There was no mistaking that amazing droning sound of those 6 R-4360 engines. As a young boy, living in California, while lying in bed at night. I often heard B-36s flying overhead above 30,000 feet on training missions. A few years later, my Dad was transferred to Guam, and I got to see these birds takeoff and land, up close at Anderson AFB. One day, i also got to get inside a B-36 cockpit, then ride the crawler through the long tunnel that connects the front to the rear of this huge airplane. I'm 75 now, and have flown big jets for thousands of hours, but I'll never forget the B-36.
Where I live there is an Air National Guard base. It is the C-140 that flys overhead on occasion. The sound of the C-140 is unmistakable, at least to me.
Watching this movie in 1978 I decided to join the Air Force and go to pilot training. I retired from the USAF as a Major and retired from a major airline as a Captain in 2017. Best decision I ever made. God bless A organic chemistry.
I took my young nephew to see the B-36 at Wright-Pat. We started walking around the plane at the port wing. By the time we made it to the starboard wing, he was a teenager! One thing we learned about the aircraft was the journey from the tail gunner position to the cockpit was so long, there was a rest area at the halfway point with a snack bar, clean restrooms, and a bowling alley!
I miss the days of watching footage like this with my grandfather. He was a lifelong aircraft mechanic, served in wwII and lived for aviation. Miss that man so very much. He taught me things that are priceless.
My dad flew the B-36 at Biggs AFB from 1954 to 1959. When he got the inevitable alert call, my brother and I would hop on our bikes and ride out in the desert where we had a hole dug under the fence near the end of the runway. We would hide behind the sand dunes where the planes would fly directly over us. The noise and concussion from those monsters as they took off at full power right over us is an event we will never forget. What a plane!!!
@@craigbathurst1185 CB where did you find a model that large, and how much does it cost? There r several models that I would love to have... B-36, B-58, Blackbird, B-52, and a few others.. Thx for your input...
Did some research and yes Stewart flew the B-17, 24, 36, 47, 52 and B-58. Flew in WW2 and in Vietnam and retired as a Major General. Under his command not a single man was lost. He was one hell of a pilot and a man. Rare breed.
Yes, but his value to the USAF for Public Relations ensured three things: He would not be sent on the most dangerous missions available. He would be given the opportunity to fly many types of aircraft as it's great publicity to show him flying the latest and greatest. And he would be catered to, somewhat, and have an enjoyable career so he would stay in the service and continue to be good publicity, as long as possible. His chances of getting bottom of the list assignments were pretty close to zero. His popularity and visibility were exploited for PR purposes. Not that there's anything bad about that. Particularly when he was regarded by his fellow airmen as a very good man who earned his wings and was a fine aviator. Nobody thought he was a hack who only got the job because he was famous.
@@Turboy65 Why would you write that crap and try and diminish his wartime effort, he could have made war films if he wanted. Have you ever served in harms way?
@@beaker2000 What the fuck is your malfunction? Stewart's value to the USAF for PR purposes does NOTHING to diminish his service record and achievements. You must just be looking for a fight because you're lonely or something.
Young man, you no NOTHING of real true history especially about Maj. Gen. Jimmy Stewart!! Read the truth before writing a bunch of ludicrous things that only prove your IGNORANCE,!! Read a BOOK!!
Most beautiful plane I have ever seen! Kind of brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it? America at the top of it's game! Makes me so proud. Thanks for posting.
Jimmy Stewart was a rated pilot on both the B-36 and B-47. He did all the flying for this movie, because he knew how to coordinate with the camera plane.
I saw this movie in the movies around 1961 and it inspired me to join the USAF in 1968, one of the best decisions I ever made. I was a crew chief on F-4C Phantom jet fighters in England. The Air Force was good to me and gave me everything I asked for. I didn't stay in as I didn't want a career, just the adventure, and the USAF provided that. Go Air Force !
The other expression I've heard about the engines on the 36 from its crews "two turning, two burning, two smoking, two on fire and two unaccounted for"
Normally, AV gas is 100 octane, no lead, gasoline...jet fuel can be kerosene or a combination with AV gas...such as in extreme cold weather conditions.
Early jet engines such as the J34 used on the P2V Neptune (2 radials and 2 jet engines) were designed to use Avgas. Much easier to only have a single fuel system.
Regular AVgas (the most common today) is rated 100LL which stands for 100 Octane Low Lead. The lead additive is vital for most piston engines but research is being done how to remove it from the fuel and still have safe and consistent engine performance.
No one who ever heard a B-36 will ever forget it! The sound of those Wrights and that deep gutteral sound will be etched in your mind forever- WHAT A PLANE- SO LARGE AND IMPRESSIVE!
The engines weren't built by Wright; they were PRATT & WHITNEY "Wasp Major" R-4360's. P&W had the "Wasp" radial originally; the 2-row engines were "Twin Wasp" and this four row earned the name "Wasp Major" probably b/c they couldn't figure out any other way to name it.
I saw a B-36 at a museum in Central California. We started our tour under the right wing on Thursday. Friday morning we were at the tail and we made it to the left wing on Saturday afternoon.
That's the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, CA. If you want to look around inside it, come by on Sundays of Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend for their twice annual Open Cockpit Day. It's worth the trip.
I was assigned to the 6th Bomb Wing in Walker AFB, Roswell, NM when Jimmy Stewart came along to make a film about the Strategic Air Command. Jimmy was a pilot in WW-II flying a number of bomber missions in Europe - retired from the Air Force with the rank of Brigadier General some years ago. He needed to familiarize himself with the B-36 to be included in the movie - a 10-engine bomber that kept us out of a hot war in the cold war. It carried a crew of between 14 and 16 men. In this video, Jimmie is sitting next to the engineer watching the take--off process, starting with the engine start of the 6 pusher--type propeller engines mounted on the back of the wings. Once all engines are started, the plane taxis to the end of the runway. Once at the runway, they start the four jet engines and finish the checklist. Once the checklist is completed, they start to "roll". After lift off, large "canoe-shaped" doors open and the landing gear raises up into the wings - and they are on their way. Watched many a B-36 take off at Walker AFB - a thrill to watch, to say the least - particularly after having spent untold hours preparing the engines and plane for flight. A thrilling video to watch, depicting some of the efforts of our veterans back when we were fighting a nuclear arms race, among other challenges. Apropos to this Veteran's Day time of the year.
I heard that Mr.Stewart retired with 2 or 3 stars, and flew the B-47 in the USAFR and got some time in on a B-58 and a 52. He flew both the 17 and B-24 in WW2. I also heard he got time in on this bird as well. My reading tells me that the B-36 filled an important gap between the B-29 and the B-47. Not a great airplane but did her job.
machia0705 Yes, Jimmie Stewart retired from the AF Reserve as a general, with a fine record of flying in combat and peacetime -the latter of which there has been precious little for Americans. The B-36 was a maintenance intensive plane, six recip engines with many stainless steel fuel lines in each engine (one for each engine's 28 cylinders) - lines that tended to leak in support of the direct-injected fuel system. But the plane lived up to its name - the Peacemaker. No other country really wanted to see one coming their way. Did work well keeping peace and was ultimately replaced by the B-52, which remains a reliable staple in the Air Force inventory....
Radar directed 20mm cannon would have made a B-36 a hard duck to put in the bag. That plus the fact that it cruised at 40,000 feet fully loaded. Jets in its day often flamed out before reaching that altitude.
my first flight in theB-36 was 29 hours and56 minutes. flew over 3000 hours ln the aluminum overcast which we lovimgly called the big bird. loved every minit of it. Fausto
I had the pleasure of knowing my neighbors dad. LT. Colonel Frank U.S.A.F. 79 total sorties WWII. 25 African Campaign in a B-24, then Volunteered for 50 in European Campaign in a B-17. Night & day sorties. Volunteered for 5 more over Germany. After the 4th. he declined the last one. Went home to become Instructor on T-38 during Korean war. Pilot of B-52 during cold war S.A.C. Operation Chrome Dome, Vietnam Operation Linebacker one. Went into a mandatory retirement late 60's. Frankie mentioned when he first saw the Convair B-36 it scared him. There was no way he would fly it, wanted no part of it. It's was just to big he said. Odd coming from a pilot that later flew B-52's. A year before Frankie past away 2006 we chipped in got him a one hour ride in a B-17 over L.A. It didn't matter to Frankie if he went up or not. He had more fun just trading stories with the crew of that B-17. Thank you for your service. R.I.P. Frankie.
First time I saw this, I was maybe six or eight years old. On vacation in LA, went to a movie and watched the whole thing without falling asleep. 12 or so years later, in an Air Force uniform myself. Love the movie.
At the time of this movie Jimmy Stewart was in the USAFR as a full colonel, having flew 25 + bombing missions over Germany as a B-24 pilot in WW2, and flew combat in Korea and Vietnam. He also flew the B-47 and attained the rank of Brigadier General . He never talked much about it. A rare breed.
machia0705 Machial said he obtained the rank of Brigadier General.. which is true... Ronald Reagan allowed him to get the rank of Major General in the 80's on the retired list.... Two of may heroes there.....
He may not have talked much about it, but he was very proud of his service to the AAF, USAF, SAC. The B-24s he flew in WWII could be a real handful. The B-47 was a very critical airplane to fly, very unforgiving of mistakes and malfunctions. Stewart's B-47 experience went a long way to being qualified on the B-58 Hustler, another highly critical airplane to fly. Many don't know of his sortie's over Vietnam in a B-52. One of SAC's best.
YO, I was born at Biggs in 1954. I have heard such wonderful stories about the 97th Bomb Wing, 97th Periodic Maintenance Squadron, KB-29's, B-50's and B-36's. This video is the greatest takeoff sequence ever filmed. My dad was a staff sgt in the 97th PMS, went on to 31 yeras with AAL, most as Flight Engineer. He's in his 80's now and this brings tears to my eyes. God Bless.
Such a time when one was proud to be an American. It was a matter of pride that we could build something like this and the men who served in SAC to keep us safe. What a time it was. I am glad to have been alive at a time when Military in America meant the best and the greatest. Oh what we have given up. I sincerely hope there is a future for us when once again we can all look at our country with pride and the respect she deserves.
Despite the somewhat sappy music (gotta give 'em some slack there considering the time the movie was made), this thing taking off is about as impressive a bit of cinematography that one can imagine. I have seen the one preserved at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A. What a monster!
Two turning, two burning, two smoking, two choking, and two absent and unaccounted for! Fabulous, fantastic, amazing aircraft! Only the B 47 comes close. Then the B 58. Then the B 24 and B 17. There’s a wonderful photograph of the B 36 on an apron with a B 17 and B 29 and C 47 for comparison. You simply cannot comprehend how staggeringly massive this aircraft was until you see it in perspective. This plane reminds me of the old joke about the fighter pilot who was bored flying escort. He radios the bomber and says “Y’all watch this!” And proceeds to barrel roll, aileron roll, jink and juke and dive and climb. He radios the bomber again, “So what do y’all think about that? Y’all can’t do nothing like that!“ The bomber pilot replies “Oh, yeah? Watch this!“. The bomber proceeds to fly straight and level for several minutes. The bomber pilot comes back on the radio and says “So how about that?” “How about what?” Says the fighter pilot “Y’all didn’t do nothing!” “Sure I did.“ Says the bomber pilot with a smug tone in his voice. “I got up, went to the toilet, got a cup of coffee and a sandwich and sat back down.“ ‘nuff said. 😉😆
One of my favorite movies and one of my favorite aircraft. I remember making a model of one as akid in the '60s. The Air Force in the 50's and 60's was a facinating time. Thanks for posting!
Considering that this majestic aircraft was designed and built not even 60 years after the Wright Brothers first flight of a heavier than air vehicle, it's amazing to see how aviation evolved so rapidly.
I was USAF, '63-'67, SAC, B-52, KC-135, '66 SAC Combat Competition, airborne nav & Doppler radar repairman. It was a profound period in my life never to be duplicated. The takeoff sequence in the movie is a powerful testament to the B-36. I saw one high in the sky when I was a teenager. It was gone for many years when I enlisted.
We had a job of painting a b-36 one time by the time we were done the paint factory was out of business they could not produce enough paint to complete painting the plane LoL what a magnificent peacemaker
When I was in the first grade in school, B-36's would often fly over our little town of Candia NH. The sound they made scared me so much that I would run in the house and hide under my bed.
My grandpa was the flight engineer on this exact plane!!! (Not the actor but in real life) and he was actually controlling the engines through the whole thing!!
I grew up in the Bay Area, Northern California in the fifties and sixties. When one of these baby's flew over everything rattled and shook. The drone from the engines can't be described! Back in these days breaking the sound barrier anywhere anytime was commonplace. It was great times for sure.
sounded like Col Potter, Harry Morgan, sitting next to Jimmy Stewart, can someone confirm? We loved the WW2 movies back in the 1950'2-60's, as boomers. I spent 4 years in the USAF and got too see some great aircraft.
My Father was a flight engineer on a B-36. I think Mr. lobotomy needs to take another look. Once that Airplane got off the ground. It was very graceful. It really looked like some giant swan. Every movement was deliberant. When it flew over you at low level, it sounded like an animal. A very big animal.
"Every movement was deliberate". One would think so. It doesn't appear to be a fighter. :) I actually just got this for Microsoft Flight Simulator. It's not much fun on the ground, but they got the sound pretty decent.
I rode in that same seat by the flight engineer that Jimmy was in. The B-36 was a galant lady but her missions were so very long. It took a day or more of rest after a mission to recover.
When I grew up in Northern Calif. in the fifties these aircraft literally shook the ground when flying over. Unforgettable experience!! American muscle? You bet!!
The B-36 used to fly over our house in Davenport, WA. That sound has stayed with me my whole life since. Too bad Hollywood had to dub over that sappy music when the B-36 took off.
Yep.....as a kid, I lived near LaGuardia airport in NYC and still remember the sound of the Lockheed Super Constellations taxiing and taking offwhat a beautiful sound
I was raised on a farm maybe 30 miles South as the crow fly's of Carswell AFB west of Ft, Worth There is no other sound like that of a B-36 flying over. A low pass meant the house was gonna shake. That sound and that of the sucker rod on the windmill I will take to my grave.
I just love this movie! I have a picture of me next to the gear assembly of a static display B-36 in Ft. Worth when I was about 14...(65 now). It was, and still is, the most awesome aircraft I've ever seen.Never got to see one fly, but the movie is the next best thing...especially with Jimmy Stewart!
Made better by a real American Air Force (reserve) pilot, Jimmy Stewart playing the starring role. This plane was a stopgap, as were so many others, on the way to the B-52 and B-1 and B-2. In those days, military purchasing agents tried to fit so many roles into impossible specs that few were successful. But, we got the Blackbird and the Buff, and the Blackbird is still better than anything except a satellite, and the Buff has dropped more payload on more places for longer than anything else ever seen or likely to be seen. She's like the USS Constitution or the HMS Victory, the culmination of technology to that point. Until we come up with warp drive and heat shields using ions instead of metals and coatings, planes are what they are. I once read an article that the only reason they added the jet engines was that they would have needed a runway twice as long!
I hear you. One of those guys up there was my father, out of Fairchild AFB, married my mother in 1956. She was from Wenatchee "The Apple Capital of the World". I love Eastern Washington, especially Lake Chelan and nearby Domke Lake. Living here in Taiwan for so long, this sort of makes me homesick. But, with near all my family dead now, there's nothing left to go back to... PEACE.
back again for one of my fav videos....... ice tea, chips and max volume on PC.... check list completeeee...... and just think.. Orville Wright lived to see this plane, though just barely., and not with the jet engines.... RIP Jimmmy and Harry...
I saw the film when it came out in 1955 (aged 8) - taped a 1988 broadcast of it. As a USAF dependent in the UK 1952-54 viewed B-36s & B-29s parked at Lakenheath (behind 12' cyclone fence) - my Dad's base had only F-86s. At a Sep 1956 Air Show at Oakland, CA Airport (Blue Angels & TBirds at it) one of these made two very low-level passes along the runway - the 2nd with just the jet engines running - impressive. B-36s flying in from the Pacific high over the SF Bay area were always easy to ID by their wide contrails. Last B-36 I saw was a static display at May 1958 AFD at Kelly AFB here.
My dad was stationed at Kelly AFB in the late 40's, and I remember a huge aircraft that flew over the base one day. I was in the base pool when this thing went over and it caused the water to vibrate like, on the surface. Dad later said it was the XC-99, which had the same wing with 6 P/W 4360's pushing it. Like others said, when those engines were in tune, it was awesome!
As a kid growing up on a farm about 35 Miles from Gray AFB next to Ft. Hood, Tx. I saw lots of these giants flying over all the time. What a sound they made.
Un grand merci aux americains , sans contexte un bel avion , grand par sa longueur , son envergure , et impressionnant par le nombre de moteurs 10 rien que ça, il fallait de la longueur en piste mais aussi en largeur. Chose étonnante il était peu bruyant . C'est sans contexte un des plus beau avec le B60 , le B52 , le B70 , leB1B, le B58, et pour finir le B2 . Le B36 n'a jamais aussi bien porté son nom peacemaker , le faiseur de paix . Un grand bravo à Convair d'avoir réalisé un tel avion et un grand merci à l'Amérique et enfin un grand merci à l'équipe qui a réalisée ce reportage.
My late Father-in-law was an electrician/gunner on B-36s. We has some great conversations about the various aircraft we each flew. His favorite was the B-36, Peacemaker. Mine was the EA-3B, Skywarrior. RIP MSGT Richard V. Crosby, U.S.A.F.(Ret)
My dad was stationed at Chanute AFB in the late 50's. I have a b/w photo of my brother and I as toddlers, taken by my parents, with us little guys standing next to the nose gear of that B 36. Treasured photo to say the least.
I remember that one as well. It wasn't too far from the Camp ground (Famcamp) and we would stay there when traveling. Dad was retired USAF and loved hitting the camp grounds on base. I remember once as a kid of 10 or so, I found a way into the one at Chanute. Couldn't see out because the windows were painted over, but played in that thing for hours. I believe it is the one now at Pima ?? To my knowledge, there are only 3 left and I am pretty sure the one that "was" at Chanute, is one of the three.
Great video of a great aircraft and the truly brave remarkable men who designed, built, crewed and flew her! Yes the aircrews who flew these machines in combat etcetera were and are hero’s but NEVER FORGET the bravery, sacrifice, blood sweat and tears of the men and very few women who spent countless hours maintaining these machines to perfection do the pilots could perform their vital missions to return home safely to their loved ones!! As a 23 year USAF war veteran and one of those with a wrench in his hand I salute those fellow mechanics and Happy Veterans Day!!!! God bless America!!
Movie name for us young people. "Strategic Air Command" is a 1955 American military aviation film starring James Stewart and June Allyson, directed by Anthony Mann, and released by Paramount Pictures. It was the first of four Hollywood films that depicted the role of the Strategic Air Command in the Cold War era.
In the early 80s I had a 53 ford truck. It required a checklist similar to the b36, especially if it was a cold morning. You had to file a plan to stop or downshift.
I lived close to Burtonwood airfield in UK. In the late 50's or early 60's I used to see quite a few of these flying over. The former runway now forms part of a Motorway ('Interstate" to Americans). I have seen one close up in the Tucson museum in Arizona. This plane was used to carry a nuclear reactor to try and create a 'nuclear' bomber but it did not work out due to weight of lead shielding for the crew and the possibility of it crashing. The Russians successfully flew a 'nuclear' bomber by reducing the lead shielding. The crew were dead within 10 years. None of this came out until the Iron Curtain fell down.
+Howard McKay The hangar for the "nuke" bomber still stands in Idaho. The shielded locomotive to move it, as well as the two test engines, are on display at the world's first breeder reactor, EBR-1, also in Idaho. I recommend a visit.
+Dead Frt West - Road trip!. All I have near me is a replica of the first Edison hydro-electric generator. The EBR got four whole light bulbs lit - pretty impressive read, thanks for the heads up. Now I know why the potatoes are so big from Idaho.
my dad (born in 1940) remembers them flying over the west midlands. he said 'everything in the house' would shake or vibrate... also remembers the 'many' contrails from all those engines!
at altitude it could. the B36 had so much lift with those enormous wings, that the jet fighters of the day would fall out of the sky trying to just turn in the thin air. makes me chuckle !!
When I was a child I got to tour a B-36 at Carswell AFB on a static display when he took my Mom shopping at the PX by my uncle who was a USAF Security Patrolman there. My Dad was also a USMC Military Police Sergeant at NAS Dallas at the time. It was an impressive sight inside.
I saw this movie a few years ago and loved it. I love the B36. It is a beautiful bomber. I think there is one at the Nabraska air museam. I wish that i was able to serve in the military. I had a heart mermer and was un able to serve. I think that i would have gone into the air force. I love air planes. I have a flight sim on my computer and fly all the time. I wish that there was a sim about the b36. I would buy it in a heart beat. Thats to all our men and woman that have served and are serving now and in the future. My God be with you abd keep you safe. I remember the hymn in church that says God guide the men that fly. Go Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.
+wayne gay I too was sidelined due to medical...my eyesight sucked to enter RAAF. did a stint in Aus army reserve...but the guys in uniform are the guys I look up to.and yes...the B36 is truly beautiful.
Jimmy Stewart was an Air Force Reserve pilot at the time this was filmed, and was actually qualified to fly both this and the B-47, which is also seen in the movie. He had been a B-24 squadron commander in Europe during WW2 and (IIRC) eventually retired from the Reserve as a brigadier general.
+wayne gay FlightGear Flight Simulator is gratis and libre (drop gratis if you're over your data limit on your home connection), and I believe it simulates hundreds of different planes if you desire it to. It can also be multiplayer, again optionally, and I hear it's fairly fun. Haven't played in a while.
I don't know about Nebraska, but I do know there is one not 60 miles from where I live in central California at the old Castle AFB museum. A must visit for any aviation buff. Especially on their open cockpit days.
This footage from "Strategic Air Command" is the best I have ever seen. As a teenager, I saw many of these planes fly over Amarillo, Texas to the airbase here. They shook the windows so much that they had to be careful about coming over the city too low.
Of course, there is no way the audio in a movie can convey the incredible ground shaking noise the B36J made at takeoff and flying at low altitude! I was fortunate to live near a SAC base in the 1950s and saw these monsters almost daily!
Its amazing the Convair went from this half breed monster to the B-58 Hustler supersonic bomber in one stage. They did make a B-36 and put swept wings on it with all jet engines but the B-52 from Boeing got the go ahead - good thing.
Many years ago I saw 4 Hustlers take-off from Plattsburg NY, what a sight but what sound. Four J-79's in full song and afterburner. When they took off they were flying away from us and when the black smoke cleared and we saw them rotate it was looking at the top of the plane because they were at such a hight angle of attack - like all delta winged aircraft.
Robert Bradley Wow....I would have loved to see that ! Back in 1969 as a T-37 trainer crew chief at Perrin AFB Texas and working on the flight line, a 4 plane flight of F-104s taxied by us, only about 20 feet away. For me as a T-37crew chief this was like watching the real air force taxi by When they took off, all F-104s went vertical.....an incredible sight A month later later, my prayers were answered and I received orders to a F-4 squadron in England where I crewed an F-4C for 2 1/2 years before getting out The USAF was great !
Actually the CF-104 was one of my favorites as we built these for our Air Force and they were in service for over 30 years. Great interceptors, loud and fast at airshows but not very aerobatic but they were not designed to be that way.
only if they kept the yb-52 layout though my only questions whats the advantage of having a side by side anyways in my opinion it gives the pilot better orentaion of the aircraft and he can see the opposite side
Might have been why I chose the Air Force, having seen films like this one growing up. Something magic about flying. The giants, like a building with wings becoming airborne. Never quite understood how the wings bore the weight and thrust of all those engines, but I"m not an engineer. So used to hearing the engines down on the flight line when I fell asleep at night, that when I became a civilian again I missed the sound. Still do. And when an aircraft of any type passes overhead, I always stop and look up.
My Dad, an Air Force LTC took me on a tour of the XC-99 at Kelly. Really impressive aircraft. I did get see several B-36s fly over our base as a kid!. It's amazing that something as big as that could actually fly! I went on to enlist and serve 27 years in the Navy and flew in several aircraft as a naval aircrewman for six years with VQ-2 out of Rota, Spain.
when you think this was pretty much all built using mid 1940's tech (except for the Jet engines) it was a remarkable accomplishment I knew a pilot of one of the tanker crews and he mentioned it was an open secret the B36 with the radials off and just the jet engines running could maintain level flight at 70,000 feet. That monster wing was why.
I was a 2nd grader living in Albuquerque (Central Ave/Gibson Blvd) about 1951. There is no sound like those P&W engines over at Kirtland AFB. Turns out they in/out so much because of Sandia Base picking up Special Weapons. I still watch this scene and the 8 second B-36D flyover of Al Lang Field in Florida in the movie.
Smoother airflow over the wings for less drag = longer range. Same reason the Northrop B-35 flying wing used them. They also supplied some extra stability for the wing.
the B-36 was a Behemoth. Even with all the engines it still was a touch underpowered but still managed to grunt MASSIVE payloads even in comparison to the B-52. Having met a pilot of this venerable bird he said the one strange thing about flying a plane this big was watching the tail 'snaking' behind the aircraft as it flew and winds would make the wings and tail deflect a little. The empennage actually moved noticeably as the plane flew. It also had the honor of being the only "Pusher" type plane in service for the American Military with the one exception of the Cessna Skymaster (this discounts all experimental aircraft). Sadly no examples that I know of were spared for museum purposes. The original aircraft did not have the 4 jet engines attached. The engines were an afterthought because of the need for more takeoff power the six engines it had lacked. It is amazing we can build aircraft this large but not find a way to end war once and for all. Still, it is true the one with the biggest hardest hitting stick makes others who want to start a fight think twice about it and in its day this aircraft gave Russia reason to think more than twice about wanting to scrap with us. This plane was a BIG stick!
KingOfAllAnimals great story you relayed. there are 4, maybe 5 survivors. 1 at Pima museum in Tucson, 1 at former Castle AFB, 1 at USAF Museum, 1 at Strategic Air and Space museum near Offutt AFB.you can see the PIMA one on google earth street view!!
770valiant Its good to know a few actually made it to a museum. I was under the impression none escaped the scrap yard due to treaties. There are some aircraft that deserved historical recognition but were instead just scrapped out never to be seen again. All I can say really is Russia is not the only country to build big air craft. If I remember also the B-36 was the largest bomber ever made and used in service too.
shawn sutton Not really. It needed the jets to boost takeoff speed. When this jet was loaded it carried a lot more payload then the B-52. This jet was under-powered. It had comparatively larger wing area then modern bombers. It needed it considering the massive payload this beast grunted. Carrying a fully Nuke payload this one plane in its day could wipe out several cities solo as compared to earlier nuclear bombers that could only carry one nuke. Have to wonder how this plane would have fared with 4 of the power plants the 777 uses. Now that is real power.
I would recommend Convair B36: A Comprehensive History of Americas Big Stick. The fuel and engine problems were solved early in the acs career. The jets shortened the TO and increased speed over target.....to get away. Otherwise it was always considered overpowered which was a good thing as it made it easy to fly. Also, for the idiots ( not you) who think the Mig 15 could reliable shoot them down...how could the Mig get to 55000-60000 feet...and thats not a typo. Thats the altitude featherweighted B36s operated at . Lots of info in the book about all the problems our own jet fighters...even the F86...had intercepting them.The could simply outmaneuver fighters at altitude.
MR. Paulison, I hope YOU are correct!!!! I've tried it........ no can find!!! i'll try again....... it's been a while. maybe the people their got their head out of their butt, and realize this is HISTORY!!! if its their, my many THANKS to YOU!!! I the son of a Korean War Veteran, 5th Air Force, 18th maintance SQD. Dog Patch AFB, Korea.
Those engines on the B-36 were so maintenance plagued the joke was “two turning, two burning, two choking, two smoking, one off-line and one un accounted for!“
There was no mistaking that amazing droning sound of those 6 R-4360 engines. As a young boy, living in California, while lying in bed at night. I often heard B-36s flying overhead above 30,000 feet on training missions. A few years later, my Dad was transferred to Guam, and I got to see these birds takeoff and land, up close at Anderson AFB. One day, i also got to get inside a B-36 cockpit, then ride the crawler through the long tunnel that connects the front to the rear of this huge airplane. I'm 75 now, and have flown big jets for thousands of hours, but I'll never forget the B-36.
Something you'll never forget.....lucky man !
webcamfann z
of you sir, I am truly jealous!
Where I live there is an Air National Guard base. It is the C-140 that flys overhead on occasion. The sound of the C-140 is unmistakable, at least to me.
C-130 me thinks...
Watching this movie in 1978 I decided to join the Air Force and go to pilot training. I retired from the USAF as a Major and retired from a major airline as a Captain in 2017. Best decision I ever made. God bless A organic chemistry.
I took my young nephew to see the B-36 at Wright-Pat. We started walking around the plane at the port wing. By the time we made it to the starboard wing, he was a teenager!
One thing we learned about the aircraft was the journey from the tail gunner position to the cockpit was so long, there was a rest area at the halfway point with a snack bar, clean restrooms, and a bowling alley!
...and a Starbucks kiosk at either end.
They have both planes from that movie
I miss the days of watching footage like this with my grandfather. He was a lifelong aircraft mechanic, served in wwII and lived for aviation. Miss that man so very much. He taught me things that are priceless.
My dad flew the B-36 at Biggs AFB from 1954 to 1959. When he got the inevitable alert call, my brother and I would hop on our bikes and ride out in the desert where we had a hole dug under the fence near the end of the runway. We would hide behind the sand dunes where the planes would fly directly over us.
The noise and concussion from those monsters as they took off at full power right over us is an event we will never forget.
What a plane!!!
The continuous tracking shot of the B36 takeoff roll is one of my favorites in all of cinema.
Even with 10 engines, takeoff roll was excessive by todays standards. One hi-bypass jet turbine can easily replace all 10 engines of the b-36.
This was a great to fly. I was a pilot in 1955-1956. You would n't beleive how big it was.
I have a 1/72 scale model of it. The model is huge.
I saw one up close and personal at Chanute AFB.. It was a monster...
I have been to Castle Air Museum in Atwater CA. They have a B36. It's incredible.
@@craigbathurst1185 CB where did you find a model that large, and how much does it cost? There r several models that I would love to have... B-36, B-58, Blackbird, B-52, and a few others.. Thx for your input...
@@flaps_rickenbacker247 Thx, I'll have to ck into that...
Did some research and yes Stewart flew the B-17, 24, 36, 47, 52 and B-58. Flew in WW2 and in Vietnam and retired as a Major General.
Under his command not a single man was lost. He was one hell of a pilot and a man. Rare breed.
Yes, but his value to the USAF for Public Relations ensured three things: He would not be sent on the most dangerous missions available. He would be given the opportunity to fly many types of aircraft as it's great publicity to show him flying the latest and greatest. And he would be catered to, somewhat, and have an enjoyable career so he would stay in the service and continue to be good publicity, as long as possible. His chances of getting bottom of the list assignments were pretty close to zero. His popularity and visibility were exploited for PR purposes. Not that there's anything bad about that. Particularly when he was regarded by his fellow airmen as a very good man who earned his wings and was a fine aviator. Nobody thought he was a hack who only got the job because he was famous.
@@Turboy65 He had a combat command in WW2 and flew multiple missions over Germany in B-24s.
@@Turboy65 Why would you write that crap and try and diminish his wartime effort, he could have made war films if he wanted. Have you ever served in harms way?
@@beaker2000 What the fuck is your malfunction? Stewart's value to the USAF for PR purposes does NOTHING to diminish his service record and achievements. You must just be looking for a fight because you're lonely or something.
Young man, you no NOTHING of real true history especially about Maj. Gen. Jimmy Stewart!! Read the truth before writing a bunch of ludicrous things that only prove your IGNORANCE,!! Read a BOOK!!
Most beautiful plane I have ever seen! Kind of brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it? America at the top of it's game! Makes me so proud. Thanks for posting.
Jimmy Stewart was a rated pilot on both the B-36 and B-47. He did all the flying for this movie, because he knew how to coordinate with the camera plane.
I saw this movie in the movies around 1961 and it inspired me to join the USAF in 1968, one of the best decisions I ever made.
I was a crew chief on F-4C Phantom jet fighters in England.
The Air Force was good to me and gave me everything I asked for.
I didn't stay in as I didn't want a career, just the adventure, and the USAF provided that.
Go Air Force !
the airforce has been at war for over 20 years, the aircraft maintainer gets shit on.i would not advise joining as a maintainer.. go medical or comm.
Awesome and Yes Sir all around. USAF Reservist for 5 years. Loved every minute of it. USAF Rocks.
The other expression I've heard about the engines on the 36 from its crews "two turning, two burning, two smoking, two on fire and two unaccounted for"
LOL
They needed those four outboard jet engines just to
make it to 300 MPH.
The engines were modified to burn aviation gasoline
rather than jet fuel.
Whats the difference between aviation gasoline and jet fuel? Aren't they all kerosene?
Normally, AV gas is 100 octane, no lead, gasoline...jet fuel can be kerosene or a combination with AV gas...such as in extreme cold weather conditions.
Early jet engines such as the J34 used on the P2V Neptune (2 radials and 2 jet engines) were designed to use Avgas. Much easier to only have a single fuel system.
Regular AVgas (the most common today) is rated 100LL which stands for 100 Octane Low Lead. The lead additive is vital for most piston engines but research is being done how to remove it from the fuel and still have safe and consistent engine performance.
No one who ever heard a B-36 will ever forget it! The sound of those Wrights and that deep gutteral sound will be etched in your mind forever- WHAT A PLANE- SO LARGE AND IMPRESSIVE!
The engines weren't built by Wright; they were PRATT & WHITNEY "Wasp Major" R-4360's. P&W had the "Wasp" radial originally; the 2-row engines were "Twin Wasp" and this four row earned the name "Wasp Major" probably b/c they couldn't figure out any other way to name it.
I saw a B-36 at a museum in Central California. We started our tour under the right wing on Thursday. Friday morning we were at the tail and we made it to the left wing on Saturday afternoon.
+Waltham1892
I saw the one at Wright Patterson -- took all of 5 minutes to walk around and do a photo shoot.
+slimchancetoo Waaaaaaay too literal for here bub......
+Waltham1892 hahahahaahahahahahaahaahahahahaahahahahaahahahahahahahaha
That's the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, CA. If you want to look around inside it, come by on Sundays of Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend for their twice annual Open Cockpit Day. It's worth the trip.
Michael Witkowski Sorry, I don't think I've got the endurance...
I was assigned to the 6th Bomb Wing in Walker AFB, Roswell, NM when Jimmy Stewart came along to make a film about the Strategic Air Command. Jimmy was a pilot in WW-II flying a number of bomber missions in Europe - retired from the Air Force with the rank of Brigadier General some years ago. He needed to familiarize himself with the B-36 to be included in the movie - a 10-engine bomber that kept us out of a hot war in the cold war. It carried a crew of between 14 and 16 men. In this video, Jimmie is sitting next to the engineer watching the take--off process, starting with the engine start of the 6 pusher--type propeller engines mounted on the back of the wings. Once all engines are started, the plane taxis to the end of the runway. Once at the runway, they start the four jet engines and finish the checklist. Once the checklist is completed, they start to "roll". After lift off, large "canoe-shaped" doors open and the landing gear raises up into the wings - and they are on their way. Watched many a B-36 take off at Walker AFB - a thrill to watch, to say the least - particularly after having spent untold hours preparing the engines and plane for flight. A thrilling video to watch, depicting some of the efforts of our veterans back when we were fighting a nuclear arms race, among other challenges. Apropos to this Veteran's Day time of the year.
I heard that Mr.Stewart retired with 2 or 3 stars, and flew the B-47 in the USAFR and got some time in on a B-58 and a 52.
He flew both the 17 and B-24 in WW2.
I also heard he got time in on this bird as well.
My reading tells me that the B-36 filled an important gap between the B-29 and the B-47. Not a great airplane but did her job.
machia0705 Yes, Jimmie Stewart retired from the AF Reserve as a general, with a fine record of flying in combat and peacetime -the latter of which there has been precious little for Americans. The B-36 was a maintenance intensive plane, six recip engines with many stainless steel fuel lines in each engine (one for each engine's 28 cylinders) - lines that tended to leak in support of the direct-injected fuel system. But the plane lived up to its name - the Peacemaker. No other country really wanted to see one coming their way. Did work well keeping peace and was ultimately replaced by the B-52, which remains a reliable staple in the Air Force inventory....
Radar directed 20mm cannon would have made a B-36 a hard duck to put in the bag. That plus the fact that it cruised at 40,000 feet fully loaded. Jets in its day often flamed out before reaching that altitude.
Wish they would make something li,like, this on the B-52 with the real deal not cgi
my first flight in theB-36 was 29 hours and56 minutes. flew over 3000 hours ln the aluminum overcast which we lovimgly called the big bird. loved every minit of it. Fausto
This clip is from one of my favorite movies. James Stewart in Strategic Air Command. I'm retired Air Force so this movie has a special meaning to me.
Great movie. One complaint --- they just didn't show enough of the airplane in flight. But what there was --- FANTASTIC!!!!!
I had the pleasure of knowing my neighbors dad. LT. Colonel Frank U.S.A.F. 79 total sorties WWII. 25 African Campaign in a B-24, then Volunteered for 50 in European Campaign in a B-17. Night & day sorties. Volunteered for 5 more over Germany. After the 4th. he declined the last one. Went home to become Instructor on T-38 during Korean war. Pilot of B-52 during cold war S.A.C. Operation Chrome Dome, Vietnam Operation Linebacker one. Went into a mandatory retirement late 60's. Frankie mentioned when he first saw the Convair B-36 it scared him. There was no way he would fly it, wanted no part of it. It's was just to big he said. Odd coming from a pilot that later flew B-52's. A year before Frankie past away 2006 we chipped in got him a one hour ride in a B-17 over L.A. It didn't matter to Frankie if he went up or not. He had more fun just trading stories with the crew of that B-17. Thank you for your service. R.I.P. Frankie.
Amen good stories thank you
The B-36 dwarfs the B-52. The two were side by side on display at Chanute AFB. I was stunned when I saw the two together.
First time I saw this, I was maybe six or eight years old. On vacation in LA, went to a movie and watched the whole thing without falling asleep. 12 or so years later, in an Air Force uniform myself. Love the movie.
At the time of this movie Jimmy Stewart was in the USAFR as a full colonel, having flew 25 + bombing missions over Germany as a B-24 pilot in WW2, and flew combat in Korea and Vietnam. He also flew the B-47 and attained the rank of Brigadier General . He never talked much about it. A rare breed.
Correction. Jimmy Stewart retired as a Major General.
machia0705 Machial said he obtained the rank of Brigadier General.. which is true... Ronald Reagan allowed him to get the rank of Major General in the 80's on the retired list.... Two of may heroes there.....
He may not have talked much about it, but he was very proud of his service to the AAF, USAF, SAC.
The B-24s he flew in WWII could be a real handful. The B-47 was a very critical airplane to fly, very unforgiving of mistakes and malfunctions. Stewart's B-47 experience went a long way to being qualified on the B-58 Hustler, another highly critical airplane to fly.
Many don't know of his sortie's over Vietnam in a B-52. One of SAC's best.
Thank you for the correction. Stewart was one hell of a pilot and a man.
Nice pun at the end there machia0705!
YO, I was born at Biggs in 1954. I have heard such wonderful stories about the 97th Bomb Wing, 97th Periodic Maintenance Squadron, KB-29's, B-50's and B-36's. This video is the greatest takeoff sequence ever filmed. My dad was a staff sgt in the 97th PMS, went on to 31 yeras with AAL, most as Flight Engineer. He's in his 80's now and this brings tears to my eyes. God Bless.
Was good to see "Colonel Potter" at the panel!
He also accompanied Jimmy Stewart on the piano in "The Glenn Miller Story."
I thought that was him!
Such a time when one was proud to be an American. It was a matter of pride that we could build something like this and the men who served in SAC to keep us safe. What a time it was. I am glad to have been alive at a time when Military in America meant the best and the greatest. Oh what we have given up. I sincerely hope there is a future for us when once again we can all look at our country with pride and the respect she deserves.
An excerpt from another fine (old) film. I do believe the air to air shots were , and still are, without equal. Stunning, just stunning.
Despite the somewhat sappy music (gotta give 'em some slack there considering the time the movie was made), this thing taking off is about as impressive a bit of cinematography that one can imagine. I have seen the one preserved at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A. What a monster!
B-52s may get get all the accolades but there's nothing more beautiful than a B-36 in the air
Totally agree! Wish we still used them!!!!
Absolutely the BEST aircraft takeoff footage EVER!
I met General Jimmy once, it was just a handshake but will never forget it
5:07 met the general in Can Tho Vietnam 1968
Two turning, two burning, two smoking, two choking, and two absent and unaccounted for!
Fabulous, fantastic, amazing aircraft! Only the B 47 comes close. Then the B 58. Then the B 24 and B 17.
There’s a wonderful photograph of the B 36 on an apron with a B 17 and B 29 and C 47 for comparison. You simply cannot comprehend how staggeringly massive this aircraft was until you see it in perspective.
This plane reminds me of the old joke about the fighter pilot who was bored flying escort. He radios the bomber and says “Y’all watch this!” And proceeds to barrel roll, aileron roll, jink and juke and dive and climb. He radios the bomber again, “So what do y’all think about that? Y’all can’t do nothing like that!“ The bomber pilot replies “Oh, yeah? Watch this!“. The bomber proceeds to fly straight and level for several minutes. The bomber pilot comes back on the radio and says “So how about that?” “How about what?” Says the fighter pilot “Y’all didn’t do nothing!”
“Sure I did.“ Says the bomber pilot with a smug tone in his voice. “I got up, went to the toilet, got a cup of coffee and a sandwich and sat back down.“
‘nuff said. 😉😆
TH-cam needs a LOL emoji like Facebook has.
There is something beautiful of this giant that made me fall in love with it, I hope to see one in real life one day.
SAC museum in Nebraska has one. Amazing to see:
sacmuseum.org/what-to-see/aircraft/b-36j-peacemaker/
One of my favorite movies and one of my favorite aircraft. I remember making a model of one as akid in the '60s. The Air Force in the 50's and 60's was a facinating time. Thanks for posting!
Considering that this majestic aircraft was designed and built not even 60 years after the Wright Brothers first flight of a heavier than air vehicle, it's amazing to see how aviation evolved so rapidly.
I was USAF, '63-'67, SAC, B-52, KC-135, '66 SAC Combat Competition, airborne nav & Doppler radar repairman. It was a profound period in my life never to be duplicated.
The takeoff sequence in the movie is a powerful testament to the B-36. I saw one high in the sky when I was a teenager. It was gone for many years when I enlisted.
The actor who played Higgins in 80’s Magnum PI was a flight engineer on the B-36. He told Johnny Carson when he was a guest.
We had a job of painting a b-36 one time by the time we were done the paint factory was out of business they could not produce enough paint to complete painting the plane LoL what a magnificent peacemaker
When I was in the first grade in school, B-36's would often fly over our little town of Candia NH. The sound they made scared me so much that I would run in the house and hide under my bed.
Was that out of Pease? Or the old base near Manchester that they closed?
the movie was "Strategic Air Command"
My grandpa was the flight engineer on this exact plane!!! (Not the actor but in real life) and he was actually controlling the engines through the whole thing!!
I grew up in the Bay Area, Northern California in the fifties and sixties. When one of these baby's flew over everything rattled and shook. The drone from the engines can't be described! Back in these days breaking the sound barrier anywhere anytime was commonplace. It was great times for sure.
sounded like Col Potter, Harry Morgan, sitting next to Jimmy Stewart, can someone confirm? We loved the WW2 movies back in the 1950'2-60's, as boomers. I spent 4 years in the USAF and got too see some great aircraft.
I remember seeing many B-36's fly over our town when I was a kid. They made a sound you could never forget.
My Father was a flight engineer on a B-36. I think Mr. lobotomy needs to take another look. Once that Airplane got off the ground. It was very graceful. It really looked like some giant swan. Every movement was deliberant. When it flew over you at low level, it sounded like an animal. A very big animal.
"Every movement was deliberate". One would think so. It doesn't appear to be a fighter. :) I actually just got this for Microsoft Flight Simulator. It's not much fun on the ground, but they got the sound pretty decent.
Great movie for airplane buffs. Probably the best source for B-36 footage. And a great story, too.
Couldn't mistake Harry Morgan's voice in the engineers compartment . Thanks for posting and God Bless .
Fascinating tech, thanks for sharing this film clip. Impressive film!
Saw one on the edge of the parade field at Chanute AFB, IL just before it closed. What a monster! Six turning and 4 burning, indeed.
I rode in that same seat by the flight engineer that Jimmy was in. The B-36 was a galant lady but her missions were so very long. It took a day or more of rest after a mission to recover.
When I grew up in Northern Calif. in the fifties these aircraft literally shook the ground when flying over. Unforgettable experience!! American muscle? You bet!!
The B-36 used to fly over our house in Davenport, WA. That sound has stayed with me my whole life since. Too bad Hollywood had to dub over that sappy music when the B-36 took off.
Was stationed at Fairchild AFB. Know exactly where Davenport is located...
Yep.....as a kid, I lived near LaGuardia airport in NYC and still remember the sound of the Lockheed Super Constellations taxiing and taking offwhat a beautiful sound
freewill1114 .
I was raised on a farm maybe 30 miles South as the crow fly's of Carswell AFB west of Ft, Worth There is no other sound like that of a B-36 flying over. A low pass meant the house was gonna shake. That sound and that of the sucker rod on the windmill I will take to my grave.
I just love this movie! I have a picture of me next to the gear assembly of a static display B-36 in Ft. Worth when I was about 14...(65 now). It was, and still is, the most awesome aircraft I've ever seen.Never got to see one fly, but the movie is the next best thing...especially with Jimmy Stewart!
If anyone is curious this is from the movie Strategic Air Command.
Made better by a real American Air Force (reserve) pilot, Jimmy Stewart playing the starring role.
This plane was a stopgap, as were so many others, on the way to the B-52 and B-1 and B-2. In those days, military purchasing agents tried to fit so many roles into impossible specs that few were successful.
But, we got the Blackbird and the Buff, and the Blackbird is still better than anything except a satellite, and the Buff has dropped more payload on more places for longer than anything else ever seen or likely to be seen.
She's like the USS Constitution or the HMS Victory, the culmination of technology to that point. Until we come up with warp drive and heat shields using ions instead of metals and coatings, planes are what they are.
I once read an article that the only reason they added the jet engines was that they would have needed a runway twice as long!
I hear you. One of those guys up there was my father, out of Fairchild AFB, married my mother in 1956. She was from Wenatchee "The Apple Capital of the World". I love Eastern Washington, especially Lake Chelan and nearby Domke Lake. Living here in Taiwan for so long, this sort of makes me homesick. But, with near all my family dead now, there's nothing left to go back to... PEACE.
back again for one of my fav videos....... ice tea, chips and max volume on PC.... check list completeeee...... and just think.. Orville Wright lived to see this plane, though just barely., and not with the jet engines.... RIP Jimmmy and Harry...
RIP indeed, both men honorably served our country and went on to successful careers in Hollywood 🇺🇲🎬☮🙂
The shot of the flight engineer's station was awesome. All those dials needed to keep track of 10 engines.
I saw the film when it came out in 1955 (aged 8) - taped a 1988 broadcast of it. As a USAF dependent in the UK 1952-54 viewed B-36s & B-29s parked at Lakenheath (behind 12' cyclone fence) - my Dad's base had only F-86s. At a Sep 1956 Air Show at Oakland, CA Airport (Blue Angels & TBirds at it) one of these made two very low-level passes along the runway - the 2nd with just the jet engines running - impressive. B-36s flying in from the Pacific high over the SF Bay area were always easy to ID by their wide contrails. Last B-36 I saw was a static display at May 1958 AFD at Kelly AFB here.
My dad was stationed at Kelly AFB in the late 40's, and I remember a huge aircraft that flew over the base one day. I was in the base pool when this thing went over and it caused the water to vibrate like, on the surface. Dad later said it was the XC-99, which had the same wing with 6 P/W 4360's pushing it. Like others said, when those engines were in tune, it was awesome!
As a kid growing up on a farm about 35 Miles from Gray AFB next to Ft. Hood, Tx. I saw lots of these giants flying over all the time. What a sound they made.
Un grand merci aux americains , sans contexte un bel avion , grand par sa longueur , son envergure , et impressionnant par le nombre de moteurs 10 rien que ça, il fallait de la longueur en piste mais aussi en largeur.
Chose étonnante il était peu bruyant .
C'est sans contexte un des plus beau avec le B60 , le B52 , le B70 , leB1B, le B58, et pour finir le B2 .
Le B36 n'a jamais aussi bien porté son nom peacemaker , le faiseur de paix .
Un grand bravo à Convair d'avoir réalisé un tel avion et un grand merci à l'Amérique et enfin un grand merci à l'équipe qui a réalisée ce reportage.
This is the best part of the movie “Strategic Air Command”!
My late Father-in-law was an electrician/gunner on B-36s. We has some great conversations about the various aircraft we each flew. His favorite was the B-36, Peacemaker. Mine was the EA-3B, Skywarrior. RIP MSGT Richard V. Crosby, U.S.A.F.(Ret)
There was one at Chanute Air Base in Rantoul Il. Since closed, now a museum. I remember climbing on top of it during tech school. What a monster!
My dad was stationed at Chanute AFB in the late 50's. I have a b/w photo of my brother and I as toddlers, taken by my parents, with us little guys standing next to the nose gear of that B 36. Treasured photo to say the least.
That's awsome!
+paradisumproductions treasured indead! us B36 lovers would treasure it 'almost' as much as you.
I remember that one as well. It wasn't too far from the Camp ground (Famcamp) and we would stay there when traveling. Dad was retired USAF and loved hitting the camp grounds on base. I remember once as a kid of 10 or so, I found a way into the one at Chanute. Couldn't see out because the windows were painted over, but played in that thing for hours. I believe it is the one now at Pima ?? To my knowledge, there are only 3 left and I am pretty sure the one that "was" at Chanute, is one of the three.
I grew up with these beautiful monsters. And I really miss them...😢
SAC forever.
Had a 1/72 scale model of the B36 that was Larger than the 1/48 scale B29 I built
Best looking plane ever
Great video of a great aircraft and the truly brave remarkable men who designed, built, crewed and flew her! Yes the aircrews who flew these machines in combat etcetera were and are hero’s but NEVER FORGET the bravery, sacrifice, blood sweat and tears of the men and very few women who spent countless hours maintaining these machines to perfection do the pilots could perform their vital missions to return home safely to their loved ones!! As a 23 year USAF war veteran and one of those with a wrench in his hand I salute those fellow mechanics and Happy Veterans Day!!!! God bless America!!
My father headed the crew at Urtis Wrigth that made every propellar for the B-36.. I am proud of him
"Radio Operator, check!"
My father, SAC, receiving Q-Code, 1955-56, based in AK and Guam.
Thanks for posting the video. ;^)
I saw one of these up close in Dayton last month. To say it was impressive would be understatement of the year
Movie name for us young people. "Strategic Air Command" is a 1955 American military aviation film starring James Stewart and June Allyson, directed by Anthony Mann, and released by Paramount Pictures. It was the first of four Hollywood films that depicted the role of the Strategic Air Command in the Cold War era.
In the early 80s I had a 53 ford truck. It required a checklist similar to the b36, especially if it was a cold morning. You had to file a plan to stop or downshift.
So you asked your onboard mech to put your ten engines on take off throttle lol
I've thought of this scene as a farewell by the Director to the era of piston engine aircraft. A very loving one at that.
I once had an old photograph when the B-36's were flying. One of them landed on the runway at Iwo Jima. No big thing. They could do it.
Built one in 1/72 scale. What a great ship.
thx113868 building one now. I need to add an extension to the house for it...
Ship?
I lived close to Burtonwood airfield in UK. In the late 50's or early 60's I used to see quite a few of these flying over. The former runway now forms part of a Motorway ('Interstate" to Americans). I have seen one close up in the Tucson museum in Arizona. This plane was used to carry a nuclear reactor to try and create a 'nuclear' bomber but it did not work out due to weight of lead shielding for the crew and the possibility of it crashing. The Russians successfully flew a 'nuclear' bomber by reducing the lead shielding. The crew were dead within 10 years. None of this came out until the Iron Curtain fell down.
+Howard McKay
The hangar for the "nuke" bomber still stands in Idaho. The shielded locomotive to move it, as well as the two test engines, are on display at the world's first breeder reactor, EBR-1, also in Idaho. I recommend a visit.
+Dead Frt West - Road trip!. All I have near me is a replica of the first Edison hydro-electric generator. The EBR got four whole light bulbs lit - pretty impressive read, thanks for the heads up. Now I know why the potatoes are so big from Idaho.
my dad (born in 1940) remembers them flying over the west midlands. he said 'everything in the house' would shake or vibrate... also remembers the 'many' contrails from all those engines!
Beautiful aircraft
What a masterpiece
"Ok, lets make a turn. Helmsman, 30 to port"
+Jonathan Tan The airplane had a much lighter wing loading than the fighters of the day. At altitude, it could out-turn them.
at altitude it could. the B36 had so much lift with those enormous wings, that the jet fighters of the day would fall out of the sky trying to just turn in the thin air. makes me chuckle !!
Those men and their aircraft literally saved the world.
When I was a child I got to tour a B-36 at Carswell AFB on a static display when he took my Mom shopping at the PX by my uncle who was a USAF Security Patrolman there. My Dad was also a USMC Military Police Sergeant at NAS Dallas at the time. It was an impressive sight inside.
I saw this movie a few years ago and loved it. I love the B36. It is a beautiful bomber. I think there is one at the Nabraska air museam. I wish that i was able to serve in the military. I had a heart mermer and was un able to serve. I think that i would have gone into the air force. I love air planes. I have a flight sim on my computer and fly all the time. I wish that there was a sim about the b36. I would buy it in a heart beat. Thats to all our men and woman that have served and are serving now and in the future. My God be with you abd keep you safe. I remember the hymn in church that says God guide the men that fly. Go Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.
Thank you, you sound like you would have made a fine pilot. Kind words, much appreciated and good health to you. Thank you again Sir.
+wayne gay I too was sidelined due to medical...my eyesight sucked to enter RAAF. did a stint in Aus army reserve...but the guys in uniform are the guys I look up to.and yes...the B36 is truly beautiful.
Jimmy Stewart was an Air Force Reserve pilot at the time this was filmed, and was actually qualified to fly both this and the B-47, which is also seen in the movie. He had been a B-24 squadron commander in Europe during WW2 and (IIRC) eventually retired from the Reserve as a brigadier general.
+wayne gay FlightGear Flight Simulator is gratis and libre (drop gratis if you're over your data limit on your home connection), and I believe it simulates hundreds of different planes if you desire it to. It can also be multiplayer, again optionally, and I hear it's fairly fun. Haven't played in a while.
I don't know about Nebraska, but I do know there is one not 60 miles from where I live in central California at the old Castle AFB museum. A must visit for any aviation buff. Especially on their open cockpit days.
This footage from "Strategic Air Command" is the best I have ever seen. As a teenager, I saw many of these planes fly over Amarillo, Texas to the airbase here. They shook the windows so much that they had to be careful about coming over the city too low.
Of course, there is no way the audio in a movie can convey the incredible ground shaking noise the B36J made at takeoff and flying at low altitude! I was fortunate to live near a SAC base in the 1950s and saw these monsters almost daily!
Its amazing the Convair went from this half breed monster to the B-58 Hustler supersonic bomber in one stage. They did make a B-36 and put swept wings on it with all jet engines but the B-52 from Boeing got the go ahead - good thing.
check out Jimmy Stewart as a real USAF pilot flying the B-58 in a video on here...
Many years ago I saw 4 Hustlers take-off from Plattsburg NY, what a sight but what sound. Four J-79's in full song and afterburner. When they took off they were flying away from us and when the black smoke cleared and we saw them rotate it was looking at the top of the plane because they were at such a hight angle of attack - like all delta winged aircraft.
Robert Bradley
Wow....I would have loved to see that !
Back in 1969 as a T-37 trainer crew chief at Perrin AFB Texas and working on the flight line, a 4 plane flight of F-104s taxied by us, only about 20 feet away.
For me as a T-37crew chief this was like watching the real air force taxi by
When they took off, all F-104s went vertical.....an incredible sight
A month later later, my prayers were answered and I received orders to a F-4 squadron in England where I crewed an F-4C for 2 1/2 years before getting out
The USAF was great !
Actually the CF-104 was one of my favorites as we built these for our Air Force and they were in service for over 30 years. Great interceptors, loud and fast at airshows but not very aerobatic but they were not designed to be that way.
only if they kept the yb-52 layout though my only questions whats the advantage of having a side by side anyways
in my opinion it gives the pilot better orentaion of the aircraft and he can see the opposite side
Might have been why I chose the Air Force, having seen films like this one growing up. Something magic about flying. The giants, like a building with wings becoming airborne. Never quite understood how the wings bore the weight and thrust of all those engines, but I"m not an engineer. So used to hearing the engines down on the flight line when I fell asleep at night, that when I became a civilian again I missed the sound. Still do. And when an aircraft of any type passes overhead, I always stop and look up.
As a kid I remember going for a tour on the XC-99 in San Antonio, the cargo version with two interior levels. No jets, just props and it was huge.
Walked around under that one at Kelly AFB when I was in basic training.
My Dad, an Air Force LTC took me on a tour of the XC-99 at Kelly. Really impressive aircraft. I did get see several B-36s fly over our base as a kid!. It's amazing that something as big as that could actually fly! I went on to enlist and serve 27 years in the Navy and flew in several aircraft as a naval aircrewman for six years with VQ-2 out of Rota, Spain.
when you think this was pretty much all built using mid 1940's tech (except for the Jet engines) it was a remarkable accomplishment
I knew a pilot of one of the tanker crews and he mentioned it was an open secret the B36 with the radials off and just the jet engines running could maintain level flight at 70,000 feet. That monster wing was why.
What a spectacular aircraft! Thanks to all who flew her.
Jimmy Stewart was the real deal!
I was a 2nd grader living in Albuquerque (Central Ave/Gibson Blvd) about 1951. There is no sound like those P&W engines over at Kirtland AFB. Turns out they in/out so much because of Sandia Base picking up Special Weapons. I still watch this scene and the 8 second B-36D flyover of Al Lang Field in Florida in the movie.
Smoother airflow over the wings for less drag = longer range. Same reason the Northrop B-35 flying wing used them. They also supplied some extra stability for the wing.
A beautiful B-36H-35-CF.-
the B-36 was a Behemoth. Even with all the engines it still was a touch underpowered but still managed to grunt MASSIVE payloads even in comparison to the B-52. Having met a pilot of this venerable bird he said the one strange thing about flying a plane this big was watching the tail 'snaking' behind the aircraft as it flew and winds would make the wings and tail deflect a little. The empennage actually moved noticeably as the plane flew. It also had the honor of being the only "Pusher" type plane in service for the American Military with the one exception of the Cessna Skymaster (this discounts all experimental aircraft). Sadly no examples that I know of were spared for museum purposes. The original aircraft did not have the 4 jet engines attached. The engines were an afterthought because of the need for more takeoff power the six engines it had lacked. It is amazing we can build aircraft this large but not find a way to end war once and for all. Still, it is true the one with the biggest hardest hitting stick makes others who want to start a fight think twice about it and in its day this aircraft gave Russia reason to think more than twice about wanting to scrap with us. This plane was a BIG stick!
KingOfAllAnimals great story you relayed. there are 4, maybe 5 survivors. 1 at Pima museum in Tucson, 1 at former Castle AFB, 1 at USAF Museum, 1 at Strategic Air and Space museum near Offutt AFB.you can see the PIMA one on google earth street view!!
770valiant
Its good to know a few actually made it to a museum. I was under the impression none escaped the scrap yard due to treaties. There are some aircraft that deserved historical recognition but were instead just scrapped out never to be seen again.
All I can say really is Russia is not the only country to build big air craft. If I remember also the B-36 was the largest bomber ever made and used in service too.
+KingOfAllAnimals It was OVERPOWERED!!! Even without the jets.
shawn sutton
Not really. It needed the jets to boost takeoff speed. When this jet was loaded it carried a lot more payload then the B-52. This jet was under-powered. It had comparatively larger wing area then modern bombers. It needed it considering the massive payload this beast grunted. Carrying a fully Nuke payload this one plane in its day could wipe out several cities solo as compared to earlier nuclear bombers that could only carry one nuke.
Have to wonder how this plane would have fared with 4 of the power plants the 777 uses. Now that is real power.
I would recommend Convair B36: A Comprehensive History of Americas Big Stick. The fuel and engine problems were solved early in the acs career. The jets shortened the TO and increased speed over target.....to get away. Otherwise it was always considered overpowered which was a good thing as it made it easy to fly.
Also, for the idiots ( not you) who think the Mig 15 could reliable shoot them down...how could the Mig get to 55000-60000 feet...and thats not a typo. Thats the altitude featherweighted B36s operated at . Lots of info in the book about all the problems our own jet fighters...even the F86...had intercepting them.The could simply outmaneuver fighters at altitude.
America an USAF is Great to have an aircraft like this back inn the 50's. My Father was still in uniform
This is one of my favorite movies of all time!
MR. Paulison, I hope YOU are correct!!!! I've tried it........ no can find!!! i'll try again....... it's been a while. maybe the people their got their head out of their butt, and realize this is HISTORY!!! if its their, my many THANKS to YOU!!! I the son of a Korean War Veteran, 5th Air Force, 18th maintance SQD. Dog Patch AFB, Korea.
Those engines on the B-36 were so maintenance plagued the joke was “two turning, two burning, two choking, two smoking, one off-line and one un accounted for!“
What a fantastic bomber!
Jimmy Stewart was very cool...
Jimmy Stewart was actually a General in the USAF (Army Air Corp)and in WW2 as a senior grade officer flew the B-24's over Europe in combat missions.
Actually, the AAC became the Army Air Force in June of '41.
Thank God for the national museum of the US Airforce we're we can see planes like this.
What a plane!
Flight Engineer reports: 2 turning, 2 burning, 2 smoking, 2 choking, and 2 unaccounted for, Sir! 🤣
one of my favorite Stewart movies