She Was Just Massive: The B-36 “Peacemaker” was the largest American warplane to date when it debuted after WWII, designed to carry heavy payloads across intercontinental distances.

-Produced by Consolidated Vultee, the B-36’s colossal 230-foot wingspan and six powerful Pratt & Whitney engines allowed it to reach over 40,000 feet and carry up to 86,000 pounds of bombs, exceeding even today’s B-52 in ordnance capacity. Introduced post-WWII, the Peacemaker became a key asset during the Cold War, symbolizing U.S. strategic air power.

-Though retired by 1959, its unprecedented size and capability have left a lasting legacy in military aviation history.

B-36 Bomber, Explained 

When the B-36 first took to the skies after the Second World War, it became the biggest war plane to ever fly for American airmen.

The “Peacemaker” was born from the U.S. Army Air Force’s requirement for a strategic bomber with intercontinental range. Although the B-36 was developed to fulfill WWII needs initially, it would later become a leader in America’s deterrent strategy in the early days of the Cold War. The Peacemaker has long been retired but remains an iconic airframe respected by aviation buffs and military experts today.

An overview of the B-36:

The introduction of the B-36 is perhaps most synonymous with the birth of the U.S.  Air Force. Following WWII, Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle testified before the Senate Military Affairs Committee that the U.S. was in need of an independent Air Force separate from the Navy. Specifically, a military branch that featured a strategic atomic force was required for the modern era. During the war, Nazi “Blitz” attacks made strategic bombing attacks by the U.S. against Germany impossible without aircraft readily available.

Manufacturer Consolidated Vultee (later renamed Convair) developed the Peacemaker, which had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft at 230 feet. Notably, the B-36’s wingspan and height was greater than the Soviet Union’s Antonov An-22- which at the time remained the largest turboprop plane ever produced.

As noted in a Sandboxx News article, “Its wingspan was so big, in fact, that you could lay a B-52 Stratofortress’ wings over the B-36’s and still have room to throw a Super Hornet on the end for good measure.” These longer wings enabled the Peacemaker to fly longer distances without needing to refuel as frequently.

What made the Peacemaker an iconic airframe?

In terms of ordnance, the Peacemaker was armed to the teeth. The formidable airframe was capable of lugging around 86,000 pounds of nuclear or conventional bombs. Comparably, the Air Force’s current B-52 bomber can only carry around 71,000 pounds of ordnance.

Engine-wise, the airframe was powered by six near-racing compound 28-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-4360 “XWasp” engines. As detailed in the Aviation Geek Club, ‘While the cruise speed of the B-36 was basically the same as the B-29 (around 235 MPH) it could do it at over 40,000 feet! There were no anti-aircraft cannon that could reach that altitude in World War II. Its range of 4,000 miles (in the early versions) with a 10,000 lb payload didn’t quite give it the range to attack Japan from the Aleutians but it could easily attack Berlin from Iceland. For shorter distances, the aircraft could carry up to 72,000 lbs of bombs.”

By the mid-1950’s, a total of 380 Peacemakers were produced. Due to the introduction of the Stratofortress, however, the platform was short-lived. While several B-36s did serve as reconnaissance aircraft, the Peacemaker was officially relegated to retirement in 1959.

About the Author: Maya Carlin, Defense Expert  

Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. 

Image Credit: Creative Commons.