Convair B-36 Peacemaker

<p>The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" is a <a href="/facts/Strategic_bomber/g0PWamDC">strategic bomber</a> built by <a href="/facts/Convair/s020aquw">Convair</a> and operated by the <a href="/facts/United_States_Air_Force/7MxWBYlc">United States Air Force</a> (USAF) from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 is the largest mass-produced <a href="/facts/Reciprocating_engine/ItLAxmW3">piston-engined</a> aircraft ever built, although it was exceeded in span and weight by the one-off <a href="/facts/Hughes_H-4_Hercules/0DUQJSlB">Hughes H-4 Hercules</a>. It has the longest <a href="/facts/Wingspan/xsWBF9Qa">wingspan</a> of any combat aircraft. The B-36 was capable of intercontinental flight without refueling.
</p><p>Entering service in 1948, the B-36 was the primary <a href="/facts/Nuclear_weapons_delivery/8jJuJnzD">nuclear weapons delivery</a> vehicle of <a href="/facts/Strategic_Air_Command/Qp0Y5xpB">Strategic Air Command</a> (SAC) until it was replaced by the jet-powered <a href="/facts/Boeing_B-52_Stratofortress/uIXzSmPy">Boeing B-52 Stratofortress</a> beginning in 1955. All but four aircraft have been scrapped.
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Convair B-36 Peacemaker open-in-new

Convair B-36 Peacemaker