As Europe becomes cold and dark, European vacations will become long overflights.
Add lots of windows and this baby could do the trick!
Posted on 03/13/2022 7:26:03 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT
Much was made of the fact that the wing of the B-36 Peacemaker was deep enough to allow engineers to enter it and maintain the engines in flight.
Conceived during 1941 in case Germany occupied Britain, when US bombers would then have insufficient range to retaliate, the B-36 Peacemaker was to be primarily a ‘10,000-mile bomber’ with heavy defensive armament, six engines and a performance that would prevent interception by fighters.
It was one of the first aircraft to use substantial amounts of magnesium in its structure, leading to the bomber’s ‘Magnesium Overcast’ nickname. It earned many superlatives due to the size and complexity of its structure, which used 27 miles of wiring, had a wingspan longer than the Wright brothers’ first flight, equivalent engine power to 400 cars, the same internal capacity as three five-room houses and 27,000 gallons of internal fuel – enough to propel a car around the world 18 times.
Pilot Lt Col Ed Sandin of the 5th SRW pioneered a hazardous technique for reaching down and inserting a main landing gear down-lock in flight after numerous attempts to make the gear lock down. The narrow crawl-way to this position over the wheel well meant that the job had to be done without wearing a parachute, while trying to avoid looking down into an open abyss below.
(Excerpt) Read more at theaviationgeekclub.com ...
As Europe becomes cold and dark, European vacations will become long overflights.
Add lots of windows and this baby could do the trick!
National origin United States
Manufacturer Convair
First flight 8 August 1946
Introduction 1948
Retired 12 February 1959
Primary user United States Air Force
Produced 1946–1954
Number built 384
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_B-36_Peacemaker
Looks like a B-47 in the back ground??
Not with propellers.
Was this the one that was prone fuel leaks and was a flying fire hazard?
They began work on it in 1941 and had first flight in 1946.
You couldn’t do that today. Maybe they had faster computers in the 1940s? Or maybe our military acquisition is FUBAR.
Oh, over on the right. I think you are correct.
There’s one in the Museum of the Air Force at Wright Patterson AFB. Truly enormous. Must have shown up like a beacon on radar.
“Or maybe our military acquisition is FUBAR.”
Our MIC has become LCD.
Yes, farthest back.
Designed with slide rules.
Drawn on vellum with pencil.
Fabricated by high school grads running manually controlled machine tools.
(Just like the moon landing, LOL)
336 spark plugs to change at each tune-up.
What are the odds of not cross-threading at least one?
....absolutely...! behind what looks like a C-54...way in the background....amazing photograph....if I am not mistaken one of the earlier test ? models of the B-36 had one single giant mothergator of a landing wheel on each side.......later changed to what became standard.... I think there is a B-36 in the Smithsonian or maybe the U.S.Air Force museum....???
One of these giants crashed during a thunderstorm near Water Valley Texas outside of San Angelo in the early 50’s. All crew members were lost.
Capable of carrying its own Fighter escort, “The Gremlin”. (never deployed)
Yup, Top right just behind and to the right of the KC-97. just the right wing is visible. Good eye!!
While I appreciate the post, my critique is reserved for the Aviationist: The article is pathetic.
Here’s some B36 aviation pron:
https://media.defense.gov/2020/Oct/14/2002517020/-1/-1/1/B-36%20PEACEMAKER%20PERSONNEL_SMALL.PDF
A slip-stick wizard is something to behold.
I still used one in the early 1970s, because I was too cheap to spring for the TI handheld calculator.
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