Wikipedia
Heavy bombers are bomber aircraft with the greatest bomb load carrying capacity and longest range of their time. They have also typically been among the largest size aircraft in contemporary military or civil service. Delivery of the largest possible amount of air-to-ground weaponry over long distances to strike enemy targets is the heavy bomber's mission (see also strategic bomber).
The type was first developed in World War I but came to prominence during World War II, when advancements in powerplants and aircraft design enabled four- engined bombers to attack industrial targets in Germany and Japan. Availability of such large, long range aircraft in mass-produced quantity also allowed methodologies of strategic bombing to be developed and employed during the 1940s. Parallel mid-war developments as well enabled the much smaller typical fighter aircraft to carry an increased bomb load, and fighter-bombers were taking over from light and medium bombers in the tactical bombing role. In August 1945, the U.S. B-29 heavy bombers delivered two atomic bombs against enemy targets.
The arrival of nuclear weapons permanently changed the nature of warfare and military strategy. After the 1950s intercontinental ballistic missiles and ballistic missile submarines began to supersede heavy bombers in the strategic nuclear role. Along with development of more accurate " smart bombs" and nuclear-armed missiles which could be carried and delivered by smaller fighter-bombers, these technological advancements eclipsed the heavy bomber's once-central role in strategic warfare by the late 20th century. Russian and U.S. heavy bombers have been used in several regional conflicts since World War II (e.g. B-52s in the Vietnam War) delivering conventional weapons only. Heavy bombers are today only retained in service by the U.S., Russia and China for strategic bombing and tactical bombing roles.
Usage examples of "heavy bomber".
Some fifty miles to the south-east, in the Foggia area, the buildings and runways of the RAF heavy bomber base echoed and reverberated to the thunder scores of aircraft engines: at the dispersal area at the west end of the main runway several squadrons Lancaster heavy bombers were lined up ready for take-off, obviously awaiting the signal to go.
Ten seconds into the flight, he knew that the heavy bomber was climbing at a rate of more than two thousand feet per minute, slicing through the frozen skies at almost four hundred miles per hour.
The pilots could feel a slight rumbling under their toes as the huge fifteen-foot-high turret slewed toward the target, but otherwise it did not affect the flight characteristics of the heavy bomber.
Many folks speculated on what was in the hangar: Was it the still-unnamed B-1B supersonic intercontinental heavy bomber, getting ready to make its combat debut?
The attack should be followed immediately by heavy bomber attacks, progressively moving to lighter fighter-bomber attacks until the targets can be occupied by paratroopers.
Designed in the mid-60s, the jet was buitt too big to be a combat fighter but too small to be a heavy bomber.
Six seconds, six seconds is time and to spare for even a heavy bomber to come less than half a mile in a shallow dive.
The Battle over Britain continued, but the days of the heavy bomber raids were coming to a close.
REFUSING MEDICAL ATTENTION UNTIL HE COLLAPSED FROM LOSS OF BLOOD, CAPTAIN PICKERING MANEUVERED THE SHIP DURING THE CONTINUING ATTACK WITH CONSUMMATE MASTERY, WHICH NOT ONLY SAVED THE SHIP FROM FURTHER ENEMY DAMAGE BUT RESULTED IN THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENEMY AIRCRAFT, A FOUR-ENGINED JAPANESE HEAVY BOMBER.
The Bear was the nickname for the TUpolev Tu-95 heavy bomber-the B-52 of the Soviet Air Force.
In spite of this symbolic turning away, however temporarily, from the dreadul facts of daily life on a heavy bomber station, she still felt edgy and extremely tired.