This is the consolidated B-36 intercontinental bomber, sometimes referred to as the Peacemaker or the big stick. It was the largest conventional warplane ever built. It had tremendous range and a great payload, with its six piston engines turning and later, four more jets burning the B-36 for many years projected America's military might. It was a monstrous airplane. It's had six engines and they were pusher props. Now later on they hung jet pods on the ends of the wing, but the early models were were all piston engines, uh pushers. It was a huge airplane. And it was. It was designed, then, to carry atomic weapons. But by the mid 50s, its sheer size, cruciform shape and middling performance worked against it in a world of pure jets. However, in its heyday, the 36 was the very pinnacle of successful giantism. Rather surprising, given that a decade and a half earlier, the United States had all but abandoned the idea of operating massive aircraft known as XBLRs or the experimental bomber long range. The first attempt, the XBLR -1, resulted in the Boeing XP-15. This was an ambitious and useful experiment that demonstrated the importance of four engined bombers. The XP-15 carried a crew of 10. However, it's 150 foot wingspan proved too large for practical use. But Boeing's next offering, the XB-17, which followed a year later, perfectly met the needs of the army. Despite the Army Air Force's decision not to proceed with the XB-15, the political mood in 1938 was undergoing a sea change. With the acquisition of total power by the Nazi Party, American military planners had to contemplate a scenario of German domination of Europe, including Britain. In America in 1938, the question being secretly asked was what if Britain did fall? Perhaps the only way of striking back at the Axis powers in Europe was with the once dismissed experimental bomber long range. The XBLR- 2 came together as the XB-19. Somewhat bigger than the XB-15. And in fact, bigger than any other aircraft in the world at that time. It was to be built by Douglas Aircraft in California. However, by the time the B-19 first flew, the Battle of Britain had already been won when a few hundred pilots of RAF Fighter Command were just able to halt the Nazi juggernaut. Notwithstanding these events, the B-19 project continued. Some indication of the project size can be gained from the scope of its planning. The XB-19 required no less than four acres of drawings, 500 engineers and more than two million hours of R&D and construction. The wings on their own had a 212 foot span and were over one tenth of an acre in actual size. The wings also held four giant engines. Each one had more than twice the power of those on the B-15 predecessor. The B-19 even had its own hoists for changing the 16 foot propellers and was able to lift its own massive engines on and off the wings. Each wing contained a lighted passageway enabling. Crew to reach the engines in flight. The two massive main tires were 8 foot high and each was of 24 ply, using 150 miles of rayon cord and three miles of steel wire. All of the flying control surfaces were so large that they could only be operated via power assisted devices. The rudder alone took up an area of 237 square feet of movable surface. To communicate within such a large aircraft, it was necessary to install a 24 SAT telephone system and a loudspeaker come fire alarm warning device, and to enable missions of up to three days and accommodate at least 13 crew, it was necessary to have a galley, a wardroom as well as a bunk room. Such were the proportions of what Douglas liked to refer to as their hemispheric defender. In theory, this behemoth flying machine could fly more than 1/3 of the distance around the world without refueling, perhaps reaching parts of Europe and the return trip too. On June 27th, 1941, the B-19 made its first flight from Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica to March Air Force Base. Despite various suggestions to the local press at the time, the B-19 was really a proof of concept aircraft to explore what could be learned about building giant aircraft. The B-19 also presented the same problems and lengthy delays as Boeing had endured with its four year development of the B-15. Knowing that many of the lessons recently learned were already becoming obsolete. Douglas suggested that the B-19 be abandoned. However, the army remained firm that the XBLR-2 would be delivered. In fact, the Douglas Company's view may have been quite sound, as the war had necessitated that the two prototype long range bombers be ordered six months before the B-19 ever flew. The Northrop B-35 and its competitor, the enormous consolidated B-36, would use whatever data could be migrated from Douglas. In fact, the B-35's design was a totally different concept, relying upon advanced flying wing aerodynamics to gain maximum range, an idea that was far ahead of its time. Nevertheless, it was the consolidated XB-36 which the Air Force adopted. It was a symbol, a pure 1940s giantism, and likely would have benefited from some of the ideas incorporated in the B-19. However, it was a virtual flying gas tank, carrying with it all the fuel it needed for a there and back European mission. The Second World War had come and gone before consolidated giant reach production. And as Britain did not fall to Germany, the 36's absence had no impact on the conflict. Although its presence became critical in the Cold War that followed. It was during this potentially cataclysmic test that America's peacemaker rarely came of age. The newly formed Strategic Air Command under General Curtis Lemay would regularly fly to far distant territories just to demonstrate its enormous reach. It was all a very effective show of force, although by the mid 50s one that was starting to be questioned. The airplane that flew like a glider. It was easy to fly. Anybody could have flown it with five hours of stick time. It was a beautiful airplane. It's good. That they never had to fly military missions, even with the four jet engines which were placed on later. The success of an earlier Strategic Air Command gamble with the B-47 Stratojet medium bomber demonstrated the need for a faster swept wing all jet power heavy bomber. Yet consolidated felt they could still provide a ready answer. The B-60 arrived after a stand at 36 fuselage was married to swept wings and tail surfaces. It was propelled by 8 turbojet engines. The concept would have been economical, but advances in in flight refuelling made it no longer necessary for massive fuel loads to be carried. The age of Giantism was coming to an end. Strategic Air Command wanted a smaller, faster and more sophisticated heavy bomber and Boeing B-52 Stratofortress fitted the bill. And in terms of years of service for dollars spent, the B-52 was able to adapt and evolve in a way Convairs's big stick never could. Still, credit where it's due. The B-36 was for a number of years, America's sole intercontinental bomber. And served as an effective deterrent, appropriately earning the type its other nickname, the Peacemaker. It was during the early 1900s, when America was starting to emerge as a world power. At the first, Roosevelt made his prophetic statement on international diplomacy. He advised to talk softly but carry a big stick. A Century later, when the United States stood as the world's champion against communism, its big stick was undoubtedly the conveyor B-36 long range bomber. Although this mammoth aircraft was to serve throughout the 1950s, it could actually trace its origin back even before America entered the Second World War. 36 was to earn its act, if unofficial, title of peacemaker. By 1941, the United States Army Air Force had two effective heavy bombers at its disposal. They were the legendary B-17 designed by the Boeing Company. The superb 4 engined aircraft was to serve throughout the war and the heavily armed later versions were understandably known as the Flying Fortresses. A slightly later model was the consolidated B-24 Liberator. The Liberator featured an advanced tricycle undercarriage which permitted higher speed landings, and the design saw service in all theatres of the war. However, the larger, bulkier fuselage enabled some models to be converted into transports begging the B-24, while the most versatile aircraft in the American inventory. The Liberator like the 17, was also heavily defended, and it was also able to fly slightly higher than the fortress. But more importantly, it offered greater range, so it was often used for maritime patrol work, flying what at the time, were considered very long distances on internal fuel. However, the B-17 and the B-24 were only able to make the trip from America to Europe one way in 1941. The Army Air Force also had on order, another bomber ultimately able to fly still higher and further than those preceding it. Another Boeing design, but B-29 Superfortress was undoubtedly the most powerful bomber to sea service throughout the entire conflict. But even though several hundred were in order, there was not even a single prototype in the air. A second backup concept should the B-29 fail in any way was a consolidated B-32 dominator. This aircraft was not produced in any great numbers, but it did provide a reassuring alternative to the Superfortresses phenomenal capability. However, in 1941 it too could only be seen on the blueprint. By the middle of next year, continental Europe was in Nazi hands as the German juggernaut enjoyed success after success. More importantly, although Britain had regained some supremacy in the air, it still suffered from constant, punishing bombardment from the Luftwaffe which devastated its people and its industry. These raids often at night, but sometimes in daylight. Were seen by the German high command as a means to bring the island nation to its knees. The burning question which American tacticians struggled with was simply what would happen if the US was brought into the conflict and the sole remaining allied base in Europe was to be lost to Germany? One possibility American strategists considered was the development of an aircraft with such phenomenal range that it would actually be able to start from bases on the American East Coast, fly the entire span of the Atlantic to deliver its payload, and then return to Continental America without any form of refuelling or fighter protection. The American aviation industry had produced long range bombers in the past. The first of these was an early Boeing project, the XB-15. This aircraft was to have a wingspan of almost 150 feet, but needed all of the power of its four 1000 horsepower engines to lift its 35 tonnes of bulk into the air. The second experimental long range bomber was developed by the Douglas Company and the prototype XB-19 was ordered in September 1936. This aircraft with a wingspan of. 212 feet was still larger than the XB-15. When completed, the task required 500 men, 9000 drawings and two million man hours, plus $1.4 million of the military's funds. It also cost Douglas an estimated $4 million over its original budget. Clearly, developing mammoth aircraft was an expensive business. Nevertheless, the XB-19 was a true watershed in aviation standards, not only in size but also in innovation. It was the first aircraft. Built with retractable tricycle undercarriage and designed to have power operated guns and a towel gun turret, had it gone into production it would also have offered a range of in excess of 7000 miles, the information gained from the XB-15 and 19 projects, knowledge of the inadequacies of aircraft inventory in the early 1940s and the looming prospect of having to wage a European war from American shores, the American Defence Department contemplated the problems of producing an extra long range heavy bomber. To do the round trip across the Atlantic to do this, it called upon designs from Northrop and Consolidated. The Northrop design was nothing if not unique. A concept worked on the premise that if an aircraft could be produced without the drag effect of the fuselage and tailplane, considerable range will be achieved. Therefore, Northrop set about designing an aircraft which by any other name was just a wing, a flying wing, and on the 25th of October 1941 an order was placed for two XB-35. Experimental bombers. The consolidated design was more conventional than its competitor in shape, but certainly not in size, an overall wing area of just under 5000 square feet of 836 was to require no less than six engines placed at the back of the wing to push its massive 163 foot fuselage through the air. And on the 25th of November 1941, an order was approved for two aircraft in the hope that the first would be developed by mid 1944 at a fixed fee of approximately. $800,000 each. As it happened, the much needed bomber bases in Britain were never denied to the Army Air Force and as a result the standard B-17 and B-24 heavy bombers were able to attack access targets from 1942 onwards. Delivered in their thousands, the fortresses and liberators were to wrench a terrible price from the enemy. The longer distance as required by the Pacific theatre were amply met by Boeings B-29, especially after the capture of the Mariana Islands in mid 1944, which gave the Superfortress the stepping stone which enabled the Air Force to reach the heart of Japan. But it was one particular B-29 with one particular bomb that was to bring the Second World War and much military aircraft development to an end. Two exceptions to this were experimental long range bombers, ordered only weeks before American involvement in the conflict, but never given sufficient priority until the wars end and need to deliver a new weapon never perceived in the tacticians wildest dreams four years earlier. The first, Northrop B-35 was actually constructed in the open and completed in June 1946. This Clever design, which was the source of controversy for many years, was powered by 4 pusher engines and was intended to carry a crew of nine when the Pressurized center section for its shape barely allowed the word fuselage to be applied. However, the radical new shape which relied upon flaperons on the end of each wing in lieu of a conventional tail plane was never to completely overcome stability shortcomings. But the flying wing must surely go down in history as one of the most brilliant aviation concepts ever conceived. The first XB-36 was wheeled out of the experimental hangar just six days after Japan surrendered. But it was to be August 1946, nearly five years after it was ordered, before the peacemaker was to be ready to fly. The prototype single main wheels were 100 inches in diameter and the largest ever made for an aircraft, but this was to prove a major weakness. The six pusher type engines were to have their air intakes on the forward section of the wings. However this advanced concept for the time was also to provide initial difficulties in cowling the engines and would require later modification. On August the 8th, 1946, the first XB-36 under the command of Captain Beryl A. Erickson rolled down the Fort Worth runway with a total crew of nine and 8000 gallons of fuel. At exactly 10 minutes past one in the morning, he lifted Converse giant aerial masterpiece into the air for the first time. It was the biggest plane ever to fly, even in Texas. The flight was to continue for no more than 37 minutes, during which time the undercarriage was to remain in the wheels down position as a safety precaution. Erickson's crew on this and many subsequent occasions were to put the giant aircraft through many vigorous tasks which quickly identified the problems of giantism, one of the most formidable being the vibration caused by such enormous engines spaced out over the wide distances of the wing and cowling was another problem. Especially at high altitude it was obvious that there would be many areas requiring major attention. But perhaps the most fundamental was the simple concept of the massive wheel arrangement, which limited conveyors bomber to runways at least 22 inches thick. And as there were only three of these available anywhere in America, clearly an answer needed to be found, and found quickly. The answer came in what was considered another breakthrough by combining four 56 inch wheels into a group under each wing, thus spreading the B-36 phenomenal weight over the much wider area, thereby permitting the peacemaker to use runways of half the previously required thickness. Very early in the B-36 concept, Convair could see the potential of utilizing its enormous wings and tower playing in the transport version of the Peacemakers commercial cousin, the XC-99, which was ready for its maiden flight in November 1947. Still larger again that its bomber counterpart, the 99, was assembled at Convair's San Diego operation, but with wings and other common parts shipped across the nation from Fort Worth. Here at Lindenberg Field, what had now become the world's largest plane was to demonstrate the potential that would lead to the mammoth transport and airline concepts that followed decades later. The 99 was to attract considerable attention by Pan Am who seriously considered a civil version for the West Coast of Hawaii run and actually took out options on three such aircraft, but has predicted the early post war airline boom was not to transpire for many years, the XC99 was never to see civil service and the sole example produced. Remained an active service with the Air Force until 1957 and became particularly invaluable during the Korean War, when it was used to rush essential payloads from one side of the nation to the other. This aircraft too had to be modified with a new undercarriage system, but when it was, it proved extremely versatile and had, if required, the potential to lift 400 fully equipped trips. Yet practically, it was just too soon for its time. However, Convair's main interest had always been with the extra long range bomber concept, and it continued to develop and refine the B-36 throughout the late 40s, emphasizing that this weapon alone provided the Ultra long range to strike virtually any target in the world and return to its base in America. Long range would require many hours of physical endurance for the crew and therefore inside the 36's massive fuselage, adequate provision was made for sleeping quarters and a galley complete with a two burner stove. Ample provisions were always provided. However, the Centre pressurized section which held these amenities was actually no less than 80 feet from the forward control area, which was only accessible via a narrow tunnel spanning the distance. Heated food was packed in specially designed containers for conveying between the vast distances of the two pressurized sections. The tunnel also served as the only means to convey personnel from one crew section to another, and because of the distances involved, a small trolley was provided to enable each member to propel himself more effectively. Problems generated by the size of the 36 also required other unique procedures never previously required by other aircraft. Immediately after takeoff and before the plane was pressurized, a crew member was given the responsibility of examining certain vulnerable areas within the massive interior structure which formed the fuselage of the 36. Only then would the plane be allowed to climb to higher altitudes and continue with its mission. Other problems in dealing with the size of a 36 counter light there was the question of how to service each of the massive aircraft, which was so big that special outdoor hangers had to be constructed so that only the essential parts could be accessible. And although the problems of engine vibration and cooling had been successfully resolved, there is no doubt that there were grave concerns with the viability of the B-36 in competition with other alternatives. Firstly, the project's original competitor, the Flying Wing, had been upgraded to an all jet aircraft, replacing the four propellers with eight turbojet engines. Northrop hoped to increase the speed and viability of its quite brilliant concept, which utilized the unique flaperons shown here at the end of the wing to make up for the absence of the conventional tailplane. Another and more conventional competitor of the 36 also came from the past. This was the Boeing B-50. The aircraft was really just a standard Super Fortress of Second World War Vintage, but with more powerful engines and extended range from the underwing mounted fuel tanks. This range was enhanced yet again by Boeing successful development of aerial in flight refuelling. Thus the Air Force had available to it a proven aeroplane combination which could fly the same range as the 36, but without having to address the problems of giantism. By the late 40s, due to these innovations, the future of the B-36 looked very bleak indeed. It's salvation came from two major developments. The first one, poetically enough, was also provided by Consolidated's long term competitor Boeing. For Boeing developed the successful medium range bomber, entirely powered by jets but utilizing captured German technology which showed the benefits of a swept back wing. Boeings B-47 was to have the wing that was not only swept, but was so flexible that it could move within an arc of 17 feet. However, said that the wing would remain thin, the six engines had to be mounted in pods suspended from below. The outer pods contained one engine a piece of the inboard pods contained two engines which were suspended several feet below the wing surface. And it was with this equipment that the engineers from both companies worked together to attach to the far outside wing of Boeing's giant. With six turning and four burning, the 36 was at last in part entering into the jet age. The other event which was to secure the future of the 36, took place on June the 24th 1948 when the Soviets closed the gate on Berlin, signalling in one step the beginning of the Cold War. Now the growing concerns of communism polarized into an action which shocked the West out of its post war complacency. As NATO forces now found they were confronted with a potent adversary in a matter of days, the need for an intercontinental bomber had gone from hypothetical to the very real. At this stage there was no one plane in the world able to fulfill the long range potential of the Convair giant, and rather than cancellation orders for the peacemaker were actually increased. As concern continued, the importance of America's Strategic Air Command, which was responsible for long range bombing, increased considerably. And it was ultimately placed under the direct command of General Curtis Lemay. Lemay had an impeccable Second World War record. It started with his early involvement in the European bombardment with the Army Air Force continued to when he took command of the Pacific operations and the B-29 bombardment of Japan. Considered one of the great strategists in American wartime experience, he also supervised the Berlin Airlift and was now seen as the most qualified person to bring little Tegic air command, including its fast growing fleet of 36s to the highest possible state of readiness. Under Lemay's iron leadership of SAC, the American public took comfort in the fact that although they now no longer had a monopoly on atomic weaponry, that at least they had what was probably the best platform for delivery the B-36. So concerned was the military about protecting its intercontinental bomber that security was stepped up to effectively a wartime footing and personnel in SAC control rooms were required to carry firearms. Even though they were in fact hundreds of miles inside American borders. The concern to protect America's big stick even required mechanics servicing the engines to carry firearms whilst they worked. Engineer Engineer checklist complete. Ready for takeoff alert. Checklist complete, ready for takeoff. Roger, give me 100% on the deck. Roger that's coming up, engineer, give me full power. Full power coming on. Jets 100%. Stand by temp, OK. They got power set, everything stabilized, engineer ready for take off. Roger. Carswell Tower Air Force 653 ready to take off. Air Force 653 Carswell Tower Roger. Clear. to go. Roger 653 rolling. Here we go. Engineer give me flying power. Roger. Flying power coming on. 6% of the jets. Roger 96% on The Jets. Usually flying as single aircraft rather than in formation, SAC peacemakers would practice bombing raids over vast distances and at next to no notice. The 36s utilized a K1 bombing navigation system for precision accuracy. The K1 system contained no less than 365 vacuum tubes and enabled the 36 to form at high speed in any weather. Pilots will be over the flying point in 20 mins. The target was usually a radio signal from a special trucks built to gauge the accuracy of sex aircraft. Although the fact that B-36s were to cost over $5 million a piece, they, together with the K1 system and Lemay's insistence upon constant training, provided a combination which was anything if not accurate. Pick up the ending of M-97. I'm flying at 653 over the eye. Top speed 35,000. Inbound heading up 197 degrees. I'm flying Air Force 653 three zero seconds to go bombs away. one five seconds to go bombs life? (inaudible) And. The pencil in the Plotter's hand represents the plane moving over the graph scale towards the target. Bombs away! However, despite the enormous potential of the Convair giant detractors often considered its large size to make it a prime target for enemy fighters. And even before the first 36 even flew, the Air Force ordered a unique auxiliary, the McDonnell Goblin, as a parasite fighter to be actually carried within the B-36. This incredible design consisted of the barest essentials and had fold down wings which would enable the aircraft to be totally concealed. Within the 36's bomb bay never actually used with the peacemaker, its flight controls were conducted from a B-29 mothership and flight trials commenced in 1948. In August, with test pilot Ed Schoch secured in the cockpit, the Goblin was launched by a trapeze mechanism from the B-29 and the pilot successfully flew what must be one of America's most remarkable fighters. However, when Schoch came to reconnect the Goblin Hook to the trapeze, turbulence lifted the little fighter and the mother plane mechanism, broke the canopy and wrenched the oxygen mask away from the pilot. But Schoch was just able to regain control and crash land this tiny fighter. This setback did not stop development. SAC and the army (second than) any other goblin produced continued its task. Eventually, on October the 14th, 1948, a successful hookup was affected and the goblin pulled into the 29's belly. But this bomber, parasite, fighter combination, although bold in concept, was never to be adopted because it seemed to present as many problems as it tried to solve. Convair a later parasite project involving the B-36 was the FICON fighter conveyor concept. This program began in 1952 and involved mating up a Republic F-84 directly underneath a modified peacemaker. There was no intention of fully consuming the F-84 within the MOTHERCRAFT. Not until after the aircraft and its parasite were in the air wouldn't the fighter pilot enter into its cockpit and he, working as a team with the highly trained boom operator who was positioned in the mother plane, would attempt the delicate and skillful task of lowering the fighter via a large hydraulic operated boom to a point below the bomber where the fighter could be successfully released. This task actually proved very successful and the process of recoupling, although requiring great skill, was perfected to a fine art. The combination of these aircraft provided many potentials, especially as the pilot was able to come and go from the fighter when it was in the docked position. An actual fact. The Ficon mission was really perceived more to extend the reconnaissance capacity of the B-36. The F-84, either in its straight or swept wing form, was an extremely versatile aircraft, and although SAC employed it as its own fighter aircraft, there is no doubt that it could perform the role of an effective fighter bomber as it demonstrated so capably over Korea. That SAC could now carry such versatile aircraft thousands of miles to the very edge of enemy territory, and small compact nuclear weapons were under development At the same time, it seems probable that SAC could have used its FICON combination in the bomber role. By the middle of 50s, the B-36 was fully developed and deployed at various SAC bases around the nation. By the early 50s, SAC's peacemakers were at the peak of their development, with the early engine and vibration problems resolved. With the support of jet power and modification, such as a new quick action Bomb bay door, the B-36 personified the ultimate intercontinental atomic bomber of the era. But despite the technical success of the project, it still was to continually suffer from political and inter service criticism and even as early as 1949 there had been an investigation into the political influences. relating to the 36, all of which came to nothing. But the Navy's resentment of the peacemaker was stronger and probably more founded. Its promised 65,000 tonnes supercarrier was to have the capacity to deliver atomic attacks on would be Soviet industrial centres and was cancelled partly because of the Air Force insistence that the 36 deterrent was far more flexible and did not represent the eggs in one basket philosophy of a carrier. What was equally important was that SAC claimed it was just as able to operate from the edge of enemy territory and in conditions that would have been impossible for naval aviation. To Demonstrate their point. B-36s would regularly fly from their home bases in Central USA to the very edge of Soviet territory, highly trained crews of pilots, navigators, radio operators, engineers and Gunners would prepare for long hours of flight, often at very high altitudes over thousands of miles, to the frozen wastelands of Alaska. These men would know that once enter the Arctic region, should their aircraft fail and crash land, and some did, there was very little chance of survival in the sub zero and uninhabited wilderness. Against these prospects, the roar of the peacemakers 6 piston and four jet engines must have sounded far more a blessing than a curse. The Navy's criticism of the Peacemaker still continued. One time they actually made a formal request to the Air Force for the use of a 36 to test its defensive capability against Navy fighters. Outwardly, it displayed very little defensive armament, but covered under sliding. Panels the Peacemaker concealed 6 remotely controlled turrets, each with 220 millimetre cannons. These turrets could be hydraulically raised as required and when he was in conjunction with the forward nose turret and radar controlled rear turret, combined to offer no less than 16 cannons covering every approach for a range of over half a mile, making the peacemaker the most heavily defended aircraft in aviation history. Emerson Air Force Base in Alaska was a point to which many B-36s on exercise would travel. Here, peacemakers captains would land their massive aircraft, never knowing beforehand just what weather conditions would prevail as they made their approach. For some, the function would be a little different than that at Offut, thousands of miles away, but with the weather constantly changing. For others following close behind visibility would be close to 0, testing the pilot skill and resolve to the limit. Once down, each aircraft would be quickly guided away to its service area and waiting heated buses would be quickly on hand to collect the tired and weary crew who, despite the winter protection, would doubtless be noticing the contrast from what might have been Texas to Alaska nonstop. So cold was the region that if aircraft had been standing for anything more than a short time, the engine would require supplementary heating, mainly through the giant air intakes, to ensure the equipment was not frozen solid. To achieve this, large mobile heating plants were developed which could pipe vast amounts of hot air into and around all the piston engines. The crew compartment was also given the same treatment, not merely to make the area habitable, but because the instrumentation and onboard equipment simply would not work effectively in such a cold environment. Refueled and ready to go 36's would again brave the cold Arctic sky on the way back South, leaving the area to its natural inhabitants. But the real purpose of these exercises was to demonstrate that from Alaskan bases it would be just as easy to turn Norwest to Soviet territory and deliver the devastating cargo around which the 36 was developed. Cargo of another sort was identified. Convair, which designed the 36, won the contract for the Air Force's first supersonic bomber, the B-58 Hustler, which was the culmination of conveyors long involvement with the Delta design. It was found that moving from base to base in as yet Unflown bomber was not an easy task until it was temporarily mounted under a standard 36 with its two inboard props removed to protect the hustler wing tips. Perhaps this image symbolizes, beyond all else, the difference between the two generations of aircraft. In the space of less than 10 years Westwing proved proved the speed of bomber aircraft had so radically changed the shape and size that tomorrow's medium bomber was able to fit comfortably under yesterday's heavy bomber. Clearly, the age of Giantism was coming to a close, and yet Convair still held hopes for its mammoth in an upgraded form. The company produced the YB-60 in response to the Air Force requirement for an all jet heavy bomber. Hopes were high at Fort Worth in April 1952 when the 60 made its first public debut. The continuation of the production line would guarantee the jobs of thousands of staff involved and subcontractors. It would have brought added prosperity to the city which had produced the world's biggest bomber. The YB-60 was virtually a B-36 with new fully swept wings and tail play. Having no defensive armament other than the rear turret, the entire rear crew and quarters were omitted. Added par and less weight brought the YB-60 to a top speed of just over 500 mph and its production was achieved in rapid time as 70% of its components were standard to the 36. Two such examples were ordered by the Air Force to test the concept, but only one was to actually fly. The apparent enthusiasm of a test crew was not shared by the Air Force. They preferred Boeing's all new designed B-52, the Stratofortress, which although more expensive, offered better performance in range and speed, shown here next to the original Boeing heavy bomber. On August the 14th, 1954, at a ceremony at Convair's production line in Fort Worth, the last B-36 was handed over to the Air Force. final delivery for the Peacemaker. Must have been a bittersweet affair for the Fort worth people, because although conveyor was to continue to use the plant for many successful projects, it was from this base that they've produced what was for many years the biggest plane ever to fly, and the plane that many would say because of its sheer size, won a war without having to fight. Sometime after midnight on the 14th of February 1950, a Convair B-36B United States Air Force serial number 44-92075 assigned to the US Senate. bombardment Wing heavy at Carswell, United States Air Force Base in Texas, crashed in the northwestern British Columbia on Mount Kologet after jettisoning a MARK4 nuclear bomb. The crash became as famous as the first Broken Arrow, a U.S. military term for an accident involving a nuclear weapon. Questions swirled for decades about whether the bomb was really detonated over the ocean. Or whether it went missing somewhere in the Canadian wilderness. The B-36D had been on route from Elison Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska, to Corwell's AFB, more than 3000 Miles SE, on a mission that included a simulated nuclear attack on San Francisco. Convair B-36B 4492075 was flying on a simulated nuclear strike combat mission against the Soviet Union. The Convair B-36B, code named Peacemaker, was the first true intercontinental bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons to any part of the world. The US Strategic Air Command was eager to test the new planes with a real payload. The aircraft carried a mark for atomic bomb. A weapon comparable only in size to the nuke dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. Containing a substantial quantity of natural uranium and 5000 pounds, or almost 3000 kilos, of conventional explosives. After months of lobbying, SAC leaders were able to convince the Atomic Energy Commission to lend them a mark for atomic bomb without its plutonium core necessary for a nuclear detonation. The B-36 took off on the 13th of February 1950 from the Eielson FAB with a regular crew of 15 Plus a weaponeer and a bomb commander. The plan for the 24 hour flight was to fly over the North Pacific. Due West of the Alaska Panhandle and British Columbia, then, the plan was to head inland over Washington State and Montana. Here, the B-36 would climb to 4000 feet, where 12,000 meters for a simulated bomb run to Southern California and then to San Francisco. It would continue its nonstop flight to Fort Worth, TX. The flight plan did not include any penetration of Canadian airspace. But things didn't go as planned. 7 hours into the flight, ice began to accumulate on the bombers fuselage. And the excess weight put tremendous strain on the engines, three of which caught fire and had to be shut down. The subsequent investigation blamed ice buildup in the carburetor air intakes. With only three functioning engines, the B-36 began to lose altitude at a rate of 500 feet per minute. Captain Harold Berry and his crew acted quickly. Their first order was to ditch the atomic bomb, following military protocol to keep nuclear weapons or their components out of enemy hands. However, when Barry's copilot hit the salvo button to release the bomb, nothing happened. He then hit it a second time, releasing the Bombay doors and dropping the MARK4 over the Pacific, where, according to the crew reports, its conventional explosives were detonated and the bomb destroyed. The USAF later stated that the fake practice core on board the aircraft was inserted into the weapon before it was dropped. Barry subsequently set the failing planes Autopilot to steer it on a course towards the open ocean. While he and his crew parachuted into the darkness over Princess Royale Island on the coast of British Columbia. The abandoned B-36 cruised for another 200 miles, veering off its set course and crashing into the snowy flank of Mount Kologet. Deep in the Canadian wilderness, the aircraft had been in constant radio contact with Strategic Air Command headquarters at Offutt AFB, Nebraska. And within minutes of the bailout, the Royal Canadian Air Force launched Operation Bricks. Thanks to their efforts, 12 of the 17 crew members were recovered alive, including one man found dangling upside down from his parachute in a tree with a broken ankle. But five crewmen, including the Weaponeer captain Theodore Schreir, were never found. The five crew members lost were copilot Captain Theodore F Schreir, Navigator Captain William M. Phillips. Bombardier first Lt. Holie T Ascol gunner, staff Sargeant Neil A. Straley, and finally Gunner, Staff Sergeant, Elbert W Pollard. One of the five deceased, the Weaponeer, was rumoured to have been recovered four years later in 1954 at the crash site. The remaining 4 airmen were believed to have bailed out of the aircraft earlier than the surviving crew members and it was assumed they landed in the ocean and died of hypothermia. Canadian authorities were never told that the aircraft was carrying a nuclear weapon. The US military interviewed the crew, who each agreed with Captain Berry's report that the MARK4 was safely detonated before the crash. Meanwhile, the search continued for the wreckage of Flight 2075. The only way to confirm if the airmen story was true, the US Air Force search team couldn't find a trace of the downed plane and assumed it had been crashed into the Pacific. But three years later, a Canadian rescue operation searching for a missing oil prospector spotted the wreckage atop Mount Kologet. About 50 miles, 80 kilometers east of the Alaskan border, roughly due east of the towns of Stewart, British Columbia, and Hyder in Alaska, on the east side of the isolated Nasp Basin northwest of Hazelton, BC. The United States Air Force immediately began an investigation. A team was sent in September 1953. As ever, was given a high priority, but then they failed to reach the site after 19 days of trudging through the wilderness. Finally, in August 1954, a small demolition crew reached the down ed B-36 and proceeded to strip the plane of any classified equipment and destroy it. Theories proliferate about the lost nuke, were their clues in the wreckage that the bomb had in fact been released prior to the impact. In the absence of definitive proof, rumors began to swirl about the true fate of that lost Nuke. At the epicentre of these rumours was Captain Schreir. The missing weaponeer. First, there was a rumor that a body was found with the wreckage on Mount Kologet. What if it was sSchreir's? The Weaponeer was a former airline pilot and could have attempted to fly the plane back to Alaska when the others had bailed out. A second claim that Captain Barry had seen the bomber turned sharply soon after he had lept into the midnight sky. The story began to circulate that the bomb never left the plane and that Schreir died trying to get it back to the safety of the Air Force Base. None of the rumors were confirmed by the military. In 1956. Two civilian surveyors chanced on the wreck and noted its exact location. Which otherwise remained unknown for the next 40 years. In 1997, one of the surveyors provided the coordinates to two distinct Expeditions. One American and one led by the Canadian Department of National Defense. Seeking to conduct an environmental analysis of the site. Both expeditions reached the wreck around the same time, and the members of those expeditions were apparently the first humans to set foot in the area since 1956. The Canadian lead mission found no unusual radiation levels. In late 1998, the Canadian government declared the site protected. A portion of one of the gun turrets is on display at the Bulky Valley Museum in Smithers, BC. In 2003, an investigative team led by John Clearwater found something interesting. While the crash and ensuing demolition destroyed much of the equipment in the bomb bay. The bomb shackle, which is what held the weapons extended there, remained impressively intact. Clearwater and his team concluded that if the bomb had gone down, what the rest of the plane. And the shackle remained in such good condition, there would have been some clear evidence of the bomb in the wreckage, but there wasn't. In late October of 2016, a diver reported that he had found something that looked like a segment of a partially disarmed MarK4 nuclear bomb. The same bomb that the copilot had said they had dumped before the crash. The location near Pitt island in the inside passage was mistakenly reported as off Haida Gwaii. The Royal Canadian Navy later confirmed that the item was not the MARK4 bomb. The more conventional explanation of the fate of America's first Broken Arrow was likely the truth. The only remains of the designated MARK4 rested deep on the ocean floor. The crash of Flight 2075 may have been the first Broken Arrow, but it wasn't the last. Clearwater writes that in the 1st 24 years of the Atomic Age alone, the US and Soviet Union jettisoned or accidentally released 23 other lost nukes.
