Why America Couldn’t Get Rid of the B-36 Peacemaker Soon Enough
The size and complicated design of the B-36 Peacemaker caused perpetual headaches for her aircrew—and maintenance crews on the ground.
Last week, The National Interest took a look at the origin story behind the Convair B-36 Peacemaker, the largest piston-driven aircraft ever mass-produced. Flown through the 1950s, the B-36 was a ten-engine intercontinental strategic bomber that changed the calculus of nuclear deterrence. But in terms of its operational history, the B-36 only served until 1959—phased out after only a decade in favor of the more conventional B-52 Stratofortress.
Manning the B-36 Peacemaker
In total, the B-36 flew with a 15-man crew. The reason for such a large crew was a series of complex offensive and defensive systems. For starters, the B-36 was heavily armed—with eight remotely operated turrets, each outfitted with dual 20-mm cannons. The turrets required multiple gunners to operate and maintain.
The B-36 also featured a large bomb bay, which required a crew to manage the bomb loading and targeting systems. The bomb bay could carry a payload of 87,2000 pounds of bombs—ten times more than the payload of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress used extensively during World War II. The original B-36 was not built to accommodate nuclear weapons, as nuclear weapon development was highly classified during the plane’s development. However, later B-36 models were built to accommodate nuclear weapons. Moreover, the B-36 was the only aircraft capable of carrying the T-12 Cloudmaker, a 43,600 pound conventional bunker-buster “earthquake bomb.”
Additionally, navigators, flight engineers, and communications crew were required. When combined with the pilots, they brought the aircraft’s total crew to fifteen. Even this was only for the standard B-36 variant; for the strategic reconnaissance version, the crew swelled to twenty-two—with seven extra airmen needed to operate the additional camera equipment.
To accommodate crew movement, the pressurized flight deck and crew compartment were linked to a rear crew compartment with a pressurized tunnel that weaved through the aircraft’s bomb bay. To get through the tunnel, the crew relied upon a wheeled trolley that was pulled on a rope. In the rear compartment, the crew would find six bunks and a dining galley. Beyond the rear compartment lay the tail turret, for covering the B-36’s “six.”
The B-36 Was a Nightmare to Operate
The B-36 had some problems. For one thing, the piston-engines were extremely prone to engine fires. The reason likely had to do with the engines’ tendency to accumulate carburetor ice—which in turn was a result of the “pusher” configuration of the engines. Moreover, they needed massive amounts of lubricating oil to operate normally. In general, the engines were maintenance hogs, sometimes requiring maintenance crews to change out all 56 spark plugs on each of the six engines—336 spark plugs per service!
The size of the B-36 caused storage problems, meaning the bomber often had to be stored outside. Because the B-36 needed to be placed near the Soviets, that meant the B-36 was often stationed in places like Alaska and the Arctic—itself causing further maintenance problems. And when these problems arose, maintenance often had to be conducted in bitter cold. Imagine needing to replace 336 spark plugs in sub-zero Arctic temperatures!
The B-36 aircrews of the time didn’t need to imagine it. By most accounts, the plane’s daily operations were quite miserable for the crew.
Fortunately, the B-36 would never be called upon for the mission it was built to perform: launching a nuclear war against the Soviets. The world’s largest bomber was phased out when Soviet interceptor aircraft became advanced to the point where they could intercept the high-flying B-36. The B-36 lives on, however, as the largest propeller aircraft in history—a record that is unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Shutterstock / Grossinger.