Uber bomber B-36 Peacemaker

[Chevan]

Hello folks.
We have so much times discussed this monstrous airplain in the different thread - i think we need the separate thread for this.
One of the biggest military/transport aircraft
Just look for the childish B-29 near the B-36
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/B-29_and_B-36.jpg/797px-B-29_and_B-36.jpg
The B-36D modification had a 10 engines ( 6 pistons and 4 turbo-jet).
BTW it comes to the service only in the 1949.When the soviets was already developing the mig-17 that could theretically reached the B-36.
IMO the real military work was limited mostly for the photo-Reconnaissance (RB-36).
The relatively short period of the mass production 1949-1954 prowed the fact that the B-36 was unable to make its work in the new Jet Fighters era. This was a super-expensive but useless toy in period of cold war.
But it look so great and......exclusive;)
i like it.

[Firefly]

http://www.air-and-space.com/b-36%20links.htm

A true Cold War Monster.

[mike M.]

......

[Firefly]

Yep, good movie, though maybe the cast was wrong, I dont know. Didnt Stewart fly in Bombers in WW2?

[Nickdfresh]

Yep, good movie, though maybe the cast was wrong, I dont know. Didnt Stewart fly in Bombers in WW2?

Yup! He was a B-26 Marauder pilot on the ETO...

[Nickdfresh]

Excellent thread Chevan...

[pdf27]

Yup! He was a B-26 Marauder pilot on the ETO...
He even flew several missions over North Vietnam in B-52s.....

[Nickdfresh]

He even flew several missions over North Vietnam in B-52s.....

Yup. He was in fact a career Air Force Reserve officer...

[Chevan]

http://warplane.ru/plane/b36/pic/b36j_01.jpg
http://warplane.ru/plane/b36/pic/b36j_02.jpg

The modification B-36D with additional 2x2 turbojet engeens Allison J45.( first flyight 1949).
The service selling was 12 162 m.
BTW this was lower then maximal altitude of the Mig-15 ( 15 000 m).
The ONLY later modification B-36J-III was able to reach the 15 000 in the 1953 However in this time the Mig-17 was ready for the combat misssions.
So as we could see neither B-36D nor B-36J was not unattainable for the Soviet aviation teoretically.

Cheers.

[pdf27]

Ummm.... don't put too much faith in the official performance figures is all I'll say to that one. I've seen far too many accounts of B-36s penetrating Soviet airspace on recon flights and too few accounts of them being shot down (rather a lot of other aircraft types were) to believe that. Either the B-36 was considered too vulnerable to try (unlikely as it was pretty much the entire US deterrent force at the time and was apparently considered satisfactory - and also that they sent in far lower performance aircraft like B-29s) or it was pretty safe from the defences.

[Firefly]

Of course the contrary may be true as well. Mind you the US always ran a fine line in the risk business during the Cold War. The B-47 was the better operator I think. Also thats why the US developed a recce B-57.