quote:

Originally posted by cas:
Same pic, different angle.



Slightly larger version.

Huge version: https://upload.wikimedia.org/w...r_Static_Display.jpg

(The caption lists the plane in question as a B18 as well. https://commons.wikimedia.org/...r_Static_Display.jpg )

Boeing photo of B-18 Bolo

It seems odd they would include the obsolete, not very well-known B-18 in a group shot showing size of the bombers. Why not a medium bomber like the B-25 that people are familiar with? Maybe the theme was "Our top of the line bombers since the 1930s" but there were not B-24 handy.

It was not all all-Boeing shot, as the B-36 was Convair (built across the runway from Carswell AFB).

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:
It was not all all-Boeing shot, as the B-36 was Convair (built across the runway from Carswell AFB).

And the B-18 was Douglas.

Found a caption that said the photo was made at Carswell AFB, when the first B36 went into service.

"Special photo of Air Force bombers from the 1930s through the late 1940s. A Douglas B-18 "Bolo"; a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress"; a Boeing B-29 "Superfortress" and the B-36 "Peacemaker" dominating the group photo with a 230-foot wingspan. Taken at Carswell AFB (Ft. Worth) after the receipt of the first B-36 in 1948. Note the SAC 7th Bombardment Wing marking on the B-29.
Date 1948"

Still kind of odd that the B24 was left out of the photo (although space could have been a reason?). Originally CAFB was equipped with B24D for crew training during the war. At the time of the photo, Carswell AFB was equipped with B29s' which were then were switched out to the B36 from Consolidated (across the CAFB runway as mentioned in an earlier post) which earlier produced the B32 Dominator, & before that, the B24 Liberator. The B18, nor the B17 had any significant history at CAFB, but of course that might not have been the narrative in producing the photo.



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quote:

Originally posted by zoom6zoom:

quote:

Originally posted by p226gsd:
Looked kind of cramped.

They were roomy to crews coming up from -29 and -17's. And pressurized as well.

Crawled thru a B-36 cockpit at Offutt's SAC Museum once. Quite roomie!

RMD

As a kid in the early 50's, my Dad worked at Walker AFB, near Roswell N.M.
When the B-36 wing went on alert and they fired up the engines and then took off, the ground seemed to shake, and you could hear the noise for miles!
Did not really notice it with other planes.
Later near Ellsworth AFB, B-47's and B-52's, made a lot of noise on takeoff, but not the earth shattering noise of the B-36's at Walker AFB.

My late Father in Law was an ECM Operator on B-36's flying out of Carswell AFB . He said they would take off and fly down to Central America and back on "bombing runs" . Spent some time in Iceland and the Middle East too .

^^^ In the movie, SAC, Jimmy Stewarts character makes a call to his wife, to basically check in with her after leaving Ft. Worth earlier in the day, while out on a training flight. He tells her that all is good & that they're in Alaska getting refueled & are about to start the return trip. His wife reacts by telling him not to clown around like that when he calls. Apparently the range of the B36 was quite a bit better than the B29.



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Fantastic movie!!
I was in SAC, right towards the end. I watch it every time I see it.

No B-58? I'd like to see a comparison pic with one of those in it.

FWIW, the B58 was produced at the same manufacturing plant as the B36 (& during WWII, the B24) in Ft. Worth. Originally the Consolidated Aircraft plant, then later during the production of the B36 & B58 it was the Convair Aircraft plant. I have my fathers' 5 year pin from Convair, from which he worked on the B58 project until the contract was cut by the AF.


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quote:

Originally posted by dgwiggans:
^^^ In the movie, SAC, Jimmy Stewarts character makes a call to his wife, to basically check in with her after leaving Ft. Worth earlier in the day, while out on a training flight. He tells her that all is good & that they're in Alaska getting refueled & are about to start the return trip. His wife reacts by telling him not to clown around like that when he calls. Apparently the range of the B36 was quite a bit better than the B29.



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The range was even better than that! He goes off on a familiarization sortie, promised by his buddy that it is just one takeoff and landing. He tells his wife that he'll be back shortly. When he does return several hours later and she gives him a little guff about being late, he says that he made it to Alaska and back as quick as he could. She then tells him to stop joking about where he has been. Good stuff!

quote:

Originally posted by furlough:

quote:

Originally posted by dgwiggans:
^^^ In the movie, SAC, Jimmy Stewarts character makes a call to his wife, to basically check in with her after leaving Ft. Worth earlier in the day, while out on a training flight. He tells her that all is good & that they're in Alaska getting refueled & are about to start the return trip. His wife reacts by telling him not to clown around like that when he calls. Apparently the range of the B36 was quite a bit better than the B29.



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The range was even better than that! He goes off on a familiarization sortie, promised by his buddy that it is just one takeoff and landing. He tells his wife that he'll be back shortly. When he does return several hours later and she gives him a little guff about being late, he says that he made it to Alaska and back as quick as he could. She then tells him to stop joking about where he has been. Good stuff!

Furlough, you tell that story better than I did. My memory has apparently faded somewhat.

Below is very early footage of the B58 during its' shakedown tests by Convair, at the joint field with Carswell AFB. Filmed roughly 11 years after the end of WWII. Amazing to see how quickly things advanced. At 6:08 minutes in, there's a fairly good visual of the size difference between the B36 & B58, as the Hustler is taxiing near by. The Peacemakers' in the background look like dinosaurs in comparison.




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I didn't realize Stewart stayed in the reserves and retired a Brigadier General! He even flew as an observer on a B52 arc light mission over Vietnam. Wow.

Yup those were the days when you could be proud of actors/actresses. SAC was a great movie

Dgwiggans thanks for that video. The B-58 is a sexy looking beast today - I can't even imagine what those guys in the B-36s thought when they saw it taxiing by!

Six turnin' and four burnin'

quote:

Originally posted by Wilberforce:
Six turnin' and four burnin'

"Two turning, two burning, two choking, two smoking and two unaccounted for". Pilot humor of the day, with a sprinkle of truth.





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quote:

Originally posted by walkinghorse:
As a kid in the early 50's, my Dad worked at Walker AFB, near Roswell N.M.
When the B-36 wing went on alert and they fired up the engines and then took off, the ground seemed to shake, and you could hear the noise for miles!
Did not really notice it with other planes.
Later near Ellsworth AFB, B-47's and B-52's, made a lot of noise on takeoff, but not the earth shattering noise of the B-36's at Walker AFB.

The B-36 flew from Ellsworth, and i remember them well from my childhood. It seemed like there always was one in the air. The base was about 10 mile from our house. We noticed a lot of different aircraft in those days. Nowaday, the B1 flies out of Ellsworth. The B1 gets my nod for noise at take-off. We live miles away from the base, and when they go over, it seem like they are still on full throttle, and everything shakes. For some reason, they make me tear up, and i often salute.