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I've had a fascination about the B-36 since my childhood in the mid-1950s when I used to hear the roar of Peacemakers flying high over central Louisiana. Unfortunately, the B-36 wasn't part of the many air shows I attended at England Air Force Base, primarily a TAC base at that time. My interest was furthered when I viewed the B-36 "City of Fort Worth" on display at Amon Carter Field in the early 1960s. My interest in the airplane continues to this day.
This site is really just an accumulation of the information I have amassed in learning more about the B-36 over the years: my favorite links, photos, etc. Many have already done a tremendous job in documenting the airplane in great detail on the Internet, both in text and pictures, and I will not attempt to recreate the work already done. I have links established to some of the B-36 sites I frequently visit. Thanks to the U.S. Air Force and the Air Force Museum for the images used on this website. Notable Facts about the B-36 The Convair B-36 Peacemaker was one of the largest airplanes ever built, and was a key element in maintaining peace during the Cold War with Russia during the 1950s. Originally conceived in 1941, it came into production around 1946. These giants were built in Fort Worth by the Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation (later known as Convair) at its Carswell Air Force Base assembly plant. Ultimately, 384 were built, all with 6 propellers mounted on the back of the wings, and most with an additional 4 jet engines mounted on the wingtips. Some notable facts:
A Brief History of Carswell Air Force Base Before the arrival of the B-36, and after its retirement, Carswell AFB played an important role in the Air Force's bomber program. The site of the base was originally selected in 1941 as a Consolidated Vultee factory for the production of B-24 Liberator bombers. A separate contract was awarded for the Tarrant Field Airdrome, to be built to support the aircraft factory.
The construction of an air force base on the east side of Tarrant Field was authorized after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Tarrant Field Airdrome was assigned to the Army Air Forces Flying Training Command in July 1942. The base was named after Medal of Honor recipient Major Horace S. Carswell, Jr. (1916–1944), a B-24 pilot. In the coming years, Carswell would be home to not only the B-36, but also the B-29 Superfortress, the B-58 Hustler, the B-52 Stratofortress, and other aircraft. Carswell AFB was selected for closure under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990. For most of its existence, the base's mission was to train and support heavy strategic bombing groups and wings. The base was realigned and renamed the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Carswell Field (NAS Fort Worth JRB) on October 1, 1994, when the U.S. Navy assumed control of the property. The west side of the base still serves as Air Force Plant #4 and employs several thousand personnel, primarily Lockheed Martin employees. Various Air Guard and Air Reserve components are also stationed there. Strategic Air Command: The Film And there was the movie: Strategic Air Command, the 1955 Paramount Pictures movie starring James Stewart as "Dutch" Holland and June Allyson as his wife Sally. The film includes some of the most dramatic aerial photography ever filmed, for which it was awarded a special citation by the American National Board of Review. It is also the only motion picture to highlight the B-36, and was filmed with the cooperation of the Air Force at Carswell AFB, MacDill AFB in Tampa, and Lowry AFB in Colorado. How many times have we watched this exciting movie! Surviving B-36 Aircraft
B-36J "City of Fort Worth" Reassembly in Progress at PIMA Air and Space Museum Entrance (courtesy of the author) The B-36 Peacemaker "City of Fort Worth" at GSW
For several years, the last plane in the series, a retired B-36J with serial number 52-2827, and inscribed as the "City of Fort Worth", was in static display at the Greater Southwest International Airport (GSW). After GSW closed, the B-36 was moved, and valiant attempts over the years by local groups to maintain the plane, and keep it in Forth Worth, were not successful. Today, the plane is on display at the PIMA Air and Space Museum adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. It is only one of four surviving B-36 Peacemakers. B-36 Photo Gallery ... Images Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force RB-36D on Assembly Line B-36A B-36D at Carswell AFB, Fort Worth, Texas RB-36D at Ellsworth AFB B-36J at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB
The Follow-Up to the B-36: YB-60
As the advent of jet aircraft began to emerge in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Convair started design on a swept-winged version of the B-36 with all-jet propulsion. In March 1951, the US Air Force authorized Convair to convert two B-36Fs (serial numbers 49-2676 and 49-2684) as B-36Gs. Since the aircraft was so radically different from the rest of the B-36 series, the designation was later changed to YB-60.
The YB-60 shared 72% of its parts with the B-36. The fuselages of the two aircraft were nearly identical, although the YB-60 had a longer, pointed nose with a needle-like instrument probe, instead of the B-36's rounded nose. One YB-60 prototype was completed and used in test flights; a second prototype was never completed. The YB-60's competitor was the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, which the Air Force selected as its next generation of heavy bomber. The two YB-60s were scrapped by July, 1953. Other B-36 Sites and Related Resources
Links to General B-36 Sites
Air Force Sites Air Museums of Note
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This website is meant to be a tribute to those who designed & built the B-36, the crews who flew her, and those who have worked tirelessly to preserve this incredible airplane and its history. I also respect the efforts of the officers and airmen of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) and the job they performed in maintaining the peace during the Cold War.
Many have already done a great job in documenting this amazing airplane on the Internet, both in text and pictures, and I will not attempt to recreate the work already done. I have listed below links to some of the B-36 sites I know about.
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