normb@tekred.UUCP (Norm Babcock ) (08/28/84)
Did you know that the B-36 had tunnels in the wings, and that the flight engineer on occasion would perform in-flight maintenance on the engines? Does anyone know any performance specs? Speed, takeoff distance, etc.? Was a B-36 ever stalled? Spun? Minimum stall altitude must be 5,000 feet or more. I used to fly in WV-2s (radar equipped Super Connies), and doing stalls in those things would put you in free fall for a long time.
bart@ucbvax.UUCP (Bart Miller) (08/29/84)
I flew into St. Jo, Missouri 3 or 4 days ago, and I saw on the ramp what looked to be a B36 (unless there are other prop & jet over-fat looking bombers). We tried to get a closer look, but an unsmiling AF police officer almost ran us over telling us to get lost. He wouldn't answer any questions, and treated us like Soviet agents. --bart mille
ths@lanl-a.UUCP (08/30/84)
In answer to the trivia question...the B-36 was named the "Peacemaker". Someone mentioned that it had been used in the Korean war. I don't believe this was so. The design for the plane was started in 1942 when there was a distinct possibility that England might be lost to the Nazis and Japan would rule the Pacific. First flight was 1946 and the early versions did not have the outboard jet engines. Take-off run was dramatically short when lighly loaded but it could eat up 12,000 feet of runway at gross. For those who mentioned other names... Flying Fortress B-17 Superfortress B-29, B-50 Stratofortress B-52 Stratojet B-47