He’s taken measurements of the Soplata B-36 flight deck, and used pictures, books, and data from SAC museum to shape his Peacemaker into what it is today. The cockpit canopy, structure, sides, and base are all complete, or nearly so. Brian is currently covering the cockpit section in aluminum and plexiglass, to complete the signature B-36 ‘greenhouse’ look. The control columns, yokes, and linkages will soon follow.
Showing posts with label B 36. Show all posts
Showing posts with label B 36. Show all posts
Sunday, March 02, 2025
Friday, May 17, 2024
Wednesday, April 03, 2024
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Saturday, October 08, 2022
Sunday, June 27, 2021
Daaaamn! B 36 landing in San Diego in the early 1950s (thanks Steve! )
The Convair Division of General Dynamics had a factory at the East end of the airport that built B-24s during WWII.
This factory was responsible for making modifications to the B-36s - a program that ran from March 1950 to December 1952, when all modification work moved to Ft. Worth so that the Lindbergh Field factory could switch over their assembly line for the production of F-102s (1,000 of that fighter built).
The modification was to convert all B-36Bs into B-36Ds, and the San Diego plant converted 133 of them.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Thursday, September 05, 2019
mighty big tires on the B 36, as demonstrated by
Grace Purcelly turning an enormous wrench on the wheel of a B-36
https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth40854/
Wednesday, August 07, 2019
Developed in the early 1950’s and used to move the heaviest bombers in the Air Force’s inventory, this is a Coleman CF-55-AF
Four-wheel steering, an enormous winch and a claimed 20 ton weight are just a few of the highlights.
The Convair B-36 Peacemaker (shown here next to a B-29 for scale), which weighed 166,165 lbs empty, 262,500 lbs loaded, and up to 410,000 lbs at maximum takeoff weight. With six radial engines, and in its final configuration, an additional four jet engines, it simply wasn’t practical to taxi under power, hence this rig.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2626919290654160&set=gm.1822011384612136&type=3&permPage=1&ifg=1
https://bringatrailer.com/2016/11/15/b-36-peacemaker-tow-rig-1950s-coleman-cf-55-af-tug
Monday, June 24, 2019
a perspective on the cold war between Russia and the USA, OR, the after affect of WW2's failed empire building caused hysteria in the USA that Russia was going to try and conquer Europe
Soviet forces had no heavy long range bombers, and possessed no aircraft carriers or a blue-water navy. However, the Soviets had 100 divisions in Europe, and astoundingly could draw on another 200 divisions in a relatively short time-frame.
In Germany the United States had precisely one division on standby, a numerical disadvantage that didn't bear thinking about. Early post-war estimates said that the Soviets could have taken the rest of continental Europe in 20-30 days had they wanted to, with opposing forces being little more than a speed bump to the Red Army.
The US Navy wanted to build a new carrier fleet so that it could have long range nuclear armed bombers, and be able to stage the new jet aircraft off of carrier decks.
In post WW2 it was decided that America could afford new atomic bomber B-36s, or these new carriers, but not both. The US Navy began attacking the B-36 in print, eventually spending $500,000 on ads attacking a rival service's program.
This campaign got crazy when Louis Johnson, former head of Convair, became Secretary of Defense. One of his first acts was to order more B-36s - and he found the money by cancelling the Navy's new carrier program, including the United States, the first new carrier who's keel had just been laid.
The collective freakout by the US Navy admirals over this is now remembered in American history as the Revolt of the Admirals.
This event was notable for several reasons, including that it stated an open debate on how nuclear weapons should be used - the Navy (in an irony that would ring down through time) described SAC's plan for targeting Soviet civilians as 'un-American.
'The B-36, for its part, was shall we say "obsolesce-shamed," with the US Navy asserting the B-36 was already obsolete in its intended role, and was a "billion dollar blunder." There was also much speculation if the new aircraft could actually survive in a jet-powered combat environment.
Facing the Red Army, the United States had a very clear trump card: nuclear weapons. As soon as the United States Army Air Corps became its own service, the United States Air Force (USAF), the new service was not shy in claiming ownership over nuclear weapons.
Breaking itself into a Tactical Air Command (TAC) and Strategic Air Command (SAC), SAC was the first and most important delivery method of atomic bombs. The B-36 fit into the new scheme of things perfectly: for the near future, the only two other atomic bombers were the B-29 Superfortress and its variant, the B-50.
Both of these aircraft would have to be staged relatively close to its targets in order to attack, while the B-36 had a huge combat range. Initially, the USAF pictured the 100 B-36s it had ordered as atomic bombing specialists, kept in reserve in case more forward bases were wiped out in a enemy first strike.
The plan was simple: if the Soviets moved against western Europe, SAC's first move would be to burn every Soviet city it could with nuclear fire. It was also clear that even with close basing to the Soviet Union, the Superfortress twins simply didn't have the range to accomplish this mission - any attack would sacrifice the bomber crews when their airplane ran out of fuel. Another point for the B-36.
http://horseformer.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-convair-b-36-peacemaker.html
Carswell Air Force base, results of the labor Day 1952 tornado, 2/3rds of the B-36 heavy bombers were damaged, knocking out nearly two-thirds of the Strategic Air Command’s bomber force.
As the B-36 was built and flight tested in Fort Worth at Convair’s mile-long plant at Carswell AFB, across the runway from the base, any technical problems could be readily addressed.
As a result, the majority of the United States’ long range striking power was concentrated in Fort Worth.
The anemometer on the Carswell control tower registered sustained winds over 90mph before being torn away by the storm.
In less than a month, the 7th Bomb Wing was back at full operational strength. Only one B-36 had to be written off out of the 83 damaged. By the end of the month, the round-the-clock effort had the 11th Bomb Wing operational and by the first week of October, 51 more aircraft were returned to service.
The B-36's control surfaces alone had more square footage then entire wing area of the B-24, the wingspan was 230 ft.
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/remembering-the-1952-carswell-afb-tornado-that-damaged-two-thirds-of-sacs-b-36-force/
https://forums.g503.com/viewtopic.php?t=175581
http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Magazine%20Documents/2016/October%202016/1016b36.pdf
http://marty.rob.com/pix/oops/B36
http://horseformer.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-convair-b-36-peacemaker.html
Friday, November 16, 2018
Monday, June 26, 2017
Friday, January 08, 2016
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