Misplaced Pages

#968031

93-489: The Lockheed XFV originated as a result of a proposal issued by the U.S. Navy in 1948 for an aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aboard platforms mounted on the afterdecks of conventional ships. Both Convair and Lockheed competed for the contract but in 1950, the requirement was revised, with a call for a research aircraft capable of eventually evolving into a VTOL ship-based convoy escort fighter. On 19 April 1951, two prototypes were ordered from Lockheed under

186-568: A B-36 crashed in February 1950. Training missions were typically in two parts, a 40-hour flight—followed by time on the ground for refueling and maintenance—and then a 24-hour second flight. With a sufficiently light load, the B-36 could fly at least 10,000 mi (16,000 km) nonstop, and the highest cruising speed of any version, the B-36J-III, was at 230 mph (370 km/h). Engaging

279-482: A B-36H-20-CF (serial number 51-5712) that had been damaged in a tornado at Carswell AFB on 1 September 1952. This aircraft, redesignated the XB-36H (and later NB-36H ), was modified to carry a 1 MW , air-cooled nuclear reactor in the aft bomb bay, with a four-ton lead disc shield installed in the middle of the aircraft between the reactor and the cockpit. A number of large air intake and exhaust holes were installed in

372-454: A bomb bay. The GRB-36D would ferry the RF-84K to the vicinity of the objective, whereupon the RF-84K would disconnect and begin its mission. Ten GRB-36Ds and 25 RF-84Ks were built and had limited service in 1955–1956. Projects Tip Tow and Tom-Tom involved docking F-84s to the wingtips of B-29s and B-36s. The hope was that the increased aspect ratio of the combined aircraft would result in

465-717: A crew of 15. War missions would have been one-way, taking off from forward bases in Alaska or Greenland , overflying the USSR, and landing in Europe, Morocco, or the Middle East. Veteran crews recall feeling confident in their ability to fly the missions, but not to survive weapon delivery, as the aircraft were not fast enough to escape the blast. These concerns were confirmed by the 1954 Operation Castle tests, in which B-36s were flown at combat distances from detonations of bombs in

558-643: A cruising speed between 240 and 300 mph (390 and 480 km/h), and a service ceiling of 40,000 ft (12,000 m) The ceiling in both cases was chosen to exceed the maximum effective altitude of most of Nazi Germany 's anti-aircraft guns. In the Pacific, the USAAF needed a bomber capable of reaching Japan from bases in Hawaii , and the development of the B-36 became a priority. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson , in discussions with high-ranking officers of

651-522: A distance of one mile." The single flying prototype ended up as an exhibit at the Sun 'n Fun Campus Museum at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Lakeland, Florida . This example was refurbished at the museum's Buehler Restoration Center and is currently on outdoor display. The aircraft was assigned USN/USMC Bureau Number 138657, but was marked as 658 following restoration. The second prototype, which

744-548: A golf ball from 45,000 ft (14,000 m) and up to 63,600 ft (19,400 m) away. The first RB-36D (44-92088) made its initial flight on 18 December 1949, six months after the B-36D, but initially flew without turbojets. The 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing based at Rapid City AFB (later renamed Ellsworth AFB) , South Dakota , received its first RB-36D on 3 June 1950 but due to severe material shortages, they were not operational until June 1951. The 24th and last RB-36D

837-557: A greater range. Project Tip Tow was cancelled when an EF-84D and a specially modified test EB-29A crashed, killing everyone on both aircraft. This accident was attributed to the EF-84D flipping over onto the wing of the EB-29A. Project Tom-Tom, involving RF-84Fs and a GRB-36D from the FICON project (redesignated JRB-36F), continued for a few months after this crash, but was also cancelled due to

930-467: A heavier payload enter service. The wings of the B-36 were large even when compared with present-day aircraft, exceeding, for example, those of the C-5 Galaxy, and enabled the B-36 to carry enough fuel to fly the intended long missions without refueling. The maximum thickness of the wing, measured perpendicular to the chord , was 7.5 ft (2.3 m), containing a crawlspace that allowed access to

1023-538: A level partly determined by knowledge of the capability of Soviet air-defense radar . The main Soviet air-defense radar in the 1950s was the American-supplied SCR-270 , or locally made copies, which were only effective up to 40,000 ft (12,000 m) – in theory, and an aircraft cruising above this level likely would remain undetected. The first aircraft to put this theory to

SECTION 10

#1732797273969

1116-465: A lightweight version of this aircraft, the RB-36-III, could reach 58,000 ft (18,000 m). RB-36s were distinguished by the bright aluminum finish of the camera compartment (contrasting with the dull magnesium of the rest of the fuselage) and by a series of radar domes under the aft fuselage, varying in number and placement. When developed, it was the only American aircraft large enough to carry

1209-751: A new radio and radar system and the Pratt and Whitney engines were redesigned, adding another 1,000 lb (450 kg). The B-36 was two-thirds longer than the previous "superbomber", the B-29 and its wingspan and height exceeded those of the Soviet Union's 1960s Antonov An-22 , the largest turboprop ever produced. Only with the advent of the Boeing 747 and the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy , both designed two decades later, did aircraft capable of lifting

1302-454: A prodigious appetite for lubricating oil and each engine required a dedicated 100 US gal (380 L) tank. Normal maintenance consisted of tedious measures, such as changing the 56 spark plugs on each of the six engines which were often fouled by the lead in the 145 octane anti knock fuel required. Thus, each service required changing 336 spark plugs. The B-36 was too large to fit in most hangars . Since even an aircraft with

1395-431: A service ceiling of 45,000 ft (14,000 m) and a maximum range of 12,000 mi (19,000 km) at 25,000 ft (7,600 m). These requirements were too demanding and far exceeded the technology of the day, so on 19 August 1941, they were reduced, to a maximum range of 10,000 mi (16,000 km), an effective combat radius of 4,000 mi (6,400 km) with a 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) bomb-load,

1488-548: A tail turret, or no gunners at all for several years but the development of air-to-air missiles , such as the Soviet K-5 which began test firings in 1951, eliminated remaining justifications for keeping them. In February 1954, the USAF awarded Convair a contract for a new "Featherweight" program, which significantly reduced weight and crew size. The three configurations were: The six turrets eliminated by Featherweight I reduced

1581-531: A trapeze. The concept was tested using a B-29 carrier, but docking was difficult even for experienced test pilots. Moreover, the XF-85 was no match for contemporary foreign powers' interceptors in development or in service and consequently the project was cancelled. The FICON project was more successful and involving a modified B-36 (a GRB-36D "mothership") and the RF-84K , a fighter modified for reconnaissance , in

1674-531: A very reliable booster for launching of satellites and continued to evolve, remaining in use into the 21st century, when combined with the Centaur upper stage to form the Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle for launching geosynchronous communication satellites and space probes . The Centaur rocket was also designed, developed, and produced by Convair, and it was the first widely used outer space rocket to use

1767-733: Is widely used today to calculate trigonometric functions in calculators , field-programmable gate arrays , and other small electronic systems. General Dynamics announced the sale of the Missile Systems Division segment of Convair to Hughes Aircraft Company in May 1992 and the Space Systems Division segment to Martin Marietta in 1994. In July 1994, General Dynamics and McDonnell Douglas mutually agreed to terminate Convair's contract to provide fuselages for

1860-603: The Convair B-36 Peacemaker and Convair B-58 Hustler strategic bombers, and the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger and Convair F-106 Delta Dart interceptors. It also manufactured the first Atlas rockets, including the rockets that were used for the crewed orbital flights of Project Mercury . The company's subsequent Atlas-Centaur design continued this success and derivatives of the design remain in use as of 2023. The company also entered

1953-554: The Mirage fighter planes . One of Convair's most famous products was the ten-engined Convair B-36 strategic bomber, burning four turbojets and turning six pusher propellers driven by Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial piston engines. The Convair B-36 was the largest landbased piston engined bomber in the world. The Atlas missile , the F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106 Delta Dart delta-winged interceptors, and

SECTION 20

#1732797273969

2046-581: The Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 space probes, the first two to be launched on trajectories that carried them out of the Solar System . In addition to aircraft, missiles, and space vehicles, Convair developed the large Charactron vacuum tubes, a form of cathode-ray tube (CRT) computer display with a shaped mask to form characters, and to give an example of a minor product, the CORDIC algorithms, which

2139-529: The U.S. Air Force using V-2 technology motors in response to the Soviet missile threat. It was first launched in 1957 but its use as an ICBM was soon replaced in 1962 by the room-temperature liquid-fueled Titan II missile , and later by the solid-fueled Minuteman missile . The Atlas rocket transitioned into a civilian launch vehicle and was used for the first orbital crewed U.S. space flights during Project Mercury in 1962 and 1963. The Atlas rocket became

2232-405: The jet airliner business with its Convair 880 and Convair 990 designs. These were smaller than contemporary aircraft like the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 , but somewhat faster than both. This combination of features failed to find a profitable niche and the company exited the airliner design business. However, the manufacturing capability built up for these projects proved very profitable and

2325-472: The 15-megaton range. At distances typical of wartime delivery, aircraft suffered extensive flash and blast damage. The B-36 was employed in a variety of aeronautical experiments throughout its service life. Its immense size, range, and payload capacity lent itself to use in research and development programs. These included nuclear propulsion studies, and "parasite" programs in which the B-36 carried smaller interceptors or reconnaissance aircraft. In May 1946,

2418-608: The 300-seat MD-11 airliner. Manufacturing responsibility was to be transferred to McDonnell Douglas, which said it would not preserve the operation in San Diego. General Dynamics had tried for two years to sell the Aircraft structures segment of Convair unit, but the effort ultimately failed. The termination of the contract meant the end of the Convair Division and of General Dynamics' presence in San Diego, as well as

2511-717: The Air Force began the Nuclear Energy for the Propulsion of Aircraft project, which was followed in May 1951 by the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion (ANP) program. The ANP program used modified B-36s to study shielding requirements for an airborne reactor to determine whether a nuclear-powered aircraft was feasible. Convair modified two B-36s under the MX-1589 project. The Nuclear Test Aircraft was

2604-578: The B-24s, and its associated engineering locations and laboratories — all previously used to make hundreds of Consolidated B-24s, General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark fighter-bombers and General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons , along with dozens of smaller projects — were sold, along with all intellectual property and the legal rights to the products designed and built within, to the Lockheed Corporation . In 1996, General Dynamics deactivated all of

2697-444: The B-36 and the carburetor was in front of the engine, where it would not benefit from engine heat and made more existing carburetor heat systems unsuitable. Hence, when intake air was cold and humid, ice gradually obstructed the carburetor intake, which increased the air/fuel mixture richness until unburned fuel in the exhaust caught fire. Three engine fires of this nature led to the first loss of an American nuclear weapon when

2790-504: The B-36 ceased in 1954. Due to problems that occurred with the B-36 in its early stages of testing, development, and later in service, some critics referred to the aircraft as a "billion-dollar blunder". In particular, the United States Navy saw it as a costly bungle, diverting congressional funding and interest from naval aviation and aircraft carriers in general, and carrier–based nuclear bombers in particular. In 1947,

2883-457: The B-36 could match what was arguably its approximate Soviet counterpart, the later Tu-95 . Until the B-52 became operational, the B-36 was the only means of delivering the first generation Mark 17 hydrogen bomb , 25 ft (7.6 m) long, 5 ft (1.5 m) in diameter, and weighing 42,000 lb (19,000 kg), the heaviest and bulkiest American aerial nuclear bomb. The Mark 17 took up

Lockheed XFV - Misplaced Pages Continue

2976-551: The B-36 to USS United States . The Air Force successfully defended the B-36 project, and United States was cancelled by Secretary of Defense Louis A. Johnson in a cost-cutting move over the objections of both Secretary of the Navy John L. Sullivan and the Navy's senior leadership. Sullivan resigned in protest and was replaced as Secretary of the Navy by Francis P. Matthews , who had limited familiarity with defense issues, but

3069-470: The B-36 was meant to compete for a production contract. Throughout its development, the B-36 program encountered delays. When the United States entered World War II, Consolidated was ordered to slow B-36 development to greatly increase Consolidated B-24 Liberator production. The first mockup was inspected on 20 July 1942, following six months of refinements. A month after the inspection, the project

3162-537: The B-36 was the primary nuclear weapons delivery vehicle of the SAC. Convair touted the B-36 as the "aluminum overcast", a so-called " long rifle ", giving SAC truly global reach. During General Curtis LeMay 's tenure as head of SAC (1949–57), the B-36 formed the heart of the Strategic Air Command. Its maximum payload was more than four times that of the B-29 and exceeded that of the later B-52. The B-36

3255-475: The B-36, thanks to its ability to operate at more than 50,000 ft (15,000 m). Later, the new Secretary of Defense, Louis A. Johnson , who considered the U.S. Navy and naval aviation essentially obsolete in favor of the USAF and SAC, forbade putting the Navy's claim to the test. The propulsion system of the B-36 was unique, with six 28-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines mounted in an unusual pusher configuration , rather than

3348-799: The Convair company was bought by the General Dynamics Corporation , a conglomerate of military and high-technology companies, and it became officially the Convair Division within General Dynamics. After the beginning of the Jet Age of military fighters and bombers, Convair was a pioneer of the delta-winged aircraft design, along with the French Dassault aircraft company, which designed and built

3441-520: The Navy attacked congressional funding for the B-36, alleging it failed to meet Pentagon requirements. The Navy held to the pre-eminence of the aircraft carrier in the Pacific during World War II, presuming carrier-based aircraft would be decisive in future wars. To this end, the Navy designed USS  United States , a " supercarrier " capable of launching huge fleets of tactical aircraft or nuclear bombers. It then pushed to have funding transferred from

3534-518: The USAAF, decided to waive normal army procurement procedures, and on 23 July 1943, 15 months after the Germans' Amerikabomber proposals, and the same day that the German firm Heinkel began design on a six-engined bomber of their own. The USAAF submitted a "letter of intent" to Convair for an initial production run of 100 , even before testing of the two prototypes was complete. The first delivery

3627-725: The XB-36 was restricted to Carswell Field adjacent to the factory in Texas, Eglin Field in Florida, and Fairfield-Suisun Field in California. The single-wheel gear was soon replaced by a four-wheeled bogie . At one point, a tank-like tracked landing gear was also tried on the XB-36, but it proved heavy and noisy and was soon abandoned. The four bomb bays could carry up to 87,200 lb (39,600 kg) of bombs, more than 10 times

3720-476: The YB-36, flew on 4 December 1947. It had a redesigned, high-visibility, yet still heavily framed greenhouse dome-shaped canopy, which was later adopted for production, and the engines used on the YB-36 were more powerful and more efficient. Altogether, the YB-36 was much closer to the production aircraft. The first 21 B-36As were delivered in 1948 as interim airframes intended for crew training. No defensive armament

3813-502: The aircraft's electrical wiring to jar loose or the vacuum tube electronics to malfunction, leading to failure of the aircraft controls and navigation equipment, which contributed to the crash of B-36B 44-92035 on 22 November 1950. The Convair B-36 was the only aircraft capable of carrying the T-12 Cloudmaker , a gravity bomb weighing 43,600 lb (19,800 kg) and designed to produce an earthquake bomb effect. Part of

Lockheed XFV - Misplaced Pages Continue

3906-481: The aircraft's two aft bomb bays, while the forward bay could hold a Mark 6 atomic weapon. The defensive armament consisted of six retractable gun turrets, with side-by-side turrets mounted in forward dorsal, aft dorsal and ventral positions, aft dorsal and non-retractable tail and nose turrets. Each turret was fitted with two 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon , for a total of 16, and all turrets were remote controlled. Recoil vibration from gunnery practice often caused

3999-646: The all- cryogenic fuel-oxidizer combination of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen . The use of this liquid hydrogen – liquid oxygen combination in the Centaur was an important direct precursor to the use of the same fuel-oxidizer combination in the Saturn S-II second stage and the Saturn S-IVB third stage of the gigantic Saturn V Moon rocket of the Apollo program . The S-IVB had earlier also been used as

4092-496: The bulky, high-resolution cameras of the day. The standard RB-36D carried up to 23 cameras, primarily K-17C, K-22A, K-38, and K-40 cameras. A special 240 in (6,100 mm) focal length camera (known as the Boston Camera after the university where it was designed) was tested on 44-92088, the aircraft being redesignated ERB-36D. The long focal length was achieved by using a two-mirror reflection system and could resolve

4185-572: The city's long aircraft-building tradition. The defense contractor once employed 18,000 people there, but after selling its divisions, that number is now zero. General Dynamics closed its complex in Kearny Mesa , demolishing the facility between 1994 and 1996. Homes and offices now occupy the site. The Lindbergh Field plant that produced B-24s during World War II was also demolished and the consolidated rental car facility now occupies this space. The Fort Worth, Texas factory, constructed to build

4278-445: The company became a major subcontractor for airliner fuselages. The jets made their first flights on January 27, 1959 and January 24, 1961 respectively. 65 and 37 examples of the Convair 880 and Convair 990 were produced respectively. In 1994, most of the company's divisions were sold by General Dynamics to McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed , with the remaining components deactivated in 1996. Consolidated produced important aircraft in

4371-518: The competition, with Consolidated winning a tender on 16 October 1941. Consolidated asked for a $ 15 million contract with $ 800,000 for research and development, mockup, and tooling. Two experimental bombers were proposed, the first to be delivered in 30 months, and the second within 36 months. Originally designated Model B-35, the name was changed to B-36 to avoid confusion with the Northrop YB-35 piston-engined flying-wing bomber, against which

4464-555: The confines of the flight test regime. With the realization that the XFV's top speeds would be eclipsed by contemporary fighters and that only highly experienced pilots could fly the aircraft, the project was cancelled in June 1955. Salmon taxied the XFV-1 on its temporary gear "from a standing start to 175 mph, and then brought it back down to a dead stop without any use of the brakes, all within

4557-487: The conventional tractor propeller layout of other heavy bombers . The prototypes six R-4360s delivered 18,000 hp (13,000 kW) which resulted in early B-36s needing long takeoff runs, which was ameliorated when power was boosted to 22,800 hp (17,000 kW). Each engine drove a three-bladed propeller, 19 ft (5.8 m) in diameter, mounted in a pusher configuration. This unusual configuration prevented propeller turbulence from interfering with airflow over

4650-420: The crew from 15 to 9. Featherweight III had a longer range and an operating ceiling of at least 47,000 ft (14,000 m), especially valuable for reconnaissance missions. The B-36J-III configuration (the last 14 made) had a single radar-aimed tail turret, extra fuel tanks in the outer wings, and landing gear allowing the maximum gross weight to be increased to 410,000 lb (190,000 kg). Production of

4743-494: The delta-winged B-58 Hustler supersonic intercontinental nuclear bomber were all Convair products. For a period of time in the 1960s, Convair manufactured its own line of jet commercial airliners, the Convair 880 and Convair 990 Coronado , but this did not turn out to be profitable. However, Convair found that it was profitable to be an aviation subcontractor and manufacture large subsections of airliners — such as fuselages — for

SECTION 50

#1732797273969

4836-502: The designation XFO-1 (company designation was Model 081-40-01). Soon after the contract was awarded, the project designation changed to XFV-1 when the Navy's code for Lockheed was changed from O to V. The XFV was powered by a 5,332 hp (3,976 kW) Allison YT40 -A-6 turboprop engine driving three-bladed contra-rotating propellers . The tail surfaces were a reflected cruciform v-tail (forming an x ) that extended above and below

4929-628: The early years of World War II , especially the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber and the PBY Catalina seaplane for the U.S. armed forces and their allies. Approximately 18,500 B-24s were produced by Consolidated and a number of major contractors across a number of versions; it holds records as the world's most-produced bomber, heavy bomber, multi-engine aircraft, and American military aircraft in history. The Catalina remained in production through May 1945, and more than 4,000 were built. What

5022-416: The end of each wing which were also retrofitted to surviving B-36Bs. Consequently, the B-36 was configured to have 10 engines, six radial propeller engines and four jet engines, leading to the B-36 slogan of "six turnin' and four burnin ' ". The B-36 had more engines than any other mass-produced aircraft. The jet pods greatly improved takeoff performance and dash speed over the target. In normal cruising flight,

5115-576: The engines. The wing area permitted cruising altitudes well above the operating ceiling of any 1940s-era fighters, at over 40,000 ft (12,000 m). In 1954, the turrets and other nonessential equipment were stripped out (not unlike the earlier Silverplate program for the atomic bomb-carrying "specialist" B-29s), resulting in a "featherweight" configuration that increased top speed to 423 mph (681 km/h), and cruise at 50,000 ft (15,000 m) and dash at over 55,000 ft (17,000 m), perhaps even higher. The large wing area, with

5208-632: The entry of the United States into World War II . At the time, Britain was at risk of falling to the Nazi "Blitz" attacks , making strategic bombing attacks by the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) against Germany impossible with the aircraft available. The United States would need a new bomber to reach Europe and return to bases in North America, necessitating a combat range of at least 5,700 mi (9,200 km),

5301-429: The film. The second bomb bay contained up to 80 T-86 photoflash bombs , while the third bay could carry an extra 11,000 L (3,000 US gal) droppable fuel tank. The fourth bomb bay carried electronic countermeasure equipment. The full defensive armament was retained. The extra fuel tanks increased the flight endurance to up to 50 hours and it had an operational ceiling of 50,000 ft (15,000 m). Later,

5394-423: The four jet engines supplementing the piston engines in later versions gave the B-36 a wide margin between stall speed ( V S ) and maximum speed ( V max ) at these altitudes. This made the B-36 more maneuverable at high altitude than most jet interceptors of the day, which could not maneuver effectively above 40,000 ft (12,000 m). However, the U.S. Navy McDonnell F2H Banshee fighter could intercept

5487-451: The fuselage to carry spare engines between bases. Each pod could airlift two engines. When the pods were empty, they were removed and carried in the bomb bays. No record exists of the pods being used. As engine fires occurred with the B-36's radial engines, some crews humorously changed the aircraft's slogan from "six turning, four burning" into "two turning, two burning, two smoking, two choking and two more unaccounted for". This problem

5580-400: The fuselage. The aircraft had an ungainly appearance on the ground with a makeshift, fixed landing gear attached. Lockheed employees derisively nicknamed the aircraft the " pogo stick " (a direct reference to the rival Convair XFY 's name). To begin flight testing, a temporary non-retractable undercarriage with long braced V-legs was attached to the fuselage, and fixed tail wheels attached to

5673-456: The jet engines could raise the cruising speed to over 400 mph (640 km/h). Hence, a 40-hour mission, with the jets used only for takeoff and climbing, flew about 9,200 mi (14,800 km). Due to its size, the B-36 was never sprightly or agile. Lieutenant General James Edmundson likened it to "sitting on your front porch and flying your house around". Crew compartments were nonetheless cramped, especially when occupied for 24 hours by

SECTION 60

#1732797273969

5766-417: The jet engines were shut down to conserve fuel. When the jet engines were shut down, louvers closed off the front of the pods to reduce drag. The two pods with four turbojets and the six piston engines combined gave the B-36 a total of 40,000 hp (30,000 kW) for short periods of time. The B-36 had a crew of 15. As with the B-29 and B-50, the pressurized flight deck and crew compartment were linked to

5859-474: The larger airliner companies, McDonnell Douglas , Boeing , and Lockheed . In the 1950s, Convair shifted money and effort to its missile and rocket projects, producing the Terrier missile ship-launched surface-to-air system for the U.S. Navy during the 1960s and 1970s. Convair's Atlas rocket , originally proposed in 1945 with a unique pressurized cylinder airframe, was revived in the 1950s as an ICBM for

5952-508: The late 1940s, strategic intelligence on Soviet capabilities and intentions was scarce. Before the development of the Lockheed U-2 high-altitude spy plane and Corona orbital reconnaissance satellites, technology and politics limited American reconnaissance efforts to the borders, of the Soviet Union. One of the essential criteria of the early postwar reconnaissance aircraft was the ability to cruise above 40,000 ft (12,000 m),

6045-420: The length of a Gander, Newfoundland – Berlin round trip. The USAAC therefore sought a bomber of truly intercontinental range. The German Reichsluftfahrtministerium 's (RLM) would request the similar ultralong-range Amerikabomber program on 12 May 1942. The USAAC sent out an initial request on 11 April 1941, asking for a 450 mph (720 km/h) top speed, a 275 mph (443 km/h) cruising speed,

6138-530: The load carried by the World War II Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress . The B-36 was not designed with nuclear weapons in mind, because the existence of such weapons was top secret during the period when the B-36 was conceived and designed, and the initial B-36A was not capable of accommodating them. Nevertheless, the B-36 stepped into its nuclear delivery role immediately upon becoming operational. In all respects except speed,

6231-524: The location. Special shelters were built to provide the maintenance crews a modicum of protection. Ground crews were at risk of slipping and falling from icy wings. The wing roots were thick enough, at 7 ft (2.1 m), to enable a flight engineer to access the backs of the engines and the landing gear during flight by crawling through the wings but was only possible at lower altitudes. In 1950, Consolidated-Vultee developed streamlined pods that looked like large drop tanks that mounted on each side of

6324-428: The longest wingspan of any combat aircraft. The B-36 was capable of intercontinental flight without refueling. Entering service in 1948, the B-36 was the primary nuclear weapons delivery vehicle of Strategic Air Command (SAC) until it was replaced by the jet-powered Boeing B-52 Stratofortress beginning in 1955. All but four aircraft have been scrapped. The design of the B-36 can be traced to early 1941, prior to

6417-541: The lower pair of fins. In this form, the aircraft was trucked to Edwards AFB in November 1953 for ground testing and taxiing trials. During one of these tests, at a time when the aft section of the large spinner had not yet been fitted, Lockheed chief test pilot Herman "Fish" Salmon managed to taxi the aircraft past the liftoff speed, and the aircraft made a brief hop on 22 December 1953. The official first flight took place on 16 June 1954. Full VTOL testing at Edwards AFB

6510-488: The range of the B-36 needed to be stationed as close to enemy targets as possible, this meant the plane was largely based in the extreme weather locations of the northern continental United States, Alaska, and the Arctic . Since the maintenance had to be performed outdoors, the crews were largely exposed to the elements, with temperatures of −60 °F (−51 °C) in winters and 100 °F (38 °C) in summers, depending on

6603-446: The range to attack the Soviet Union from North America without aerial refueling and could not carry the huge Mark 16 hydrogen bomb . The other American piston bombers of the day, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and Boeing B-50 Superfortress , were also too limited in range. Intercontinental ballistic missiles did not become sufficiently reliable until the early 1960s. Until the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress became operational in 1955,

6696-611: The rear compartment by a pressurized tunnel through the bomb bay. In the B-36, movement through the tunnel was on a wheeled trolley, pulling on a rope. The rear compartment featured six bunks and a dining galley and led to the tail turret. The tricycle landing gear of the XB-36 featured a single-wheel main landing gear whose tires were the largest ever manufactured up to that time: 9 ft 2 in (2.79 m) tall, 3 ft (0.91 m) wide, and weighing 1,320 lb (600 kg), with enough rubber for 60 automobile tires. These tires placed so much ground pressure on runways that

6789-484: The remaining legal entities of the Convair Division. Convair B-36 Peacemaker The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" 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 span and weight by the one-off Hughes H-4 Hercules . It has

6882-799: The second stage of the smaller Saturn IB rocket, such as the one used to launch Apollo 7 . The Centaur upper stage was first designed and developed for launching the Surveyor lunar landers, beginning in 1966, to augment the delta-V of the Atlas rockets and give them enough payload capability to deliver the required mass of the Surveyors to the Moon . More than 100 Convair-produced Atlas-Centaur rockets (including those with their successor designations) were used to successfully launch over 100 satellites, and among their many other outer-space missions, they launched

6975-926: The serving Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Admiral Louis E. Denfeld , following Denfeld's testimony before the House Armed Services Committee . The congressional and media furor over the firing of Admiral Denfeld, as well as the significant use of aircraft carriers in the Korean War , resulted in the Truman administration subsequently ousting both Johnson and Matthews, and procuring Forrestal -class supercarriers, which were similar in size to United States , but geared towards multirole use with air wings of fighter, attack, reconnaissance, electronic warfare , early warning and antisubmarine-warfare aircraft. Simultaneously, heavy manned bombers for SAC were also deemed crucial to national defense and

7068-414: The sides and bottom of the aircraft's rear fuselage to cool the reactor in flight. On the ground, a crane would be used to remove the 35,000 lb (16,000 kg) reactor from the aircraft. To protect the crew, the highly modified cockpit was encased in lead and rubber, with a 1 ft-thick (30 cm) leaded glass windshield . The reactor was operational, but did not power the aircraft as its purpose

7161-511: The test was the RB-36D specialized photo-reconnaissance version of the B-36D . It was outwardly identical to the standard B-36D, but carried a crew of 22 rather than 15, the additional crew members being needed to operate the reconnaissance equipment carried. The forward bomb bay was filled with a pressurized, manned compartment with 14 cameras and a darkroom , where a photo technician would develop

7254-478: The testing process involved dropping two of them in a single flight, one from 30,000 ft (9,100 m) and the second from 40,000 ft (12,000 m). The first prototype XB-36 flew on 8 August 1946. The speed and range of the prototype failed to meet the standards set out by the USAAC in 1941. This was expected, as the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engines required were not yet available. A second aircraft,

7347-546: The two systems would never again be in competition for funding. The B-36, including its GRB-36, RB-36, and XC-99 variants, was in USAF service as part of the SAC from 1948 to 1959. The RB-36 variants of the B-36 were used for reconnaissance during the Cold War with the Soviet Union and the B-36 bomber variants conducted training and test operations and stood ground and airborne alert, but were never flown offensively as bombers against hostile forces. The Wasp Major engines had

7440-547: The very large and heavy first-generation atomic bombs. The B-36 was the only American aircraft with the range and payload to carry such bombs from airfields on American soil to targets in the USSR. The modification to allow the use of larger atomic weapons on the B-36 was called the "Grand Slam Installation". The B-36 was obsolete from the outset, while it now faced the widespread introduction of opposing jet fighters. The Boeing B-47 Stratojet , its jet engined counterpart, did not become fully operational until 1953, and lacked

7533-433: The violent turbulence induced by the wingtip vortices of the B-36. One of the SAC's initial missions was to plan strategic aerial reconnaissance on a global scale. The first efforts were in photo-reconnaissance and mapping. Along with the photo-reconnaissance mission, a small electronic intelligence cadre operated. Weather reconnaissance was part of the effort, as was long-range detection of Soviet atomic explosions. In

7626-436: The wing, but led to engine overheating due to insufficient airflow around the engines, resulting in inflight engine fires . The large, slow-turning propellers interacted with the high-pressure airflow behind the wings to produce an easily recognizable very-low-frequency pulse at ground level that betrayed approaching flights. Beginning with the B-36D, Convair added a pair of General Electric J47 -19 jet engines suspended near

7719-543: Was a close friend of Johnson. Several high-level Navy officials questioned the government's decision in cancelling the United States to fund the B-36, alleging a conflict of interest because Johnson had once served on Convair's board of directors. The uproar following the cancellation of United States in 1949 was nicknamed the " Revolt of the Admirals ", during which time Matthews dismissed and forced into retirement

7812-399: Was an American aircraft-manufacturing company that later expanded into rockets and spacecraft . The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft . In 1953, it was purchased by General Dynamics , and operated as their Convair Division for most of its corporate history. Convair is best known for its military aircraft; it produced aircraft such as

7905-437: Was delayed pending the availability of the 7,100 shp Allison T54 , which never materialized. After the brief unintentional hop, the aircraft made a total of 32 flights. All further XFV-1 flights did not involve any vertical takeoffs or landings. The XFV-1 was able to make a few transitions in flight from the conventional to the vertical flight mode and back, and had briefly held in hover at altitude. Performance remained limited by

7998-687: Was due in August 1945, and the last in October 1946, but Consolidated (by now renamed Convair after merging with Vultee Aircraft ) delayed delivery. Three months after V-E Day the aircraft was unveiled on 20 August 1945 , and flew for the first time on 8 August 1946. After the start of the Cold War with the 1948 Berlin Airlift , and the 1949 atmospheric test of the first Soviet atomic bomb , American military planners sought bombers capable of delivering

8091-502: Was exacerbated by the propellers' pusher configuration, which increased carburetor icing . The design of the R-4360 engine tacitly assumed that it would be mounted in the conventional tractor configuration with the air flowing in the order of propeller/air intake/cylinders and to the carburetor. In this configuration, the carburetor is bathed in warm air flowing past the engine, so is unlikely to ice up. However, they were mounted backwards in

8184-653: Was fitted, since none was ready. All surviving B-36As were converted to RB-36E reconnaissance models once later models became available. Deliveries began in November 1948 of the combat-capable B-36B, which finally met the 1941 requirements, but had serious engine reliability and maintenance problems (changing the 336 spark plugs was a task dreaded by ground crews) and with the availability of weapons and spares. Later models had more powerful R-4360 engines, improved radar, and redesigned crew compartments. The jet engines increased fuel consumption and reduced range. Gun turrets were already recognized as obsolete, and newer bombers had only

8277-420: Was moved from San Diego, California, to Fort Worth, Texas, which set back development several months. Consolidated changed the tail from a twin-tail to a single, thereby saving 3,850 lb (1,750 kg), but this change delayed delivery by a further 120 days. Changes in the USAAF requirements added back the weight saved in redesigns, and cost more time. A new antenna system needed to be designed to accommodate

8370-483: Was never completed, is on display at Los Alamitos Army Airfield in California . General characteristics Performance Armament 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) cannons or 48 × 2.75 in (70 mm) rockets Note: Performance estimates are based on XFV with YT40-A-14 engine. Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Convair Convair , previously Consolidated Vultee ,

8463-521: Was slow and could not refuel in midair, but could fly missions to targets 3,400 mi (5,500 km) away and stay aloft as long as 40 hours. Moreover, the B-36 was believed to have "an ace up its sleeve": a phenomenal cruising altitude for a piston-driven aircraft, made possible by its huge wing area and six engines, putting it out of range of most interceptors, as well as ground-based anti-aircraft guns . Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation (later Convair) and Boeing Aircraft Company took part in

8556-912: Was soon called "Convair" (first unofficially, and then officially), was created in 1943 by the merger of the Consolidated Aircraft Company and the Vultee Aircraft Company. This merger produced a large airplane company , ranked fourth among United States corporations by value of wartime production contracts, higher than the giants Douglas Aircraft , Boeing , and Lockheed . Convair always had most of its research, design, and manufacturing operations in San Diego County in Southern California , though surrounding counties participated as well, mostly as contractors to Convair. In March 1953, all of

8649-489: Was to investigate the effect of radiation. Between 1955 and 1957, the NB-36H completed 47 test flights and 215 hours of flight time, during 89 of which the reactor was critical. Other experiments involved providing the B-36 with its own fighter defense in the form of parasite aircraft carried partially or wholly in a bomb bay. One parasite aircraft was the diminutive football-shaped McDonnell XF-85 Goblin , which docked using

#968031