One of the most notable aspects of the Convair B-36 Peacemaker has been its characterization as a strange and gigantic aircraft that represented the amazement of necessity and genius combined during the cautious early period of the Cold War. To recount its history means, basically, to tell the story of the moment when the US was frightened that the Germans would take over the UK and thus prevent the US Air Force from using the British bases to launch air strikes against the Nazis.
Given such a scenario, the USRoyal Air Force made up somewhat ridiculous demands: the bomber should have a range of 10,000 miles, be able to fly 40,000 feet high, and be capable of carrying extremely heavy armaments on board a direct flight to the United States over the sea.
Back then, the company named Consolidated Vulte, but currently known as Convair, won the late 1941 contract, beating Boeing by just one vote. It was beyond the technical confines of the program to reach such plans. The B-36 had a battlefield wingspan of 230 ft, which is still the largest span of any fighting aircraft. Such was the huge nature of it that crawlspaces were constructed inside the wings so the crew members could get to the engines in the middle of a flight, which is a weird bit of technology that still attracts aviation fans.
There was a very peculiar installation to run the monster. At first, they used six Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines mounted in a rear-facing “pusher” configuration. Subsequently, four General Electric J47 jet engines were installed below the wings, which led to the saying “six turning, four burning.” The hybrid set-up was not as good as modern jet standards, but it gave the Peacemaker decent performance for its weight, limited to around 200 miles per hour for a normal flight and 400 at high altitude, while the plane was able to ascend to almost 40,000 feet. It weighed 410,000 pounds when fully loaded.
In 1948, just as the Soviets were becoming more aggressive, the B-36 was handed over to the new Strategic Air Command. The major part of its assignment was to be a nuclear weapon deterrent. The Peacemaker, capable of taking 86,000 pounds of bombs—the payload of the B-29 multiplied by four—could carry the most massive atomic and hydrogen bombs of America to faraway targets without stopping for fuel.
Several versions were made, including aerial surveillance types and the NB-36H for nuclear flight concept experiments. The B-36 was almost free from the early air defense of the enemy because of its distance and height, at least in the first years of service, due to its range and altitude.
The life and work of the crews, though, were not easy. Carries could be over 40 hours in duration. During this time, 15 to 22 people had to put up with being in small rooms and often without any air. The engines were always under supervision, and there were many mechanical failures. Some of the early models were heavily armed with up to sixteen remote-controlled 20mm cannons for defense, but these were later reduced to increase speed as the jets became faster and the fighters’ threat level more significant.
In the end, the B-36 was not credited with any air bombing missions during the wars, despite its grandeur and might. In fact, its actual role was of a psychological nature—a terror for the enemies, it was the visual icon of American power. Supporters said it was used as the “Billion Dollar Boondoggle,” while questioning if the money would have been better spent on something else. But for more than ten years, it was the heart of the American nuclear arsenal.
The Peacemaker was the last piston-powered bomber of World War II, which was replaced by the jet-powered B-52 Stratofortress. Gradually, its shortcomings became evident: it was quite slow, complicated mechanically, and very costly to keep running. By the late 1950s, it was overtaken by jet technology.
On the 30th of April, 1959, the last flight of the B-36 was from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base to the National Museum of the United States Air Force. That is where it stands today, a monument to the designers, aircrews, and maintainers who kept it flying.
The B-36’s legacy is historical and long-lasting. It was one of the biggest technical challenges of its time that had a huge impact on the designs of bombers and the nuclear strategies for the following decades. With its enormous wingspan, ten engines, and distinctive outline, it was both the embodiment of the Cold War’s power and fear. A limited number of pieces exist in museums today, as artifacts from a period when global security depended on the shoulders of a unit nearly as big as a football field.