 × R-4360-47 28-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 3,000 hp (2,200 kW) each mounted left and right inboard

(R-4360-21 with 8-bladed contra-props)

• Propellers: 4-bladed HSP24F60-344, 15 ft 3 in (4.65 m) diameter constant-speed fully-feathering pusher propellers

(originally flown with 8-bladed contra-rotating propellers)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 391 mph (629 km/h, 340 kn)
• Cruise speed: 240 mph (390 km/h, 210 kn)
• Range: 7,500 mi (12,100 km, 6,500 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 39,700 ft (12,100 m) (restricted to 20,000 ft (6,096 m) due to APU problems)
• Rate of climb: 625 ft/min (3.18 m/s)
• Wing loading: 45 lb/sq ft (220 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.07 hp/lb (0.12 kW/kg)

Armament

• Guns: 20 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M3 Browning machine guns in six remotely controlled turrets and one tail stinger
• Bombs: 52,200 lb (23,678 kg) of bombs, maximum