The Convair B-36 Peacemaker
The B-36 was a huge leap in size and performance over its predecessors.
It remains the largest piston-powered combat aircraft ever.
Early models had six enormous 71-liter, 28-cylinder radial engines.
These engines were soon augmented by four jet engines, for a total of
44,000 horsepower.
With its massive fuel tanks and incredible endurance, some versions of the
B-36 could stay aloft for one-and-a-half to two days.
Bomber variants had a crew of from 9 to 15 airmen. There were bunks in
the back for the crew, and a toilet.
The Air Force emphasized that the B-36 was the only aircraft capable of
delivering the atomic bomb from bases in the US.
A Short-Lived Giant
The B-36 was 64% longer than a B-29, a giant of its time.
Its 230-foot wingspan is the widest of any combat aircraft in history, and it
is even wider than a modern 747's.
Its payload capacity was almost unbelievable. It could carry the weight of a
fully-loaded B17, with its crew. Plus the weight of a P-51 Mustang escort.
Because of the Jet-Age, the B-36 was pulled from service in 1959 after only
11 years.
