Cornelius XBG-3
Unbuilt American bomb glider with forward-swept wing.
The Cornelius XBG-3 was a proposed American bomb glider, an early guided weapon concept studied by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. The idea involved towing a glider to a target area, releasing it, and steering it by radio control to impact—essentially a large, expendable missile. This project paralleled a similar Navy effort called the Glomb, and led to the "BG" (Bomb Glider) designation series in early 1942.
Cornelius Aircraft Corporation, already known for its unconventional aircraft designs, submitted a radical proposal. It featured a "tail-first" layout with canard foreplanes and a forward-swept wing. The Army Air Forces found the design promising enough to order a single prototype, designated XBG-3, in 1942. However, later that same year, the entire bomb glider concept was abandoned, and the contract was canceled before any construction began.
Later in the war, Cornelius built a larger, tailless glider with a forward-swept wing, the XFG-1, which served as a flying fuel tank for long-range bombers.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- Cornelius Aircraft
- Primary User
- United States Army Air Forces
- Number Built
- 0
- Military Serial
- 42-46911
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Early in World War II, the United States Army Air Forces investigated the use of gliders towed to a target area, released, and guided by radio control to impact—essentially large guided missiles. This concept, similar to the Navy's Glomb project, led to the 'BG' (Bomb Glider) series of designations in early 1942. Among the designs considered was an unconventional submission from the Cornelius Aircraft Company, which had a reputation for unusual aircraft. Their proposal featured a tail-first configuration with canard foreplanes and a radical forward-swept wing. The USAAF found the design interesting enough to award a contract for a single prototype, designated XBG-3. However, the project was cancelled later in 1942 when the bomb glider concept was abandoned by the USAAF. No aircraft was constructed. Later in the war, Cornelius built an enlarged, tailless, forward-swept wing glider as the XFG-1, which served as a flying fuel tank for long-range bombers.
Reader's Guide
The Cornelius XBG-3 represents a brief and ultimately abandoned line of development in early guided weaponry. Its significance lies in its place within the USAAF's bomb glider program, an early attempt to create a large, remotely guided munition. The design itself was unconventional, with forward-swept wings and canard foreplanes, reflecting Cornelius's reputation for radical aircraft. The cancellation of the XBG-3 in 1942, before any prototype was built, underscores the USAAF's decision to abandon the bomb glider concept entirely. The legacy of the XBG-3 is tied to the broader wartime experimentation with guided weapons; while the bomb glider program did not produce operational aircraft, it contributed to the lineage of guided munitions. The later XFG-1, a tailless forward-swept glider used as a flying fuel tank, shows that Cornelius continued to explore unconventional designs even after the bomb glider project ended.
Did You Know?
- The XBG-3 was ordered as a single prototype in 1942 but cancelled the same year before construction began.
- The bomb glider concept was similar to the Navy's Glomb project.
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