Convair B-36 Peacemaker

B-36 "Peacemaker"
Beginning with the B-36D (B-36J shown), the Peacemaker used 6 radial piston engines and 4 jet engines.
Role	Strategic bomber Type of aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Convair
First flight	8 August 1946
Introduction	1948
Retired	12 February 1959
Primary user	United States Air Force
Produced	1946–1954
Number built	384
Variants	Convair XC-99 Convair NB-36H Convair X-6
Developed into	Convair YB-60

The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker"^{[N 1]} is a strategic bomber that was 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. It has the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built, at 230 ft (70 m). The B-36 was the first bomber capable of delivering any of the nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal from an internal bomb bay without aircraft modifications. With a range of 10,000 mi (16,000 km) and a maximum payload of 87,200 lb (39,600 kg), the B-36 is 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.

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