Convair B-36 Peacemaker
The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" is a strategic bomber that was built by Convair and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 is the largest mass-produced piston-engined aircraft ever built. It has the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built, at 230 ft (70 m). The B-36 was the first bomber capable of delivering any of the nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal from an internal bomb bay without aircraft modifications. With a range of 10,000 mi (16,000 km) and a maximum payload of 87,200 lb (39,600 kg), the B-36 is capable of intercontinental flight without refueling.
| B-36 "Peacemaker" | |
|---|---|
| Beginning with the B-36D (B-36J shown), the Peacemaker used 6 radial piston engines and 4 jet engines. | |
| Role | Strategic bomber |
| 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 |
| Variants | Convair XC-99 Convair NB-36H Convair X-6 |
| Developed into | Convair YB-60 |
Entering service in 1948, the B-36 was the primary nuclear weapons delivery vehicle of Strategic Air Command (SAC) until it was replaced by the jet-powered Boeing B-52 Stratofortress beginning in 1955. All but four aircraft have been scrapped.