All be damned, I have never seen this before. I thought it was not real until I read a comment saying this was in competition with the B-52. The Orange on the plane must mean prototype I'm guessing. Prop planes rule. Jets are nice but props are just flat out cool.
The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker"[N 1] 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 10,000 mi (16,000 km) and a maximum payload of 72,000 lb (33,000 kg), 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.
B36 wasn't in a competition it was picked over the YB49. The YB49 was to unstable at the time to be an effective bombing platform. The B52 came after the B47 the first operational jet bomber.
Funny story…back in the 70s I used to shovel snow at my dads office on the knoll above the flight line at Griffis AFB in Rome, NY. He was the 1st Sgt. by then of the 416th FMS. I'd watch those BUFFs take off and land. I remember when they ordered the stand down…had a 52 in the air 24/7 fully loaded for how many years?
Fascinating photography!! Are you all pilots taking these pics or do you download from the web. They are awesome. My father used to be a pilot at beginning of 2oth century…Sopworth Camel. A bit different to your machines!!!
I remember as a very young boy (probably 7 or 8) living in eastern Colorado and seeing one B36 after another taking off from the airbase there. It really impressed this little boy. So much so, that he remembers it vividly 65 years later as an old man.
+1David Ballard No SAC bases in Colorado but possible they were at Lowry AFB for an airshow. Though one B-36 per show was standard. In 1957-58, airshows and equipment testing was about their only mission. The B-52 took over. Carswell AFB, Ft. Worth, flew many training flights in that area either going out or coming back. Growing up in Central Illinois was a bad location to hear or see a late career B-36. Hearing them was the unforgettable part.
+Kurt Burgess You may be right. I was born in 1943 and lived for 5 or 6 years in the Las Animas, Colorado area. I would have been very young. My memory is of very large airplanes with 6 rearward facing engines. In any case I would have been very young and it was a very long time ago. I seem to recall dinosaurs wandering around. It was a very cool airplane in any case.
Oh hell yeah,.missing jet engines but fantastic
Meaning 6 prop, 4 jet.love that version
The vision of the future at Convair was pretty darn amazing. The B52 won out in the end, but they had an interesting entry in to the competition.
Never say never you never no
Nice
Awesome pic
All be damned, I have never seen this before. I thought it was not real until I read a comment saying this was in competition with the B-52. The Orange on the plane must mean prototype I'm guessing. Prop planes rule. Jets are nice but props are just flat out cool.
The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker"[N 1] 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 10,000 mi (16,000 km) and a maximum payload of 72,000 lb (33,000 kg), 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.
Must be Russian
Obsolete before it was even finished. But used anyways. A beautiful monster. Always wanted to see one in r/l.
B36 wasn't in a competition it was picked over the YB49. The YB49 was to unstable at the time to be an effective bombing platform. The B52 came after the B47 the first operational jet bomber.
aha https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_B-36_Peacemaker
+JETimmons Actually the B-45 Tornado was the first US built operational jet bomber.
Hey don't forget the B58 Hustler…my dad worked on those and the BUFF's
+Jim Conner Your dad worked on the B-58s and B-52s sweet. Was he an aviation mechanic?
Special weapons tech
Back when Chrome Dome was still active…I grew up on SAC bases.
+Jim Conner You know what "special" weapons mean in a strategic role like a bomber is used for, right?
Oh yeah.
Funny story…back in the 70s I used to shovel snow at my dads office on the knoll above the flight line at Griffis AFB in Rome, NY. He was the 1st Sgt. by then of the 416th FMS. I'd watch those BUFFs take off and land. I remember when they ordered the stand down…had a 52 in the air 24/7 fully loaded for how many years?
Fascinating photography!! Are you all pilots taking these pics or do you download from the web. They are awesome. My father used to be a pilot at beginning of 2oth century…Sopworth Camel. A bit different to your machines!!!
+Henry Linneweh totally American in creation AND ownership.
I remember as a very young boy (probably 7 or 8) living in eastern Colorado and seeing one B36 after another taking off from the airbase there. It really impressed this little boy. So much so, that he remembers it vividly 65 years later as an old man.
+Henry Linneweh are you kidding me lol
+Michael frumento nah, I was being half awake and half asleep, that other aircraft the YB60 was interesting, looks like a modern day airliner kind of and the old b47/b52 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_YB-60#/media/File:The_Convair_YB-60.jpg
+1David Ballard No SAC bases in Colorado but possible they were at Lowry AFB for an airshow. Though one B-36 per show was standard. In 1957-58, airshows and equipment testing was about their only mission. The B-52 took over. Carswell AFB, Ft. Worth, flew many training flights in that area either going out or coming back. Growing up in Central Illinois was a bad location to hear or see a late career B-36. Hearing them was the unforgettable part.
+Kurt Burgess You may be right. I was born in 1943 and lived for 5 or 6 years in the Las Animas, Colorado area. I would have been very young. My memory is of very large airplanes with 6 rearward facing engines. In any case I would have been very young and it was a very long time ago. I seem to recall dinosaurs wandering around.
It was a very cool airplane in any case.