View allAll Photos Tagged peacemaker
The massive 10 engine B-36J at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Pictured are 3 of the 6 pushing 28 cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-4360-53 of 3,800 hp each. Adding to those were four General Electric J47-GE-19 turbojets of 5,200 lbs thrust each. 162 ft long and a wing span of 230 ft. Max speed at combat weight was an amazing 418 mph.
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
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.
This is 52-2220, one of the four remaining intact B-36s; it was built as a B-36J "Featherweight." The aircraft probably served with the 95th Bomb Wing based at Biggs AFB, Texas, which was the last wing to be equipped with the B-36. It was retired in 1959 and flown to Arizona for storage and eventual scrapping. As it was one of the last B-36s in service, the National Museum of the USAF decided to replace the YB-36A it had on display, and 52-2220 was flown to Wright-Patterson AFB in April 1959--the last flight ever made by a B-36. (The YB-36A was cut up for scrap; the nose section was bought by famous aircraft collector Walter Soplata. After Soplata passed away, it was hoped the nose could be preserved, but the magnesium construction had deteriorated such that it had to be scrapped--a sad end to the YB-36A.)
The B-36 is so huge that the old hangar it was displayed in had to be built around the aircraft; when it was moved to the new location in 2003, the new Cold War hangar had to be big enough to accommodate it through the doors. 52-2220 is displayed as it appeared while in service; it is painted in anticorrosion silver, though most (if not all) B-36s were finished in bare metal. The white underbelly was designed to reflect the flash effects of a nuclear detonation away from the aircraft and crew. Like most SAC aircraft, it lacks any sort of definitive markings except for the aircraft number and SAC stripe on the nose.
Because of the B-36's sheer size, getting a picture of the entire aircraft is virtually impossible at the NMUSAF. The aircraft to the right is a Lockheed F-94B Starfire.
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
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
Puedes ver más fotos (más grandes de mayor megapíxeles) de esta figura en el siguiente enlace:
You can see more pictures of this figure on the following link:
marianozavala-origami.blogspot.com/search/label/Morisue%2...
The thermonuclear bomb you see next to it yields 15-20 megatons of TNT, 1 megaton equals 1 million tons of TNT . A total of 200 were produced . Worlds largest bomber
It's really hard to get decent shot because the Peacemaker is so big - an aerial view would be best
unicorn - gaff rigged topsail. www.tallshipunicorn.com/
Homeport: Bridgeport, Conn
Peacemaker - Barquentine. www.peacemakermarine.com/
Homeport: Brunswick, Georgia
Tall ships Welcome Parade, Erie PA, Dobbins Landing 2013
In 1940, the United States (neutral at the time) feared that Great Britain would soon fall to Germany, which meant 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 U.S. meant that the U.S. 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 of 1941, on the eve of the U.S. entry into World War II.
The XB-36 project ran into numerous delays due to the war: work was halted so that Consolidated could concentrate on producing the B-24 Liberators, restarted after the loss of the Philippines and Marianas (the XB-36 would be the only design that could strike Japan directly from Hawaii), and delayed again as the Allies took the offensive. By the time the first XB-36 Peacemaker flew in August of 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 had no less than 336 spark plugs and utilized a “pusher” design that kept steady airflow over the wings.
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 had no role for it to fulfill.
The Cold War would save the B-36 from an early retirement. Nuclear weapons were becoming more powerful, moving into the megaton yield. Still, these bombs also were getting bigger and heavier, outstripping the ability of even the B-29 to carry them—and in any case, the B-29 could not reach targets in the Soviet Union from the U.S. The B-36 could, without needing to resort to the then-experimental method of inflight refueling, and the vast 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 was 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-36Bs (with a raised flight deck) began reaching units of the newly formed Strategic Air Command in 1948. With the B-29s being phased out or sent to Korea for combat operations, the B-36s became the backbone of the SAC and its “long rifle”; even as the new jet-powered B-47 Stratojet entered service, the B-47s still lacked the range of the Peacemakers and required forward bases to strike targets in the Communist bloc. Many B-Rs were converted into RB-36 reconnaissance bombers, 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 in the early 1950s. This had several 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 massive size gave rise to the term “Aluminum Overcast” or “The Big Stick.”
With delays to the B-52 project, the B-36’s lifespan was extended by the Featherweight project in 1954, which stripped the aircraft of all armament but its tailguns. This did not help its top speed 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-52s began entering service, the Peacemaker was retired. The last one left USAF service in February of 1959—having never dropped a bomb in anger. For B-36 crews, no greater compliment could be paid. Today, out of the 384 Peacemakers produced, only five remain in existence, along with the single prototype XC-99 transport version.
This aircraft, BuNo 52-2827, was the last B-36 ever 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 constructed at Convair’s factory in Fort Worth.
These plans never came to fruition, and the aircraft began deteriorating. Finally, in 1992, it was taken apart and moved to Lockheed Martin's factory in Fort Worth; Convair became General Dynamics, which Lockheed Martin acquired. Though the company had the funding to restore 52-2827, they didn’t have a place to store the mammoth bomber. Finally, the USAF stepped in and moved the aircraft in pieces to a museum with the available space—the Pima Air and Space Museum—in 2005.
After spending years in open storage, the "City of Fort Worth" has 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 one of the largest aircraft in Pima's entire collection. I had only seen the B-36 once before at the NMUSAF in Dayton back in 2010, which was inside and surrounded by other aircraft, so it was hard to appreciate how massive the Peacemaker is. Seeing it in the open at Pima is a different story entirely!
This is a personal ship which was built not all that long ago in Brazil. I believe in the late 1980's. It is on its way to Boston for the tall ship festival. This was taken at the waterfront in Wilmington, NC. They allowed people to go on for free and just walk around pretty much the entire ship.
Found some info on Wikipedia
The Peacemaker, originally named Avany, was built on a riverbank in southern Brazil using traditional methods and tropical hardwoods, and was launched in 1989. The original owner and his family motored in the southern Atlantic Ocean before bringing the ship up through the Caribbean to Savannah, Georgia, where they intended to rig it as a three-masted staysail schooner. The work was never done, however, and in the summer of 2000, it was purchased by the Twelve Tribes, a religious group with 50 or so communities in North and South America, Europe, and Australia. They spent the next seven years replacing all of the ship’s mechanical and electrical systems and rigging it as a barquentine. The refit vessel set sail for the first time in the spring of 2007, under the name Peacemaker.
Explored! Highest #40
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 (230 ft or 70 m), although there have been larger military transports. The B-36 was the first bomber capable of delivering all the nuclear weapons in the US arsenal from inside its two bomb bays without aircraft modifications. With a range greater than 6,000 mi (9,700 km) and a maximum payload of 72,000 lb (33,000 kg), (and thereby having the ability to carry both the US's atomic fission and thermonuclear weapons), the B-36 was the world's first manned bomber with an unrefueled intercontinental range. This bomber had an unrefueled range greater than all subsequent USAF long range bombers, such as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, Convair B-58 Hustler, and the Rockwell B-1 Lancer; until the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit was deployed.
B-36J-1-CF AF Serial No. 52-2220, is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, (formerly The U.S. Air Force Museum) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. Its flight to the museum from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona on 30 April 1959 was the last flight of a B-36. This B-36J replaced the former Air Force Museum's original YB-36 AF Serial Number 42-13571. This was also the first aircraft to be placed in the Museum's new display hangar, and was not moved again until relocated to the Museum's latest addition in 2003. It is displayed alongside the only surviving example of the massive 9 ft (2.7 m) XB-36 wheel and tire.
General characteristics
* Crew: 13
* Length: 162 ft 1 in (49.42 m)
* Wingspan: 230 ft 0 in (70.12 m)
* Height: 46 ft 9 in (14.25 m)
* Wing area: 4,772 ft²[60] (443.5 m²)
* Airfoil: NACA 63(420)-422 root, NACA 63(420)-517 tip[citation needed]
* Empty weight: 166,165 lb (75,530 kg)
* Loaded weight: 262,500 lb[60] (119,318 kg) (combat weight)
* Max takeoff weight: 410,000 lb (186,000 kg)
* Powerplant:
o 4× General Electric J47 turbojets, 5,200 lbf (23.2 kN) each
o 6× Pratt & Whitney R-4360-53 "Wasp Major" radials, 3,800 hp (2,835 kW) each
Performance
* Maximum speed: 418 mph (363 knots, 672 km/h)
* Cruise speed: 230 mph (200 knots, 370 km/h)
* Combat radius: 3,985 mi (3,465 nmi,[60] 6,415 km)
* Ferry range: 10,000 mi (8,700 nmi, 16,000 km)
* Service ceiling: 43,600 ft (13,300 m)
* Rate of climb: 1,995 ft/min (10.1m/s)
Armament
* Guns: 1 remotely operated tail turret with 2× 20 mm (0.787 in) M24A1 autocannons[60]
* Bombs: 86,000 lb (39,000 kg) with weight restrictions, 72,000 lb (32,700 kg) normal
We are seeking public assistance in locating a man wanted on outstanding warrants.
Harvey Peter Peacemaker, 49, is a high-risk domestic offender currently being monitored by the Habitual Offender Management and Enforcement (HOME) Team. He is currently being sought for assault and three counts of breaching his current conditions.
It is possible Peacemaker has left Calgary and is known to frequent nearby reserves. He has also been known to go as far as Vancouver.
Peacemaker is Aboriginal, 5’11” tall and 170 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone who may have information about his whereabouts is asked to call police at 403-266-1234, or Crime Stoppers anonymously using any of the following methods:
TALK: 1-800-222-8477
TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org
TEXT: tttTIPS to 274637
B-36 Peacemaker Museum
B-36 Bomber Propellers
The propellers and main landing gear wheels are from an early model B-36. Later production model propellers were square tipped and were classified as hight altitude propellers. These propellers are some of the largest ever installed on an aircraft in that they measure 19 feet and weighed 1150 pounds each. The propellers are Curtis Wright constant speed, full feathering and reversible. The B-36H was the first production aircraft to have the new square tipped propellers installed. The B-36 bomber flew from 1946 to 1959. There were 385 B-36 bombers built at the Air Force Plant 4, in Fort Worth, Texas
Flashes:
Camera left:
- bare SB 600
-1/64 power
-85mm zoom
-half ct blue gel
Camera right:
- bare YN560-III
-1/16 power
-50mm zoom
-full CTO gel
Trigger: YN RF-603
File name: 10_03_003403a
Binder label: Stock Cards
Title: Peacemaker [front]
Date issued: 1870-1900 (approximate)
Physical description: 1 print : chromolithograph ; 7 x 11 cm.
Genre: Advertising cards
Subject: Ducks; Frogs
Notes: Title from item. Item verso is blank.
Collection: 19th Century American Trade Cards
Location: Boston Public Library, Print Department
Rights: No known restrictions.
©Lorraine Goh
PEACEMAKER
Il arrive que les rêves deviennent réalité. Et parfois un
rêve permet d’en réaliser un autre. Ainsi, le grand voilier
AVANY, né d’un premier rêve, est finalement devenu le
PEACEMAKER à la suite d’une seconde métamorphose.
Tout est parti d’un homme qui rêvait d’un grand yacht avec
plus de caractère que les habituels bateaux d’aluminium
et de fibre de verre, pour témoigner de sa réussite financière.
Il voulait des bois précieux et des accessoires de bronze
moulés à l’ancienne. Rien n’était trop beau pour son navire,
qui fut lancé en 1989, agrémenté d’un moteur diésel pour
assurer une bonne poussée et transporter sa famille en
tout confort sur les mers du monde, ce qui fut fait.
Pendant ce temps, un autre rêve était né au nord du
Vermont où quelques-uns rêvaient d’un grand voilier qui
sillonnerait les mers à la rencontre de ceux qui partageaient
leur enthousiasme et leurs idéaux. Un couple de cette
communauté tomba sur l’AVANY par hasard, et proposa
aux autres communautés, réparties dans neuf pays sur
quatre continents, d’acquérir ce magnifique bâtiment.
Le propriétaire du navire céda son trois-mâts à la
Communauté des Douze tribus pour une portion du prix
qu’auraient coûté les bois précieux dont était fait son yacht.
Après plusieurs années de travail, le navire retrouva sa
gloire d’antan et une renaissance mécanique ainsi que
les mâts, gréements et voiles du traditionnel trois-mâts
goélette. Les pièces furent fabriquées dans les régions
des tribus de la communauté et amenées en Géorgie pour
y être assemblées par des membres venus de différents
pays afin de terminer le travail. En 2007, le PEACEMAKER
avait retrouvé ses « ailes » et pouvait prendre le vent.
------------------------------------------------
PEACEMAKER
Dreams do come true, sometimes. From time to time, one
dream fulfils another. Such was the story of the AVANY
which underwent a sea change to become the tall ship
PEACEMAKER. It started as one man’s dream to have
a grand yacht with more character than the average
aluminum-and-fiberglass ship. He wanted rich wood and
cast bronze fixtures crafted in the time-honoured ways
of the past. No expense was spared and the yacht was
launched in 1989 to carry his family in comfort across the
seas with powerful diesel engines for backup.
Meanwhile, another dream started in northern Vermont
where a few had a dream that sailing ships could be a
wonderful way to connect those with the same hearts,
vision, and purpose in a tangible way. A couple who
shared this dream “stumbled” onto the AVANY by chance
and proposed to the other Communities, which were
distributed in nine countries on four continents, to acquire
this magnificent vessel.
The ship’s owners later sold the ship to the Twelve Tribes
Communities for a fraction of the cost of the raw ironwood
and mahogany she was made of.
After several years of diligent work by many dedicated
people, the vessel regained her original glory and
experienced a mechanical rebirth with the traditional
“Barquentine” masts, rigging, and sails. Parts were
manufactured in several “tribal regions” of the Community
and brought to Georgia to be assembled by members from
different countries who had been sent to complete the
work. In 2007 the PEACEMAKER finally spread her “wings”
to catch the breeze.
Catalog #: 01_00083996
Title: Convair , B-36, Peacemaker
Corporation Name: Convair
Official Nickname: Peacemaker
Additional Information: USA
Designation: B-36
Tags: Convair , B-36, Peacemaker
Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
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.
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.
This is the only remaining RB-36 left in the world. Modifications between the standard B-36 bomber and the RB-36 involved sealing the forward bomb bay and turning it into a combination camera bay and darkroom, capable of carrying 23 cameras of various types and developing the film in flight. The second bomb bay was left intact to drop photoflash bombs for night operations. Crew was increased to 22, while additional fuel tanks were added to increase the RB-36's endurance to an astonishing 50 hours. The RB-36 variants served for a decade, from 1949 to 1959; most were modified to RB-36H standard, which shared the "Featherweight" modification of the later B-36 bombers.
51-13730 was delivered to the USAF's 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Rapid City (later Ellsworth) AFB, South Dakota, and flew from there until 1957, when it was retired. The aircraft was then flown to Chanute AFB, Illinois, to act as a ground instruction trainer, and then was preserved as a museum piece; by that time, it was one of only five B-36s left in the world. By the late 1970s, it was recognized that the Peacemaker's magnesium parts would deterioriate quickly in open storage and probably ruin the aircraft (which is what happened to the XC-99), so these were replaced by Chanute personnel with more resilient aluminum.
After the closure of Chanute AFB in the early 1990s, the museum there was not sure they would have the funds to maintain 51-13730. The Castle Air Museum obtained the aircraft in 1991, and cut the aircraft into 167 pieces, all transported by rail to the museum. It would take nearly three years to reassemble 51-13730, but the completed and repainted RB-36H was returned to its former glory by 1994, and has been on display at Castle ever since.
When I visited in 2021, 51-13730 is in the midst of another restoration and repaint period, and so does not look her best. It is in the markings of the 28th SRW, with a SAC stripe on the nose. On display next to the aircraft is a Mark 17 nuclear bomb; this is one of only five Mark 17 casings left in the world, and shows the enormous size of the nuclear bombs of the early 1950s. It would have had a yield of about 15 megatons.
With the sad scrapping of the YB-36 prototype from Walter Soplata's collection, I have now seen every B-36 left: the one at the NMUSAF, the one at Pima, the one at the SAC Museum, and now this one at Castle.
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 (230 ft, 70.1 m), although there have been larger military transports. The B-36 was the first bomber capable of delivering any of the nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal from inside its two 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.
I play a mad scientist in a Deadlands role playing game. He carries a LeMat pistol because it's big, ugly and unusual in that it has 9 .42 caliber rounds in the cylinder plus a .63 caliber shotgun barrel underneath. He's turned that into a flamethrower and developed rocket propelled grenades for it.
My steampunk cosplay character is based somewhat on that RPG character so I wanted the LeMat for that as well. This is a non-firing replica based on the 2nd model produced by Charles Girard & Co., Paris, France. I would have liked to have the ornate rather than the rounded hammer but I'll get what I can for $75.
I'll need to find or make a holster.
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 (230 ft or 70 m), although there have been larger military transports. The B-36 was the first bomber capable of delivering all the nuclear weapons in the US arsenal from inside its two bomb bays without aircraft modifications. With a range greater than 6,000 mi (9,700 km) and a maximum payload of 72,000 lb (33,000 kg), (and thereby having the ability to carry both the US's atomic fission and thermonuclear weapons), the B-36 was the world's first manned bomber with an unrefueled intercontinental range. This bomber had an unrefueled range greater than all subsequent USAF long range bombers, such as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, Convair B-58 Hustler, and the Rockwell B-1 Lancer; until the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit was deployed.
B-36J-1-CF AF Serial No. 52-2220, is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, (formerly The U.S. Air Force Museum) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. Its flight to the museum from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona on 30 April 1959 was the last flight of a B-36. This B-36J replaced the former Air Force Museum's original YB-36 AF Serial Number 42-13571. This was also the first aircraft to be placed in the Museum's new display hangar, and was not moved again until relocated to the Museum's latest addition in 2003. It is displayed alongside the only surviving example of the massive 9 ft (2.7 m) XB-36 wheel and tire.
General characteristics
* Crew: 13
* Length: 162 ft 1 in (49.42 m)
* Wingspan: 230 ft 0 in (70.12 m)
* Height: 46 ft 9 in (14.25 m)
* Wing area: 4,772 ft²[60] (443.5 m²)
* Airfoil: NACA 63(420)-422 root, NACA 63(420)-517 tip[citation needed]
* Empty weight: 166,165 lb (75,530 kg)
* Loaded weight: 262,500 lb[60] (119,318 kg) (combat weight)
* Max takeoff weight: 410,000 lb (186,000 kg)
* Powerplant:
o 4× General Electric J47 turbojets, 5,200 lbf (23.2 kN) each
o 6× Pratt & Whitney R-4360-53 "Wasp Major" radials, 3,800 hp (2,835 kW) each
Performance
* Maximum speed: 418 mph (363 knots, 672 km/h)
* Cruise speed: 230 mph (200 knots, 370 km/h)
* Combat radius: 3,985 mi (3,465 nmi,[60] 6,415 km)
* Ferry range: 10,000 mi (8,700 nmi, 16,000 km)
* Service ceiling: 43,600 ft (13,300 m)
* Rate of climb: 1,995 ft/min (10.1m/s)
Armament
* Guns: 1 remotely operated tail turret with 2× 20 mm (0.787 in) M24A1 autocannons[60]
* Bombs: 86,000 lb (39,000 kg) with weight restrictions, 72,000 lb (32,700 kg) normal
PictionID:40972354 - Title:Peacemaker Convair XB-36 42-13570 - Catalog:15_002733 - Filename:15_002733.tif - Image from the Charles Daniels Photo Collection album "US Army Aircraft."----PLEASE TAG this image with any information you know about it, so that we can permanently store this data with the original image file in our Digital Asset Management System.----SOURCE INSTITUTION: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive