The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker"[N 1] is a strategic bomber 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, although it was exceeded in …

Responding to the U.S. Army Air Forces' requirement for a strategic bomber with intercontinental range, Consolidated Vultee (later Convair) designed the B-36 during World War II.

In 1948, the B-36 become a mainstay of the American nuclear deterrent. It underwent a number of design changes before being withdrawn from service in 1959. It was also well suited to high altitude very long range reconnaissance missions, and several alterations were made with this mission profile in mind.

2025年1月15日 · The B-36 was originally conceived of being a bomber capable of striking Nazi Germany from bases in North America, if it looked as though Britain was going to fall to Hitler’s war machine.

The document condemned the B-36 as "an obsolete and unsuccessful aircraft" and charged that the Air Force had acquired it only after Convair had contributed $6.5 million to various Democratic...

2021年7月26日 · When America needed a club with which to threaten the Russians, Convair produced the six-engine—eventually 10—B-36 long-range heavy bomber. It was the largest and heaviest piston-engine airplane ever to go into production. The B-36 was nicknamed the Peacemaker, with a nod to the infamous Colt six-shooter.

2023年11月16日 · The retrofitted and final production model engines produce a combined 44,000 horsepower, one of the only aircraft ever powered by both types of engines. The B-36 lacked inflight refueling capabilities, but the wings were 7.5 feet (2.3 meters) high to accommodate the fuel needed to support a 10,000-mile range.

The Convair B-36 Peacemaker was one of the largest aircraft ever built, and was instrumental in maintaining peace during the Cold War with Russia during the 1950s. It was originally conceived in 1941 as an intercontinental bomber, and came into production in the late 1940s.

2020年2月5日 · The Convair B-36 Peacemaker bridged the pre- and post-World War II worlds. Conceived as a long-range bomber for US Army Air Corps should Great Britain be defeated by …

2024年11月4日 · The Convair B-36 Peacemaker was an extraordinary aircraft that played a pivotal role in the early years of the Cold War. As the largest piston-powered combat aircraft ever built, it was a symbol of American airpower and strategic deterrence during a …