Description
Hi, this is H.J. Campbell and I want to say thanks for your interest in my book. It’s a concise history and engaging story that I believe every military aviation history lover will enjoy. In this book you’ll discover the incredible B-36 Peacemaker – SAC’s “Big Stick” – and the first true intercontinental bomber capable of carrying heavier bombloads higher and farther unrefueled than any other aircraft. Details include the design and development, complete aircraft lineage, aircraft basing, evolution of model changes, deployments, atomic testing history… and the list goes on!
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick”, which was the essence of Strategic Air Command’s big stick, the B-36 Peacemaker. The B-36 was the mainstay of United States strategic deterrence policy during the early years of the Cold War. Given its ability to carry two of the largest 21-ton Mk 17 thermonuclear weapons in the arsenal, the B-36 seemed purpose-built for the role. But it was simply in the right place at the right time. Its design started even before the United States entered World War II, long before the Cold War was imagined, and well before the advent of an air-droppable nuclear bomb.
The B-36 was a truly incredible aircraft and unlike any other in its day. It was the largest piston engine bomber ever built and, at 230 feet, still holds the record for the longest wingspan of any American combat aircraft. Because of its immense size and unprecedented wingspan, it could lift more weight to higher altitudes than any other aircraft. It was the first aircraft to carry a 10,000-pound bombload over 10,000 miles. It was the first, and only, true intercontinental bomber capable of flights of over 9,000 miles without refueling and capable of remaining aloft for over 51 hours. Given the size and range of modern-day aircraft, it is difficult to understand how farsighted its specifications were at the time. It is important to understand the context of the day to fully comprehend the enormity and significance of the challenge.
