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The B-36 Peacemaker was a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated by the United States Air Force from 1949 to 1959. The Peacemaker was the primary nuclear weapons delivery vehicle of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) until the jet-powered Boeing B-52 Stratofortress replaced it in 1955. It was the first bomber capable of delivering any of the nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal from inside its four bomb bays without aircraft modifications. With a range of 10,000 miles (16,094 km) and a maximum payload of 87,200 lbs (39,553 kg), the B-36 was capable of intercontinental flight without refuelling.
In this image, the XB-36 prototype (serial number: 42-13571) is parked next to its predecessor, the Boeing B-29 on the tarmac at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth, Texas. The difference in scale between the two bombers is evident in this image. It's amazing to think that only 2 years separated the design of these two aircraft.
In 1940, the United States feared that Great Britain would fall to Germany, which meant that there was a real possibility that America would be alone against the Axis powers. To be able to strike Germany from bases in either Canada or the continental US meant that the US Army Air Force would need an intercontinental bomber—even Boeing’s B-29 Superfortress, then on the drawing boards, would need bases in Iceland or the Azores to attack Germany, and the USAAF had to assume that those islands would be lost as well. Consolidated Aircraft won the contract against Boeing’s entry in October 1941, on the eve of the US’ entry into World War II.
The XB-36 project ran into numerous delays due to the war: work was halted so Consolidated could concentrate on producing the B-24 Liberator, restarted after the loss of the Philippines and Marianas (the XB-36 would be the only design that could strike Japan from Hawaii), and delayed again as the Allies took the offensive. By the time the first XB-36 Peacemaker flew in August 1946, the war was over.
Another problem Consolidated had run into was the aircraft’s sheer size. Nearly three times as large as the B-29, the XB-36’s wingspan was so large that it could not fit in any hangar then built; its tail was so tall that B-36s would have to be rolled out of the factory with its nose in the air. Everything about it was gigantic: its crew of 14 was divided by the bomb bays, and had bunks and a stove for its projected 40-hour missions. The wings were seven feet thick at their roots, to enable the crew to repair the engines in flight; the six engines themselves had no less than 336 spark plugs, and utilized a “pusher” design that kept steady airflow over the wing.
Because of its size, even six engines had difficulty getting the XB-36 into the air, and it was not an easy aircraft to fly once it got there. The prototypes had the largest tires ever fitted to an aircraft, which had so much ground pressure only three airfields in the entire United States could operate Peacemakers without destroying the runways. (This problem was rectified on production B-36s by using multiple wheels.) USAAF planners now had the world’s second largest aircraft at the time it was built (second only to the Hughes H-4 Spruce Goose), but no role for it to fulfill.
The Cold War was to rescue the B-36 from early retirement. Nuclear weapons were becoming more powerful, moving into the megaton yield, but these bombs also were getting bigger and heavier, outstripping the ability for even the B-29 to carry them—and in any case, the B-29 could not reach targets in the Soviet Union from the US. The B-36 could, without needing to resort to the then-experimental method of inflight refueling, and the huge wings that caused so much headaches for ground crew also allowed it to operate above 45,000 feet—which was far above any antiaircraft fire and, at the time, above the ceiling of any known fighter. Just in case a fighter should be able to reach the Peacemaker, a defensive armament of no less than 14 20mm cannons were added to the bomber; fuselage turrets would retract when not in use so as not to disrupt airflow.
After 21 B-36A pre-production aircraft were produced, the production B-36B (with a raised flight deck) began reaching units of the newly formed Strategic Air Command in 1948. With the B-29 being phased out or sent to Korea for combat operations, the B-36 became the backbone of SAC and its “long rifle”; even as the jet-powered B-47 Stratojet entered service, the B-47 still lacked the range of the Peacemaker and required forward bases to strike targets in the Communist bloc. A number of B-36s were converted to RB-36 reconnaissance bombers, which were used over Korea operationally and were involved in penetrating Soviet airspace well into the 1950s.
To deal with the Peacemaker’s indifferent top speed, four J47 turbojets were added beneath the wings in the early 1950s. This had a number of advantages: it decreased the B-36’s reaction time, gave it a better climb rate, lowered its stall speed, and took some of the load off the six propeller engines, which were prone to seizing up and catching fire. The noise produced by the “six turning and four burning” engines gave the B-36 the unofficial nickname “Earthshaker,” while its sheer size gave rise to the term “Aluminum Overcast.”
With delays to the B-52 project, the B-36’s lifespan was extended a few years by the Featherweight project in 1954, which stripped the aircraft of all armament but its tail guns. This did not help its top speed much, but increased its ceiling to 60,000 feet, far above any fighter of the time. It was only a temporary measure, however: the advent of long-range air-to-air missiles and surface-to-air missiles meant that the B-36 was becoming obsolete. Once the B-52 began to enter service, the Peacemaker was retired. The last left service in Feburary 1959—having never dropped a bomb in anger. For B-36 crews, no greater compliment could be paid. Today, of the 384 Peacemakers produced, only four remain in existence, along with the single prototype XC-99 transport version.
52-2827 was the last B-36 built, and entered service with the 92nd Bomb Wing at Fairchild AFB, Washington in 1954. It was transferred to the 95th BW at Biggs AFB, Texas in 1957, and retired in 1959, after a service life of only five years. It was then flown to Greater Southwest International Airport outside of Fort Worth, Texas, given the name "City of Fort Worth" after it was donated to the city...and would sit there for the next 33 years. The original plan was to build a museum around 52-2827, since it was the last B-36 and all the Peacemakers had been built at Convair in Fort Worth. The plans never came to fruition and the aircraft began to deteriorate. Finally, in 1992, it was taken apart and moved to Lockheed Martin's factory in Fort Worth; Convair had become General Dynamics, which in turn was acquired by Lockheed Martin. Though the company had the funding to restore 52-2827, it simply had nowhere to put the mammoth bomber. Finally, the USAF stepped in and moved the aircraft in pieces to a museum that did have the room--the Pima Air and Space Museum--in 2005.
After years of open storage, the "City of Fort Worth" has now been fully restored. It is painted silver rather than left bare metal to better preserve the aircraft, and carries the shield of the 95th BW; on the left side of the nose is a SAC shield and the "City of Fort Worth" nose art. It is by a fair margin the largest aircraft in Pima's collection.
I had only seen the B-36 at the NMUSAF in Dayton, which is inside and surrounded by other aircraft, so it's hard to appreciate just how huge the Peacemaker was. Seeing it in the open at Pima is a different story entirely. A friend of mine touring the museum with me had never seen a B-36 before, and he spent the better part of an hour just moving around the aircraft in awe. It's easy to see why.
I was looking for something to test my new/old Nikkor 50mm F/1.2 AIS lens.
Replica of an 1873 Colt single action forty-five caliber. It is manufactured by Uberti and has a four and three quarter in barrel. I wish it were the real thing, but then I would probably be afraid of hurting its value by firing it. By the way, those six rounds to the right are .45.70 for my rifle.
Nikon D700
Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 AIS
Convair RB-36H-30-CF Peacemaker - When this photo was taken at the National Air Show in Philadelphia in Septermber, 1955, I was in flight training at Keesler AFB, MS to become an ECM Operator in SAC...on the RB-36H! It's possible that I later flew on this very aircraft as it was once in our squadron at Ellsworth AFB, SD. In 1957 it was put on display at Chanute AFB, IL and in 1991 was transported in pieces by rail to the Castle Air Museum, CA. Once restored it was painted in the colors of a sister squadron from Ellsworth and placed on display there, where it remains today. Of the 4 surviving B-36s, this is the only RB model. (From my collection and not my shot)
Title: The Peacemaker.
Author: C. S. Forester.
Publisher: New English Library.
Date: 1969.
Artist: Bruce Pennington.
US Air Force Museum, Wright Patterson AFB, OH. (Dayton)
www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/air_power/ap39.htm
The B-36, an intercontinental bomber, was designed during WW II. The airplane made its maiden flight on August 8, 1946 and on June 26, 1948 the Strategic Air Command received its first B-36 for operational use. By August 1954, when production ended, more than 380 B-36s had been built for the USAF
The Convair (Consolidated Vultee) B-36 was a strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force, the first to have truly intercontinental range. Unofficially nicknamed the "Peacemaker", the B-36 was the first thermonuclear weapon delivery vehicle, the largest piston aircraft ever mass-produced, and the largest warplane of any kind. All larger military aircraft have been transports. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-36
I think that the aircraft, in front, is a variant of the Lockheed, P-80 Shooting Star.
Canon EF 28-135mm IS (30mm, 1/10, f3.5, ISO 400) This was HANDHELD!!....I'm amazed that it looks as good as it does with the slow shutter speed. Of course the moving people are blurry.
F_IMG_0739, 22 Jul 06
This is the first of many shots taken at the AF Museum. Later, I'll embed them at an earlier date and stash them in the airplanes set.
This is the cockpit of the B-36J that just went on display at Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Ariz. I was down there in January with a group of friends, and we were all fortunate enough to be allowed inside.
Serial Number: 52-2827
Markings: 95th Bomb Wing, Biggs AFB, El Paso, Texas
"City of Ft. Worth"
The B-36 is the largest bomber and the last piston engine powered bomber produced by the United States. First designed to meet a World War II requirement for a plane capable of hitting targets in Germany from bases in the United States the prototype did not fly until August 8, 1946. The development of the atomic bomb led the Air Force to conclude that it still needed a very long-range bomber capable of delivering the bombs over intercontinental ranges and production of the B-36 was continued despite the end of the war a year earlier. A total of 383 Peacemakers were built between 1947 and 1954. The era of piston engine powered bombers was coming to a quick end with the introduction of the all jet B-47 and B-52. The B-36 was the symbol of American air power in the first years of the Cold War, but even the addition of four jet engines could not bring the B-36 up to the performance standards of the newer aircraft and all of the B-36s were out of service by the first months of 1959.
The Peacemaker bus, a customized Aerocoach, is owned by the Twelve Tribes religious group. The bus tours North American, visiting events and concerts to offering free medical care and hospitality. In this 2015 photograph the bus was parked near a festival at Waterfront Park on the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky.
Replica of an 1873 Colt single action forty-five caliber lit only by an oil lamp. I wish I had the real thing, but I would not want to ruin the value by firing it.
Nikon D700
Nikkor 50mm F/1.2 AIS
f/4 and 1.0 second, ISO 1250.
pictionid66051512 - catalogconvair b-36 2.bmp - title convair b-36 peacemaker - filenameconvair b-36 2.bmp--Born Digital Image. .Note: This material may be protected by Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.)--Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
The flight engineers panel of a Convair B-36 Peacemaker bomber. This position actually faces rearward and is at the back of the bubble canopy. The pilot and co-pilot, of course, face forward at the front of the bubble canopy. The B-36 is a HUGE bird!
Peacemaker
The Peacemaker was built on a riverbank in southern Brazil by an Italian family of boat builders, using traditional methods and the finest tropical hardwoods.
The ship was first launched in 1989 as the Avany, a name chosen by her designer and owner, Frank Walker, a Brazilian industrialist. He planned to spend some time traveling aboard with his family, and then operate it as a charter vessel in the Caribbean.
After an initial voyage in the southern Atlantic, they brought the ship up thru the Caribbean to Savannah, Georgia, where they intended to rig her as a three-masted staysail schooner. Other demands captured the attention of the Walker family for many years, and during the summer of 2000 we found the ship still waiting in the Palmer- Johnson boatyard, her beautiful bright work bleached by the sun, and her bottom heavily encrusted with marine life, but otherwise sound.
After considerable effort to put her mechanical systems in order, and to scrape and paint her bottom and topsides, it was motored out of the boatyard in September, 2000, looking for a home port. Most of the following eight or nine months were spent at anchor in various harbors along the southeast Atlantic coast from Beaufort South Carolina, to Palm Beach, Florida, until it finally settled down in Brunswick, Georgia, in the spring of 2001. Since then its crew has worked hard at upgrading her mechanical and electrical systems, as well as designing a practical and aesthetically pleasing barquentine rig.
In the summer of 2006, the crew assembled a rigging and sail-making crew from amongst its own people, under the direction of Wayne Chimenti, an expert rigger of tall ships. It set sail for the first time in the spring of 2007, under the name Peacemaker, which expresses the vocation as a people: bringing people into peace with their Creator and with one another.
The vision for the ship is to be a seagoing representation of the life of peace and unity that the crew's twelve tribes are living on land in the many communities around the world. It also provides apprenticeship opportunities for youth to learn many valuable and practical skills, not only in rigging, sail-making, sailing, navigation, marine mechanics and carpentry, but also in living and working together in tight quarters, as well as many cross-cultural experiences traveling from port to port.
Specifications
Flag: USA
Rig: Full rigged ship
Homeport: Greenport, Long Island, NY.
Norml cruising waters: E. coast US, Canada, Florida & Europe (upon request)
Sparred length: 180’
LOA: N/A
LOD: 120'
LWL: N/A
Draft: 13’
Beam: 30’
Rig height: 115'’
Freeboard: 12'
Sail area: 10,000 square feet
Tons: 412 GRT
Power: (2) twin 375 HP John Deere diesels
Hull: wood
The Peacemaker was the largest mass-produced piston-engined aircraft ever built, with a wingspan of 230 feet (70 m) and a maximum take-off weight of 410,000 lbs (187,333 kg). The origins of the B-36 can be traced to 1941, before the United States entered World War 2. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) required a new class of bombers to reach Europe and return to bases in North America. This necessitated a range of at least 5,700 miles (9,175 km).
My model of the XB-36 prototype (serial number: 42-13570) shows the Peacemaker’s original nose and massive 110-inch (2.8 m) single-tire main wheels, which limited the plane to three runways in the United States that had sufficiently thick concrete to support the weight of the aircraft.
This is the second sword (of 10) from the Legends Line "Peacemaker" design.
OAL: 52"
Blade: 40"
Weight: 4 lbs 9 oz
POB: 6"
Steel: 5160H
A companion to Peacemaker the Tall Ship, apparently traveling the roads to meet up with her along the way. Never seen a motor home quite like this, deserving of a bit of focus of her own.
The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" was a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated solely by the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1949 to 1959.
The B-36 was the largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made. It had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built at 230 ft (70.1 m).
The B-36 was the first bomber capable of delivering any of the nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal from inside its four bomb bays without aircraft modifications.
With a range of 16,000 km (9,900 mi) and a maximum payload of 33,000 kg (73,000 lb), the B-36 was the world's first manned bomber with an unrefueled intercontinental range.
Until it was replaced by the jet powered Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, which first became operational in 1955, the B-36 was the primary nuclear weapons delivery vehicle of the Strategic Air Command (SAC), and the B-36 set the standard for range and payload for subsequent U.S. intercontinental bombers.
The Peacemaker bus, a customized Aerocoach, is owned by the Twelve Tribes religious group. The bus tours North American, visiting events and concerts to offering free medical care and hospitality. In this 2015 photograph the bus was parked near a festival at Waterfront Park on the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky.