B-36 "Peacemaker" | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Strategic bomber |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | Convair |
Primary user | United States Air Force |
Number built | 384 |
History | |
Manufactured | 1946–1954 |
Introduction date | 1948 |
First flight | 8 August 1946 |
Retired | 12 February 1959 |
Variants | Convair XC-99 Convair NB-36H |
Developed into | Convair YB-60 Convair X-6 |
The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker"[N 1] 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 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.
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