THIS IS THE ACTUAL TRANSCRIPT OF A RECORDED CONVERSATION BETWEEN AN ENGINEER AND A US AIR FORCE COMMANDER AT CONVAIR AEROSPACE CORPORATION. SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA. AUTUMN, 1941...
USAF COMMANDER: "Okay, it looks impressive. How many engines are on this bomber again?"
CONVAIR ENGINEER: "YES".
USAF COMMANDER: "How much payload can this plane carry?"
CONVAIR ENGINEER: "YES".
USAF COMMANDER: "And what is the operational range of this aircraft again?"
CONVAIR ENGINEER: "YES".
The B-36 'Peacekeeper' officially entered service with the US Air Force in 1949 as a long range nuclear capable strategic bomber. With an 87,000 pound payload capacity, powered by SIX piston propeller engines and FOUR turbojet assists, and a range of 10,000 miles fully loaded and crewed, the B-36 was the largest bomber built at it's time. It earned the name 'Peacekeeper' as it is the only aircraft in the world capable of carrying four Hiroshima/Nagasaki level atomic bombs at once. The fearsome deterrence of this airborne arsenal is enough to make even the most aggressive military belligerents think twice about launching a campaign of conquest or domination. However, this aircraft has been originally designed for a very different purpose. In 1941, at the peak of Nazi Germany's military power, it was a very real fear amongst the Allied commanders that Great Britain may fall to the Nazi blitzkrieg at any moment. If it does, the Allies would have lost a major airstrip and logistics point for the US Air Force's primary bombing workhorse against German military targets, the B-17 Flying Fortress. If the UK falls, there would be no way B-17 flights can resume operations. As large and powerful as they are, the B-17s simply did not possess long range capabilities beyond continental Europe. Desperate plans were drafted and perused in order to design a bomber that is large enough to carry a working payload, but with enough fuel capacity and efficiency to make a nonstop flight directly from the US eastern seaboard, strike targets in German occupied territories, and make it back home without having to refuel. Out of three other designs, including a revolutionary pulse-jet powered "flying wing" that will become the basis for the future B-1 and B-2 bombers, the B-36 emerged as the most promising, and eventually gained the seal of approval from the War Department. However, as the tide against the Axis Powers began to turn tremendously in the early months of 1942, the B-36 project was placed on the shelf as the country's full industrial might was focused to producing weapons, aircraft, vehicles, and ships needed to win the war immediately. The B-36 did not enter production until 1947, well after the defeat of the Axis forces. By then, the intercontinental capabilities of this aircraft became a moot point and the plane would be pressed into service for cutting edge Space Age duties. Over 348 aircraft were produced in the Convair plant between 1947 and 1949 and the planes will remain in active service until 1955, when they were replaced by the Air Force's current heavy hitter, the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Around five B-36 Peacekeepers still exist today. Two of them are in museums and the other three are owned by private aviation clubs and individuals who often fly them from time to time for tours, living history events, and cinematic production services.
"Six turnin' and four burnin'". Full flight footage of the B-36 Peacekeeper and it's crew from takeoff to landing. Taken from the movie Strategic Air Command (1955), this is one of the MOST epic scenes in film history. Now in 4K rendering:
Historical documentary on the Convair B-36 Peacekeeper:
leeduigon.com
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